Dealing with Ingrown Hairs: The Right (And Wrong) Way

Shaving is a major part of your men’s grooming routine. Even if you have a beard, you’ll have to shave around it and keep it trim. 

The bad news? A lot of guys suck at shaving.

It’s not always their fault. There’s a lot of marketing mis-education from the shaving/razor industry. 

Many guys struggle with ingrown hairs. For some, it's a daily battle to soothe their post-shave skin. Other men only deal with the bumpy, itchy nonsense that is ingrown hairs on occasion. Regardless of frequency, it's all around miserable.

How can you prevent them? If you’re stuck with ingrown hairs, how can you deal with them to reduce redness and irritation? The Grooming Manual’s got you covered.

How Ingrown Hairs Form

Facial hairs sometimes grow back into the follicle beneath your skin instead of out and away from it. These are ingrown hairs. They usually appear as bumps clustered together on the cheeks, chin, or neck. They look a bit like pimples, but without the telltale white and black heads. Because of their appearance they’re also known as razor bumps.

What causes ingrown hairs? A bad shave routine. If your pores are not open, hairs can get trapped beneath the skin. Dirt, dead skin cells, or other debris can clog pores as well. This also traps the hair beneath the skin.

If you have coarse, curly hairs you’re at greater risk for ingrown hairs. That’s because curly hairs are more likely to grow back into the skin, leading to razor bumps.

Preventing Ingrown Hairs

Want to banish razor bumps? Improve your shave routine. Here’s the ideal process:

1 — Shower or rinse with hot water. This will open your pores, soften coarse facial hair, and weaken hair. That makes it easier to achieve a close shave.

2 —  Exfoliate. This breaks down the top layer of dead skin cells, dirt, and other junk on your face. What’s the point? Face scrub for men gets all that gunk away from your pores. It also loosens the hairs and pulls them away from the skin. It’s the essential pre-shave step for guys that suffer from constant razor bumps.

3 — Shave. Important note here: use a lotion based shaving cream. Foaming and lathering creams are bad news for your skin. They dry your skin, close your pores, and put you at risk for post-shave irritation. Instead, opt for a natural shaving cream for men that soothes and protects your skin. 

4 — Apply aftershave. Make sure it’s natural aftershave for men. That means no alcohol. Natural substances with anti-septic properties - such as sugar cane and orange peel - are better. No need to ruin your skin with alcohol or menthol just for the tingle. 

Bonus Tips

Combine these tips with the men’s grooming routine detailed above. Your face will thank you.

— Use a Quality Razor. Stop trying to eek out every penny you spent on some cheap, disposable razor. Upgrade to a safety razor. At the very least, never use a disposable razor more than 5 times. Dull blades cut hairs poorly, leading to ingrown hairs. And used blades are hotbeds for bacteria growth. Shave your face with that and you’re inviting bacteria to irritate the mess out of your skin. 

— Shave in the Evening. If you have sensitive skin, first thing in the morning is not the right time to be shaving. Your face swells slightly as you sleep. That hides hairs and puts you at greater risk of a bad morning shave that leads to ingrown hairs. Switch your shave routine to the evening for better results and less irritation.

Reduce Irritation, Look Your Best

Ingrown hairs suck. They look terrible, they itch, they burn. It’s all bad.

Do yourself a huge favor and apply these tips. Exfoliate first with face scrub for men. Improve your shave with natural shaving cream for men. And follow up with natural aftershave for men.

Say goodbye to those awful ingrown hairs. And good riddance.