Shaving Bumps & Ingrown Hair Solutions

All men may suffer from ingrown hairs and bumps. It has no race,or sex discrimination even some women get them. I will discuss that later. This shaving problem tends to be most widespread in the African American community.

Why do African American Men Suffer from Shaving Bumps?
Since most African American men have curly hair, clipper and razor bumps are prevalent among them. Clipper bumps are the result of friction from cutting which causes an itching sensation. When you react by scratching it leads to irritation and bacteria growth. Once the hair starts growing out, it coils back into the skin (in grown hair) causing further irritation and inflammation.

Any kind of razor, from straight razors to throw always, tend to irritate a bump problem. Sometimes you can get by with making sure your barber and you at home, use only disinfected blades and tools. If the razor blades are disposable a fresh one daily is usually necessary. Also, shave with the hair growth not against it. Your hair may grow downward on your face and upward on your neck so pay attention to your individual beard pattern. This direction your shave in is not so important if you choose not to use a razor.

Your best option is to use a trimmer, preferably, set close and, of course, sharp. Set Close and Sharp are two different things. Please refer to the PASCO article, "Set Close vs. Factory Set." - Need a Close Shave or Tight Line for a precise description of the differences. We recommend certain trimmers for their ability to get as close as possible to the skin without irritating it and causing ingrown hairs. These trimmers are the Outliner II and T-Outliner by Andis. When the hair is allowed to be left just above the skin, it tends not to want to grow back down into the neck or face and cause the bumps. Our picks come from over 60 years of experience and many happy customers who are bump free.

Shavers have become an option for this problem in the last few years. As the barber industry has taken more notice of ingrown hairs and the demand for them, shavers have seen an improvement in design and cause less irritation. The Wahl 5 Star Shaver and the Andis Profile are both advertised to be a solution for a bump problem. We have only gotten positive feedback on either one about the closeness of the shave and the ability to relieve the skin of ingrown hairs. Sometimes, if you tend to let your beard grow out for more than a couple of days, the shaver is used after a "set close" trimmer in order to get as close as possible without using a razor. The shavers tend to pull on the hair when it is longer and a trimmer is needed to avoid the pain and irritant.

DO NOT USE AN ALCOHOL BASED PRODUCT IF YOU HAVE INGROWN HAIRS OR SHAVING BUMPS. Why? Alcohol dries out the skin, which is great for disinfection and protection from bacteria, but when applied to a sensitive face and neck it causes more problems. We carry many alcohol based products such as aftershaves, astringents, cologne and perfume. If a product does not contain alcohol and is good for the relief of ingrown hairs or bumps, it is advertised as such. We, especially, want the customer to be aware of the value of the product and have found that different products work for different people. A Tea Tree oil based product seems to work on almost everyone, even women and the bikini line. You may score points with this little piece of advice. Some people feel it necessary to apply an anti bump product before the shave and after. I prefer after, as most of our customers do. I tend to use it twice daily. Once when I shave in the morning, then when I get home at night after I wash my face. I feel cleaner and protected. Bumps suck so lets get you healed.