man looking at his razor bumps in the mirror

How to Treat Razor Bumps

Learn how to handle shaving spots on your face and neck

You may have found that shaving spots, or razor bumps, tend to appear on your skin after you shave your face and neck. These bumps are often itchy and can cause swelling, redness and pain.

Happily, we’re on hand to explain why they form in the first place, how to prevent them from appearing post-shave, and what you can do to get rid of them as quickly as possible.

Why do I get spots after shaving?

When you shave the hair on your face and neck, you remove both your hair and also the top layer of your skin.

As your hair starts to grow back, it can curl and turn inwards after shaving. As the top layer of skin begins to form again, it can trap the hair, causing it to be ingrown - meaning that you’re now left with a bump on your skin, and all of the irritation, redness and dryness that that entails.

It is in this way that ingrown hairs cause razor bumps to appear. Razor bumps are more common in people with curly hair, owing to the fact that their hair is more likely to curl back into the skin.

How to prevent razor bumps

In order to put an end to those maddening razor bumps, therefore, you need to banish those pesky ingrown hairs into yesteryear. Read on to discover how to do just that.

We recommend the following before you start shaving:

Exfoliating your skin with a gentle scrub or loofah: this will remove dead skin and help prevent razor burn and ingrown hairs
Taking a bath or shower: shaving is easiest when the skin is warm and hydrated, and the hairs on your body are at their softest. Use our Sensitive Shower Gel for best results.
Selecting a clean, sharp, premium-quality razor. Using a dull razor will only increase the risk of your hair getting caught and pulled, which can lead to ingrown hairs.

When you shave, be sure to:

Use our Sensitive Shaving Gel: this will protect against redness, tightness and micro-cuts and help soften your beard and neck hair for a close, smooth shave
Shave using gentle strokes that go in the direction that your hair is growing: this may mean that you have to take one or two extra passes, but it will help ensure that your hair follicles won’t get inflamed. For this reason, we recommend that you leave plenty of time and go slowly and carefully!
Rinse with lukewarm water

We recommend the following after you have finished shaving:

Splashing cold water over your face/body: this will constrict the open pores that have formed on your face and help calm the skin
Using our Post Shave Balm, which provides the skin with long-lasting hydration
Applying our alcohol-free Sensitive Cooling Face Moisturiser for instantly refreshed skin and all-day protection from skin irritation

How to get rid of shaving spots

The steps outlined above will help you avoid the hassle of dealing with razor bumps. The reality, however, is that razor bumps will occasionally still appear on your face and neck - and this is the case even after you have followed these steps and opted for a slow, careful shave. We’re only human, at the end of the day.

Here’s what to do once you spot those wretched bumps, and decide that you want to bump off those good-for-nothing spots:

Splash cold water over your razor bumps as soon as they start to appear - this will help shrink your pores and soothe the skin
Apply our Protect & Care Rehydrating Moisturiser to your face/neck: it combines Aloe Vera with Pro-Vitamin B5 to soothe your skin, leaving you feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. The micro-injuries on your skin will heal much more quickly if they have been sufficiently hydrated.

You may find that pressing a warm towel against your skin provides a quick fix to razor bumps, as this can encourage ingrown hairs to break through your skin; be careful not to apply excessive pressure!

We advise that you arrange to see a dermatologist immediately if your irritated skin becomes infected.