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Razor burn -symptoms, causes and other risk factors

If you are shaving your body, then you have the biggest chances to get razor burn. This is a condition which is happening when you have a mild rash after you have shaved your body. After have passed few minutes from your shaving, you are see rashes all over your shaved areas. In some cases they are disappearing after few hours and in other cases they can last for few days. It depends from the shaving techniques and the sharpness of the razor what kind of razor burn you will have. Men are more exposed to this condition because they are constantly shaving their beards and also the other parts of the body. But women are not excluded from this condition. They can occur in every part which you are shaving. Razor burns can appear on arms, legs and pubic hair if men and women are shaving those parts of their bodies. Irritation which is caused by the razor burn in some cases can lead to serious problems such as razor bumps or pseudofolliculitis. This is often caused by the quality of shaver, shaving techniques and hair which is becoming curly because is growing again and again on the skin. [1]

Symptoms of razor burns

When you have shaved your hair on the body and you have razor burn, then the biggest symptom which can be seen by everyone is the inflamed and red skin in the shaved areas. Those areas are sensitive. They can also be stinging and itching. The first five minutes after you have shaved your hair, you are noticing these symptoms. In some cases this condition is in a mild level and it is disappearing by its own after few hours. But if the razor burn is in deep level, then this burn can last for few days and you will constantly feel discomfort and inflammation.

Razor burnCauses of razor burns

When you are shaving your skin, then it is irritating. There are two reasons why the skin is irritated.

  • Dull blades: When you are using dull blade, then this is the main cause for the razor burn. When you are shaving your body with sharp and fresh blade you are not putting too much effort on the hair but also you are having bigger risk scraping your skin. When you are shaving your hair with dull blade, then you are putting too much effort for your shaving. When this is happening you are also scraping a layer of your skin which is a reason for razor burn. [2]
  • Poor technique: Also this is one of the most common causes for the razor burn. When you have no time for hair softening and you are hurrying yourself to shave as fast as you can, then this is also one of the biggest causes for the razor burn. When you have shaved your hair several times, then your hair becomes hard and tough. Then, your hair needs lot of effort to be shaved .This is a reason for irritation and scrapping of your skin. When you are giving your hair a time to soften in water not only that you are making your skin soft and swell, you are also making your hair easier for shaving. The same effect you can get with shaving foams and gels. But when you have applied foam or gel on the area in which you have hair, you should let the foam or the gel to soften the skin for some time because if you have applied them and you are starting to shave your hair in this period, then you have also chances to get razor burn. Also you should know if your foam or gel can have alcohol in it because alcohol is another reason for razor burn. Also when you are shaving your legs against the direction of your hair growth, you are also increasing your chances for having razor burn. When you are choosing this way for shaving your legs, then you are thinking that your legs or arms are looking gentle, but in this case your risk of getting razor burn is bigger. [3,4]

You should try to avoid the razor burns. But when they are done once, you should soothe your irritation and you should be sure that it will not get any worse. You should shave correctly in the way to avoid the razor burn. You should always use a fresh blade and when you have started shaving your arms or legs, you should be sure that your skin is shaved gently. If you have done the mentioned steps and you are still seeing razor burns, then you should try to avoid shaving so often. Men are risking more to have razor burn because they are shaving their face so often and they are not giving a chance to their face to recover from the past razor burn. [5]

References:

[1] Ogunbiyi A. Pseudofolliculitis barbae; current treatment options. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2019;12:241–7.

[2] Chu J. Why shaving dulls even the sharpest of razors. In MIT News. 2020. Retrieved from news.mit.edu/2020/why-shaving-dulls-razors-0806

[3] Sukakul T, Bunyaratavej S, Chaweekulrat P, et al. Facial hair shaving behavior and shaving education knowledge in thai male.  Thai Journal of Dermatology. 2018;34(3):177-82.

[4] NYU Langone Medical Center. Best practices for ingrown hair or ‘razor bumps’. Science Daily. 2015. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150128170057.

[5] Maurer M, Rietzler M, Burghardt R, Siebenhaar F. The male beard hair and facial skin – challenges for shaving. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2016;38(1):3-9.

Hanan Marshal
Hanan Marshal
Hanan, a medical student (MBBS) having passion for writing and is very much interested in holistic living along with nature. He is very much interested in doing community service and watches anime and play PS4 during his free time. You can reach him through [email protected]

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