How to quickly and effectively solve the problem of irritation after shaving on the face

Shaving is a fairly simple process, the basics of which are familiar to every male teenager. However, even experienced mature men face such an unpleasant reaction of the skin as irritation after shaving on the face, which causes a lot of unpleasant sensations and also looks rather unaesthetic.

The question that worries most men during the shaving process sounds something like this: how to avoid the appearance of painful wounds and redness when getting rid of unattractive stubble? To answer it, you first need to understand what causes this irritation, what provokes the appearance of such symptoms.

Causes facial irritations after shaving

No matter how masterfully a man masters shaving techniques, there is always a possibility of irritation after manipulations in the facial area. The most common cause of this is an insufficiently sharp or frankly dull razor blade. This applies to both conventional reusable or disposable razors and electric shaving tools.

By the way, too sharp blades of disposable razors can also leave small cuts on the skin, which sometimes become inflamed, forming areas of redness on the face.

Irritation after shaving can appear on the face if, during the process of removing stubble hairs, the razor blade passed too close to the upper layer of the epidermis. This can cause microscopic damage to the skin. If an infection gets into them, it can cause inflammation on the skin of the face. The component that causes irritation can be ordinary dust, residual fat on the skin, dirt left due to insufficient cleaning of the face before shaving, as well as an incorrectly selected shaving product, which does not cleanse, but on the contrary, clogs the pores on the skin, thereby provoking an inflammatory process.

Severe irritation after shaving on the face can be a consequence of such a physiological process as ingrown hair, which is a frequent companion of shaving. Frequently recurring irritation of this type, manifested in the form of a painful acne rash, redness and itching, is considered a skin disease and is called "pseudofolliculitis". This disease most often affects men with curly dark coarse hair.

Irritation after manipulations on the face can be a consequence of sensitive skin or insufficient cleaning/moisturizing of the skin in preparation for the shaving process. Repeated shaving during the day, without allowing the skin to rest, also leads to the occurrence of inflamed wounds.

The cause of irritation after shaving on the face can sometimes be ignorance of the rules of the procedure, when the blade is directed against the growth of hair. Perhaps such manipulations will speed up the shaving process, and the skin will quickly acquire the desired smoothness, but most likely, painful irritation will soon appear on its surface. It would be better to first remove the bulk of the stubble, running the razor in the direction of hair growth or slightly to the side, and then bring the skin to smoothness, working the machine against the stubble, trying to do as few repetitions as possible in one place.

Treatment facial irritations after shaving

Since irritation after removing stubble brings a lot of unpleasant physical and psychological sensations, many representatives of the stronger sex are interested in the question of how to get rid of irritation after shaving on the face, as well as prevent the appearance of new foci of inflammation on the skin? Many special medical and cosmetic products, as well as folk recipes for combating irritation after shaving on the face, will help answer the first question.

When choosing an effective remedy for facial irritation, you should not always rely on information from advertising in the media or the price. Inexpensive products with aloe vera, chamomile, salicylic acid and glycerin cope with the problem of skin inflammation no worse. If you have difficulty choosing a suitable composition, you can ask for help from a beauty salon specialist, a beauty salon where hair removal is performed, or a dermatologist.

Aspirin and salicylic acid are considered to be some of the most inexpensive but effective means of combating irritation. In this case, we are interested in their antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects.

Salicylic acid is sold in bottles in the form of 1 and 2 percent solutions. To relieve irritation, 1% of the composition is enough, which is applied to the skin with a cotton swab.

Despite the effectiveness of this product, it cannot be used continuously for more than a week, and the daily dose of this drug for adults should not exceed 10 ml. To relieve unpleasant sensations on the skin after shaving, it is enough to wipe it with salicylic acid 2-3 times during the day.

Aspirin for facial irritation is used in the form of a mixture of crushed tablets and glycerin (do not use metal utensils to prepare the composition!). This product is recommended not only to be applied to the skin, but also to be lightly rubbed into it, leaving until completely absorbed.

Salicylic acid and aspirin are medications, the action of which can sometimes cause dry skin, allergic reactions and intolerance reactions of the components. To avoid such unpleasant consequences, they can be replaced with a safer and more pleasant remedy, which is regular baby cream, because it is equally effective in helping with diaper rash in babies and with irritation after shaving on the face of adult men.

