One of the most frequently asked questions for beginner or experienced shavers is “How can I prevent razor burn?”
Rather than trying to treat razor burn after the fact, we have a few different ways you can prevent razor burn from happening. With both beginner and not-so-beginner shavers, razor burn is a huge struggle when shaving your face (or anywhere else on your body). If you’ve ever experienced red bumps, itchy skin, or tenderness in your skin after shaving – you’ve likely experience razor burn.
1. Prepare the skin properly
First things first: You need to warm up your skin—literally—for that sharp razor. Take a hot shower, or wash your face thoroughly with warm water. If you skip this initial step, your skin is less resilient, and your stubble more stubborn. By having soft skin and hair, you lessen the likelihood of the blade dragging and tugging the skin, and improve the razor’s ability to cut the hairs cleanly and quickly.
After the warm water cleanse, you should apply a pre-shave oil or cream. This forms a thin, nourishing base layer over the skin, to shield it from the blade without compromising the closeness of the shave itself. It also further softens the hairs, so that you can mow without resistance.
2. Use less blades and rinse them more
Razor hygiene is essential in preventing burn. You need to be shaving with a sharp, clean blade. But you don’t need to toss the cartridge after each use. You should get multiple uses out of one razor head.
The rule of thumb for razor replacement: Never use a razor blade more than 8 times. And never use it more than 3 weeks. Replace the blade at either of those intervals—whichever one comes first. At that point, it’s either too dull or has collected too much bacteria and dust, even if you’ve been storing it properly. (That is, stored upright in a cool, dry space after shaving. And with a plastic cover over top between shaves, after it’s dried.)
If you have sensitive skin, you might also consider using a razor with fewer blades, to minimize the number of sharp objects dragging over your skin. This is why lots of guys switch to a safety razor and a wet shaving technique. Double Edge Safety Blades are available in a wide variety of brands to accommodate any shaving technique or hair thickness.
3. Consider using a badger brush to lift your facial hair
If you’re shaving hairs that are more than a few days old, you might be able to lift them up away from the skin by applying your shave cream with a badger brush. You simply wet the brush in warm water, poke a hole in the center with your finger, then fill it with cream, before applying it in circular motions against the grain on your face. This builds a creamy lather while also pulling the hairs up and priming them for a nice, gentle shave.
4. Loosen your grip, use shorter strokes and less pressure and shave with the grain
If you’ve done everything correct until this point—the moment you begin to shave—then you should trust the process. There’s no need to apply lots of pressure to the blade, as you’ll only shear off extra cells or trim some hairs slightly below the surface of the skin. Lighten your grip, and let the blade glide over top your pre-shave layer and the shave cream. You shouldn’t require multiple passes, either. Again, if you’ve done everything right, then everything should go smooth.
And remember: Shave with the grain of your hair growth. This is the best way to ensure the closest shave. Plus, if you’ve done everything right, you shouldn’t have to worry about ingrown hairs. Rinse the blade with warm water between each stroke. There’s no reason to drag your dead skin and hairs across the rest of your skin.
5. Cool and calm the skin afterwards
Just as you opened the pores and relaxed the hairs before your shave, you need to close everything back up after the fact. Simply rinse some cold water on the face after you shave, to remove debris and, more importantly, to close the pores. I like to do this with a cleanser, too, to benefit from a refreshing wash. Or you could splash cold water on the face, and then apply a post-shave toner to disinfect and cleanse the pores, especially if you’re hyper prone to redness.
Then, apply a post-shave balm, which nourishes the skin with vitamins as it rebounds from the entire procedure. Balm is dense, and thus protects the skin like a shield, preventing anything from clogging itself inside your pores. Balms are available in a wide variety of fragrances that can be changed up depending upon the season or a special occasion.
