Pseudofolliculitis barbae, also called by its common name "razor bumps" present on faces who have coarse, wiry or curly hair, like... You guess black men! Did you know that around 85% of men have to deal with razor bumps everyday? Yes and this number increases everyday.
Razor bumps appear after shaving. The recent shaved hair curls back and burrows into the skin adjacent to the hair follicle. Right after shaving, the hair ends are very sharp and this facilitates the appearing of the bumps, and penetration of the skin. Then comes the nasty part: the razor bumps start itching, burning, possibly causing scarring and making shaving a next-to-impossible task. To end razor bumps many men shave tried depilatory creams, but these creams will often leave the skin with lots of irritation. Some "razor bumps cream" seem to help but on the long term the side effects catch up.
How Ingrown hairs begin
Although it is true that both men and women suffer from ingrown hairs, men tend to have it more acute because of their facial hair follicle's coarseness and thickness
Ingrown hairs build after the hair has been recently cut. As your hair grows, it curls over inside the follicle and doesn't make it to the surface. The result is an unsightly, "bump" on the black skin. A few razor bumps moreover form when a growing hair exits the follicle and bends back towards the skin surface. When these sharp, shaved edges of coarse hair reach the skin surface, they grow back into the skin, producing these bumpy spots.
The Way to Solve Ingrown Hair on Black Skin
The best solution for most men is the simplest one: the use of tweezers. However it is good notice that nowadays there are good products out there destined to prevent ingrown hair and thus razor bumps.
A proper shaving technique is also needed to prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Here we leave you with 5 tips to star today with your black skin care for men.
1. Be sure to use a clean blade at all times. If you have a bad case of razor bumps we recommend that you use a new blade every week. Be sure to throw away safely the used ones. If you use an electric shaver, replace the rotary blades accordingly.
2. Shave following the direction the hair grows. This is very important around the neck areas since shaving against the grain is one of the main causes of pointy, sharp hairs that can grow back into the skin.
3. Avoid stretching your skin to "shave better". This may cause darkness and discoloration of underlying skin.
4. Avoid skin irritation by eating well. Foods that contain lots of fat, oil, cholesterol or sodium make your skin prone to damage.
5. Depilatories work fast, but can produce even more irritation and redness. Remember to use an alcohol based cream to put on your face after you depilate.