Such creams may contain healing plant extracts of chamomile, calendula, plantain, and succession, which effectively combat various types of damage and irritation.

Apply baby cream to the face area with gentle massage movements. Usually, such cream is well absorbed and does not require rinsing. You can remove the oily shine from the cream on your face by blotting the skin with a clean napkin.

Inexpensive remedies for relieving irritation after shaving also include some pharmacy ointments: hydrocortisone, erythromycin, zinc, salicylic, which are often used in medical practice to treat pimples and acne. The most popular of them is hydrocortisone-based ointment, but it has one major drawback: with regular use, it causes addiction, and the effect of use is noticeably reduced. Long-term use of this ointment can also lead to such unpleasant consequences as skin atrophy, so it should be used only as first aid, giving preference to cosmetics.

Pharmacy ointments with a pronounced antiseptic effect are recommended for use in cases where irritation occurs on a permanent basis, and other preventive and therapeutic and hygienic measures do not help.

Products containing benzoyl peroxide are very effective against irritation after shaving. This component can be found in some pharmacy acne products (Ugresol lotion, Bezakne gels, Proderm, Baziron AC, Effesel, Oksigel, Oksi, OXY-15, etc.) and in many cosmetics of well-known brands (creams, lotions, tonics Galderma, Clear, Mary Kay, etc.). These products have a pronounced anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect, are not addictive, but due to their rather high prices, they are not available to everyone.

On the shelves of cosmetic stores you can find various products for irritation after shaving on the face, as well as shaving products designed to prevent skin irritation, but not all of them are effective enough in this regard. You can increase their effectiveness by adding 3-4 drops of essential oil to the product, which has a restorative, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. Such oils include essential oil of tea tree, lavender, bergamot, etc.

Any of these oils can be mixed with coconut oil and applied in a fairly thick layer to the skin after shaving for some time, and then removed with a dry napkin. This procedure refreshes and moisturizes the skin, and also relieves various inflammations and irritations on the face after shaving.

New uses for popular products

Among the non-specific remedies used for irritation after shaving on the face and other parts of the body, one can single out the Ayurvedic medicine preparation, the antiseptic cream "Boro Plus", known to many as an effective remedy used for various skin injuries, including mild forms of burns and insect bites.

The cream is generally safe unless there is an allergy to any of the ingredients. It consists only of natural ingredients, so, like baby cream, it is suitable for sensitive facial skin. To relieve skin irritation, use it 1-2 times a day, applying a thin layer and lightly rubbing into the skin until the symptoms disappear.

Another 2 products based on dexpanthenol, which are known to many in terms of treating sunburn, are the drugs "Panthenol" and "Bepanten". They can be found in almost every home medicine cabinet, but not everyone knows that these products can effectively combat irritation after shaving on the face. Nevertheless, this is true. In terms of effectiveness, these products are in no way inferior to special aftershave products.

These are not preventive measures, which means they should be used when irritation is already noticeable on the skin. It is advisable to use medicinal creams and sprays at least 2 times a day to get the desired effect in a short time. The well-known ointments "Rescuer" and "Healer", as well as their variants, have approximately the same effectiveness for irritation after shaving on the face.

Homemade Recipes for Razor Bumps

If you don't have any of the above-mentioned remedies at hand, you can use time-tested folk remedies. One of these remedies, as strange as it may sound, is talc-based baby powder. After powdering the irritated skin areas with it, after a while you will notice that there is no trace of redness or rash left.

Washing with regular brown laundry soap without additives will help relieve irritation on the face after shaving. This natural detergent has excellent cleansing and antimicrobial properties. The only condition for this type of irritation prevention is that the soap should be left on the skin for a slightly longer period of time than with regular washing. After washing your face, do not rush to wash off the soap foam from your face, let it sit on your face for a while, providing an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect.

A strong decoction of parsley also helps in this situation, which is used in the form of lotions and compresses, applied warm to damaged areas of the skin for 20 minutes. Parsley can be taken both fresh and dried.

