How to get razor burn to fade away.
Mention razor burn and you wince! How you’ve endured this excruciating skin condition, time and again, only you know. Although you generally do manage to handle the situation by some quick fix methods, you generally remain clueless on how to get rid of razor burn. Now wouldn’t it be a lot nicer if you knew how to prevent razor burn whenever you get one?
Getting razor burn
Of course you get it by improper shaving techniques. And women fare no better than men, when it comes to dragging the razor over bare skin! You slap the cream on the skin and quickly shave it off, resulting in chafed, red skin that looks so gross, as to dash all hopes of showing off your shapely legs or smooth jaws in public.
According to skin experts, razor burn is nothing but skin irritation. This condition develops when you peel off the top layer of the skin by improper use of razor. The redness is basically a response to tissue injury, as the blood vessels of the area dilate and become red to allow increased blood flow to heal the wound. And the bad news is razor burn is hard to get rid off, as every time you shave, you again manage to irritate the skin.
Getting rid of razor burn
So, the next time you get it, just stop shaving and let the hair grow. What? You’d rather be dead than be seen in a bikini with hairy legs! Well, despair not. If that's not your preferred option, follow these time tested tips:
a. Bathe before you shave: For you to get that oh-so-smooth shave, it’s important to get your skin well hydrated. You can ensure that by taking a bath or shower before shaving. This way the hairs become softer and skin tender to allow the razor blade to glide over the skin instead of scraping.
b. Use shaving cream: You can very well use soap, but the problem with it, especially if you’ve razor-sensitive skin, is it just lubricates and doesn’t soothe. A good quality shaving cream, on the other, contains aloe or some other soothing ingredient that takes care of razor inflicted cuts and scrapes. However, while using shaving cream, don’t just apply it and shave, but let it remain on the skin for couple of minutes to soften the hair.
c. Shave along the grain: This is important. In your eagerness to get a close shave, you go against the grain of the growth. This certainly gives you a close shave, but cuts the hair so short the stubbles get trapped below the skin. And some of them pierce the skin on growing, giving razor burns.
d. Use hydrocortisone: The moment you find redness on the skin, dab hydrocortisone cream to the area. It’ll not only make the redness disappear, but will also take the sting and irritation out of it. Hydrocortisone does this simply by constricting the blood vessels so less blood reaches the affected area, saving you from embarrassing redness. Experience shows you need to do this only twice the first day to make the symptoms fade. But, beware of overdose, which may make the skin redder and may even enlarge the blood vessels, resulting in stretch marks!
e. Good lubrication: The problem that confronts most is after shave dryness and itchiness. For this a good quality moisturizing body lotion proves immensely helpful. All you need do is to rub the lotion on the shaved areas to soothe the skin.
The above tips are in no way exhaustive. But, if you adhere to them, you’ll get rid of this problem to a large extent. However, if your razor burns don't seem to heal in a few days or look infected, it’s best to see a physician.
|
