In the last article, I mentioned to cucumber peel off mask, an excellent approach to get rid acne at home. In this article, I will talk about shaving affect to your skin. And the question “Does shaving cause acne?” will be answered in this.
Does shaving cause acne?
Every woman wishes to have a smooth, hair-free skin. Unfortunately, your stubborn hair does not always follow those wishes. This means that sooner or later, your hair will grow. And with hair growth, you will have to shave. As a result, you may have to contend with ingrown hairs, itchiness and breakouts. So, does shaving cause acne? If yes, why does shaving cause acne and is there anything you can do about it?
According to a book written by Terry J. Dubrow and Brenda D. Adderly, shaving can and do cause acne breakouts but under certain circumstances. Basically, there are 4 factors that create an enabling environment for acne: concentration of bacteria, excess sebum and blockage of pores as well as skin inflammation. Normally, shaving cause skin irritation and inflammation. It can also aggravate or contribute to skin conditions that are acne-related.
How does shaving cause acne?
The simple answer is that shaving carries the risk of putting the skin under pressure. While shaving does not always put the skin under pressure, when it does, the irritation that accompanies the process can be intense enough to aggravate or initiate a breakout.
Normally, acne is characterized by raised bumps that make it difficult to shave using a manual blade. If you shave hastily or carelessly, you are likely to slice some of the blemishes open. This causes scarring, prolongs their healing time and opens up the skin to bacteria leading to more infections and pain.
To answer the question of how does shaving cause acne, it is important to examine all the factors that lead to breakouts on your skin. These factors include:
- Bacteria on your blades: Though you do not have to replace your blades every time you shave, whenever you notice the blades are tugging at your skin while shaving, it is time to get a new set. Old blades not only damage your skin, they also tend to harbor bacteria especially if you keep them in a moist environment such as the bathroom. Naturally, bacteria thrives in a warm and moist environment and if the blades are not cleaned thoroughly, you are likely to expose your skin to harmful microorganisms.
Shaving not only gets rid of hair from your skin, it is also a form of exfoliation. But as the blade glides over the surface of your skin, bacteria gets pushed into the open pores causing infection.
To avoid introducing bacteria into your pores, consider doing the following:
- Rinse the blades thoroughly after shaving.
- Use an old toothbrush soaked in an anti-bacterial solution to wash blades.
- Consider wiping the blade with alcohol. In addition, store your blades in a dry area to preempt the possibility of mold or moisture accumulating on the blades.
- Multi-blade razors: Improper shaving techniques especially using multi-blade razors irritate the skin and result in acne. When you shave using multi-blade razors, the first blade lifts the hair out of the skin while the following blades cut the hair below the skin line. Multi-blade razors give a smoothly shaven appearance. However, there is a catch. Since the hair is cut below the skin line, when the hair starts growing again, it is covered by the skin and has to push through to get to the surface. This causes irritation on the skin leading to razor bumps or acne.
To avoid the problems associated with multi-blade razors including ingrown hair, consider using safety razors. While safety razors come with double blades, only one edge of the razor comes into contact with the skin which prevents cutting the hair below the hair line. Once you have performed a number of strokes with one edge, you can flip the safety razor and shave with the other edge. Safety razors are not only good for acne-free shaving but they are also cheap compared to using shaving gels or multi-blade razors.
- Sensitivity of shaving gels: Shaving gels get rid of stubborn hair without having to use shaving blades. These gels are great for shaving because unlike blades, they do not scratch or cause tears on the skin.
While shaving gels are ideal for giving your skin a smooth appearance, some of the compounds in these products can cause acne. Ideally, good shaving gels should not contain palmitic acid, glycols or fragrance
To prevent breakouts and irritations when using shaving gels, consider the following:
- Make your own shaving cream at home: When you use this approach, you are assured that the product does not contain irritants. You can easily make a shaving gel at home using jojoba, shea and butter oils.
- Go for unscented products when buying ready-made shaving creams. Why? Because fragrance is one of the main components that cause allergic reaction or irritation. In addition, choose gels with natural ingredients including Aloe Vera, olive and coconut oil that soothe the skin.
Irritation and inflammation
When hair follicles become irritated, there is always a possibility of developing inflammation and infection. Hair follicles can get inflamed due to many reasons including bacteria or fungus.
During the shaving process, your skin is especially vulnerable to inflammation due to irritation. As a result, you are likely to experience a breakout.
Managing and treating inflammation
Make sure to do as following:
- Cleanse your skin prior to shaving. Cleansing your skin before shaving eliminates bacteria or dirt that accumulates on the surface of the skin and get trapped in the pores causing infection.
- Use a toner to calm pores after shaving. A mix of witch hazel and argan oil is a great combination for your skin. Witch hazel has excellent anti-inflammatory properties while argan oil is a handy moisturizer and contain oleic acid as well as a wide range of antiseptic properties that help in fighting off infections.
- Preventing and managing ingrown hair. Ingrown hair occurs when hair is cut below the skin line. The condition is usually itchy which make it highly uncomfortable. To manage problems associated with ingrown hair, make sure you shave your hair in the direction of hair growth. When you shave against the direction of hair growth, your hair is highly likely to grow in different directions.
- Avoid using dull blades since these do not cut as precisely as sharp blades. Hair that is not cut evenly will grow unevenly increasing the chances of ingrown hair.
- In addition, you should exfoliate before every shave. This helps you to open pores and give you a closer, cleaner shave.
Ultimately, does shaving cause acne? Here, the answer is a resounding yes. Why? Because improper shaving techniques and products create the perfect environment for acne to occur. When you fail to cleanse your skin before shaving and irritate your skin, inflammation occurs. This results in acne that may range in severity due to the level of inflammation. Though shaving can cause acne, proper shaving and skin care can reduce irritation and pimples. This reduces the risk of developing post-shaving breakout and acne. Hope this article will help you be more beautiful day by day.