A decoction and infusion of chamomile flowers are also famous for their calming effect on the skin. If the infusion is prepared on the basis of chamomile and mint, taken in equal proportions, then the cooling effect of this product will also be noticeable.

You can wipe the irritated skin on your face with aloe vera juice mixed with vegetable oil. This remedy is good at preventing inflammation in the area of damaged skin.

A good preventative measure against inflammation on the skin of the face is a compress made from a decoction of calendula flowers or oak bark. To prepare them, boil a tablespoon of crushed raw materials for about 10 minutes in a glass of water. Use it cooled, after straining, after each shaving procedure.

To relieve irritation on the face, you can wipe the skin with a slice of lemon or lemon juice, which is a powerful natural antioxidant.

Prevention

No matter how good the products for razor burn on the face are, they will not be able to prevent the redness, itching and flaking of the skin that accompany the procedure of removing stubble. They will not be able to prevent ingrown hairs and inflammation in areas with micro-scratches, since they are designed to relieve the symptoms of existing or incipient irritation.

Special shaving products, which are available in any cosmetics and household chemicals store, prevent skin irritation after shaving. Usually, such products contain soap, glycerin, stearin, oils, antiseptic additives, antioxidants, silicone, and sometimes vitamin E. But the thing is that such products will only justify their purpose if they are chosen correctly, in accordance with the type and characteristics of the skin, otherwise they themselves can cause irritation after shaving with their participation.

Sometimes, to prevent redness, itching and inflammation on the face, it is enough to not practice shaving for some time, in other cases it makes sense to neutralize the cause of irritation after shaving on the face, for example, replace dull blades in the razor with sharper ones or use disposable razors without turning them into reusable ones. It is advisable to disinfect reusable razors with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide before use, and after shaving, thoroughly wash with soapy water and rinse with clean water.

After shaving, the face must be thoroughly rinsed with cold water or wiped with a piece of ice. A compress from a wet cloth napkin will also help. Such procedures will cool the skin inflamed by mechanical action, and the redness will quickly disappear or will not appear at all.

Electric razors are popular among older people for a reason, because their use significantly reduces the risk of skin damage during shaving. The blade of an electric razor does not touch the upper layers of the skin and does not injure them, unlike razors, which means that irritation during shaving is not observed.

An electric razor will be indispensable for sensitive and problematic skin prone to inflammatory reactions, as well as for business trips and vacations. The shaving process for sensitive skin is best done in the evening, when metabolic processes are activated, then in the morning the irritation after shaving on the face will no longer be very noticeable.

When using razors, you need to monitor the sharpness of the blades, which will allow you to cut the hairs the first time, without damaging the skin with repeated mechanical action. But even the sharpest blade does not justify dry shaving. The use of shaving products improves the razor's glide over the skin and prevents damage to the skin layer with a dangerous razor. In this case, soap foam is not the best option, since it does not moisturize, but on the contrary dries the skin, not much improving the glide of the razor. You need to choose good moisturizing shaving products that contain silicone, which ensures perfect glide of the razor.

Aftershave products should also have a moisturizing and soothing effect, it is better if they contain extracts from medicinal plants. If you have dry and sensitive skin, you should avoid using lotions and tonics containing alcohol, which can cause redness on the face after shaving.

When shaving, it is advisable to use warm water and rinse your face with cold water at the end of the procedure. The best option is to shave after taking a bath or shower, when the skin is steamed and the hard hairs have become softer under the influence of heat. You can steam your face a little before the procedure by washing with fairly hot water. Steaming will make the shaving procedure more comfortable and effective, and will also help prevent such an unpleasant process as ingrown hairs.

Using water that is too hot while shaving will only make matters worse, as the heat will open the pores and allow particles of removed hair and dead skin to get into them, clogging them and causing inflammation.

Irritation after shaving on the face is unlikely to appear if special soothing agents are applied to the still damp skin after shaving. Actively wiping the skin that has become sensitive to mechanical impact with a towel can only cause additional trauma, leading to redness and pain. Therefore, after shaving, it is recommended to rinse the face with cool water and only lightly blot it with a napkin, then apply creams and lotions that prevent irritation.