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Advice can make daily shave a smooth operation
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FarkRAPID CITY — Like tens of thousands of men in the Black Hills, Adam Dahlke of Rapid City shaves his beard every day. Like many of those who routinely shave, Dahlke occasionally suffers from razor burn.
The South Dakota State University psychology student likes the clean-shaven look. He takes care to shave his beard on his jaw, cheek, lip and neck in a circular motion with his Norelco electric razor with three circular heads. But Dahlke, 22, also experiences some skin rash and irritants after shaving.
“It just happens sometimes. It’s a minor irritation; nothing too big and I haven’t paid any attention to it,” Dahlke said.
Like others with razor burn, Dahlke’s skin turns red for about 30 minutes and has a burning sensation. There are some simple remedies to keep razor bumps, ingrown hairs and shaving irritation from happening.
Dr. Marc Boddicker, a Rapid City dermatologist, said there are several different kinds of irritants to men's skin as they shave. Many problems are easily resolved.
“A lot of people have irritation … from scraping the edges of the hair follicles and causing razor burn,” Boddicker said.
In a recent American Academy of Dermatology poll, 97 percent of men reported that they shave. Of those, 78 percent said that their skin gets irritated from shaving.
In men with a tendency toward razor bumps, ingrown hairs and similar problems, the beard hairs are often cut too short during shaving.
African-American men or those with curly hair have curved beard hair shafts. After a very close shave, the pointed hair may curl back into the skin, and it may pierce the wall of the hair follicle, causing a reaction resulting in bumps called “pseudofolliculitis barbae.”
“The hair retracts into the follical and grows into the skin causing a pimple-like inflammation,” Boddicker said.
Consider growing out the beard a little bit. Boddicker said men with this problem can adjust their shaver from cutting so close to the skin.
In order to minimize shaving-related problems, there are four key points to shaving.
- Get your beard thoroughly wet
- Shave in the direction that the hairs lie
- Avoid repeating strokes — also known as back shaving
- Keep the skin relaxed while shaving
Boddicker recommends getting a good electric razor such as the Mach 3 or multi-blade razor; using a decent shave cream when shaving and not soap from the shower; while water temperature doesn’t matter, it is important to get the beard wet; and create a tight skin surface to avoid razor chatter from electric razors.
“If you shave right, you won’t have burn or chatter,” Boddicker said.
Josh Herman of Rapid City agrees.
Herman, 22, shaves daily as part of his job in a private security company and also because he prefers the clean-cut look.
He uses a Gillette M3 Power razor blade, bathes his face in warm water before applying Edge Active Care gel and takes care to follow the grain of his beard.
These were tips given to him by his father, Dennis, when he started shaving at 17.
“As for shaving bumps or skin irritation, I’ve never got to play that game,” he said.
Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.
In a recent American Academy of Dermatology poll, 97 percent of men reported that they shave. Of those, 78 percent said that their skin gets irritated from shaving. (Don Polovich/Journal staff)
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