A shaving rash — or razor burn, if you will — can be an obnoxious side effect of shaving if you don’t take steps to avoid it. However, even the best of us can succumb to these angry red bumps once in a while. If you have a rash (or acne), you should try to avoid shaving those areas while your skin heals, but if that’s not an option, there are ways to make it easier on yourself.
“If you just go straight in with a razor, it’s going to pop all of those burns and rashes and bumps and just make it worse,” says Dr. Beard’s Amanda Hughes. She recommends heating your skin to soften it, either with a warm, wet washcloth or better still, a shower. “I tell guys to fully exfoliate as well because it’ll kind of break up some of those bumps and [further] soften the skin.”
Then, apply something thick and pillowy — *cough* like our Shave Cream *cough*— which will help soothe your raw skin while allowing the blade to glide more easily over bumps and burns. Once you’re all prepped, make slow and gentle razor strokes. Don’t worry about getting your skin completely smooth — it’s much better to leave a little stubble than to nick those bumps.
Of course, the best way to deal with shaving rash is to avoid getting it altogether, which you can learn all about here. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of potentially painful shaving. People say that, right?