Ingrown hairs, let’s talk about them. Nobody likes them but many black men are plagued with them in place of a full, healthy beard. Ingrown hairs are hairs that have curled around and grown back into your skin instead of rising up. Unfortunately, black men have it especially bad with ingrown hairs and bumps. Once trimmed or cut, coarser/curlier hair sometimes grows back into the skin, growing underneath it and causing a razor bump. Luckily for most, these unsightly bumps go away on their own. However, continually shaving after the bumps have become inflamed can leave permanent scarring. While you may feel as if razor bumps are just a natural part of shaving, there are a few things you can do to reduce the likelihood of them appearing where you’d rather have a healthy beard.
- Exfoliate your skin before you shave. Exfoliating helps open your pores and cleans the skin. Wash your face in a circular motion to tease out any stubborn ingrown hairs and reduce the risk of dirt seeping into your pores and causing inflammation. You can do this with a gentle cleanser or conditioner created specifically for beards, and a warm facecloth.
- Comb through your beard. Once you’ve cleaned your skin, be sure to comb through your beard to straighten out the hairs.
- Shave in the same direction your hair grows in. Shaving against the grain is the leading cause of razor bumps for black men. While you may feel like you get a closer shave going against the grain, it causes hairs to dig beneath the skin’s surface, a surefire way to welcome razor bumps.
- Purchase a safety razor. Safety razors are better for sensitive skin and can help reduce the risk of bumps. They don’t cut below the skin, and while they require a bit more work when shaving, they will severely reduce the likelihood of razor bumps occurring.
- Moisturize once you're finished. Shaving is basically cutting your skin. Most men opt to apply some sort of aftershave to soothe their skin after shaving which helps reduce inflammation. You want to be sure that once you apply aftershave you also apply Fresh Heritage beard oil to moisturize your beard and make a better shave the next time you reach for the razor.
