How can black men avoid razor bumps? Ladies think they have it hard when it comes to taking care of their looks. But Men aren’t strangers to the challenges of grooming. Today, we’re talking bumps and ingrown hair.
Now shaving can be unpleasant for all men,but Black guys seem to have more of a hard time with razor bumps and ingrown hair.
I’ve known a handful of black guys during my experience with all things facial hair and the majority complain of going through the inconveniences of razor bumps. Now they can make the mistake of not correctly readying themselves up before shaving, but some still fail to have success even with going through different approaches.
We’ll try to summarize a number of methods. Shaving isn’t exactly easy for black men. But let’s dig deep into the issues.
- What makes black guys more prone to razor bumps
- How to make it better
- Useful shaving products that can help
- Advice for choosing your razor
What Makes Black Guys More Prone to Razor Bumps?
It’s pretty simple really; most black guys have curly hair. As good as it can look, it’s not the easiest to manage when it comes to shaving.
Why, you may ask? When curly hair doesn’t quite grow the same as straight hair. Instead of emerging easily from the skin after being shortened, curly hair just curls back and grows underneath the skin. That’s not good for the follicle as it will make it infected.
So basically, this is what causes all of the discomfort and the irritation that you feel. But here’s something that you should keep in mind: shaving over and over after getting an infected follicle will only make things worse. It can get so bad that it would even leave a scar.
Here’s what you can do to prevent these issues as a black man
How can black men avoid razor bumps?
There’s a specific set of rules that you need to respect if your goal is to decrease the possibility of having these issues or even avoid them completely.
Make Your Skin Ready
Make sure to soften up your skin and clean it to decrease the possibility of inflammations. You can do that by either taking a shower with hot water or simply using a hot towel. All you have to do is basically take a clean cloth and soak it in hot water. Now take the towel and press with it against your skin, especially in the areas where you usually get all the trouble. What that’s going to do is open up your pores for more comfortable shaving.
You’ll also want to use conditioner and soap. The conditioner is meant to soften the hair strands to allow for an easier shaving process while the solvent is for cleaning the skin to reduce the risk of inflammation.
If you’ve got a long beard, you would want to comb it before starting.
Remember the Principles of Shaving for a Black Man
Okay now, you’re all prepared to get to business. But don’t just jump into it thinking you can blindly get the job done. Even if you prepared yourself adequately, all that effort would be wasted if you don’t go about shaving the right way.
The first thing you need to remember is the foam. You heard that right. We advise that you either get yourself a foam specific to black men or just a foam designated for sensitive skin. If we were to recommend a particular brand, it’d be Aveeno’s skin gel.
The second thing is critical,so pay attention. Don’t you ever even think of shaving against the grain. This is one of the biggest causes of ingrown hair in black men. So, what you should do is go with the flow. Shave in the direction of the grain in a slow movement.
Going against the grain may give you a closer shave, but it’ll cause the ends of your hair strands to dig into the skin,and that’s what gets you a razor bump.
At the same time, you do not want to go too hard with the razor. You don’t have to apply too much pressure. Don’t dig, just let the razor glide on the surface of your skin in a smooth motion.
If we were to make an exception, it would be if you are on your third or fourth pass using a safety/straight razor. It’ll be safe to shave against the grain in this situation.
See Also: 10 Reasons Why a Beard is Good for Your Health
Of Course, There’s the Aftercare
Shaving is synonymous with minor skin cuts. It’s almost constant consequence. A consequence that can escalate gravely if you do not care for it in time.
There are some measures that you need to take into consideration. For calming the skin down and avoiding inflammation, you can use three kinds of products.
- An alum block
- An astringent
- Aftershave
Frankly, you can choose whatever product that suits you. But be sure not to mix them all together. You either pick one and keep using it or use each one on different shaves.
We would recommend Bump Patrol for those going through some severe razor bumps/burn situations. Basically, it’s an aftershave specifically made to decrease ingrown hair for black guys. After applying it, you’d want to wait for about three minutes to let it dry. After that, you can simply use a moisturizer which will make sure that the hair that’s growing is soft.
Now let’s address the poor fellows who suffer from acne. We realize that the situation is only harder for you guys, especially if you’re a black guy.
What you want to keep in mind my friend is exfoliation. It can either be done with chemical substances like salicylic acid solutions or manually. Don’t forget; this is a very crucial process.
You Might Want to Get a Safety Razor
There’s something you have to know: multi-blade razors may not always be the best choice for a black guy with sensitive skin. Do you want to know why? Well because they’re most likely to reach hair levels under the skin. As we have mentioned earlier, that is not what you want to do, especially with curly hair.
What we would like to recommend is a safety razor. These razors are just safer than any other tool out there on the market. They’re gentler with the skin and give smoother cuts even though they may take some time to get the job done. But trust in us when we say that this thing will give you fewer things to worry about.
But how is that possible, you’re probably wondering? Simple, it’s all because the cut happens in parallel to the surface of the skin which just makes it safer for a black chin to be shaved.
So, as you already know, shaving isn’t the most fun thing to do in the world. It’s a very delicate and time-consuming process. And if you happen to be a black man, then you’ll need to put even more effort into it to walk out of it in one piece. Just remember the few tips that we included in the article and have patience as you shave. You’ll get better at it as you do it more and more.