A Black Man’s shaving guide to prevent razor bumps and ingrown hairs
How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs and Razor Bumps with black or curly hair
As a man it is a priority to be fresh and operate in excellence. Something that I believe begins with your presentation, how you present yourself to the world. One of the most challenging pieces of maintaining a fresh shave is the maintenance behind caring for your skin to ensure you don’t come away with irritated skin, ingrown hairs and razor bumps.
My journey was not a smooth one. After a face and head shave I would walk away with a blistering ingrown hairs. I sifted through the internet for solutions and for the longest I never found the solution that worked for me hair. My hair texture is dark, coarse, curly, and contrasts from my lighter brown skin. Meaning, a close shave was a priority — however, with the coils it was highly likely that I would breakout from ingrown hairs. They are more likely to curled and caught under the skin when growing back.
I had to learn as I went and now finally at 27 I found the solution that allows me to shave safe, and walk away with healthy, refreshed skin after each shave. Here is the step by step guide that worked best for me.
Exfoliate your skin
This is one of the biggest tips to avoid ingrown hairs. At the same time, this is one of the steps I avoided the MOST, for no other reason than laziness. However, in hindsight I recognize this was a huge miss. Exfoliating your skin is pivotal to removing dead skin and releasing trapped, ingrown hairs. It cleans out dirt and aids in clearing up dark spots that taint the consistent look of fresh shaved skin.
It is recommended that exfoliating occur before shaving. This prevents your razor from getting clogged by the dead skin cells often present when skin is not properly exfoliated and allows you to have a closer shave. I leave my scrub in the shower and wash before I get out of the shower and begin my shave.
My choice for a scrub: Grooming Lounge Mug Scrubber
Warm up your skin
Be sure to warm up your skin. This will soften up your skin and the hairs, making for a smoother shave. I prefer putting warm water on a towel and gently massaging my face and head to prep my skin for a shave.
Shaving is a process, I’m considering adding a towel warmer to my arsenal to elevate the experience even more. A bit extra, yes, but why not?
Use a safety razor, ditch the multi-blade
I started off using a multi-blade. I did not know any better. However, with coarse hair, the multiple blades cause dragging and creates a rough irritation. Multi-blade cartridges are typically much more expensive, making it much less likely to replace after each use. Replace it with a safety razor like this.
Shave with the grain. Be generous with your shave cream or shave butter. I use cream for my head, butter for my facial hair because it is translucent and you can see where you’re looking to line up.
I replace the blade after each shave to keep it sharp and effective. But TAKE YOUR TIME. You don’t want to end up cutting yourself because you were in a hurry. If do, go ahead and have a styptic pencil ready to stop the bleeding.
Close up your pores with cold water
Once you’ve completed your shave, it is important to close up your cores to avoid irritation and clogged pores. I take my hands splash cold water on the freshly shaved area and wash off the left over shaving cream.
Do not skip this step, especially before you add your post shave lubricants.
Relax your skin with post shave lubricant
Remember, this is process. Take your time. Love your skin. Put as much effort into caring for your skin that you would spend caring for some sneakers. Find you a reliable post shave balm.
I use two: Harry’s Post-Shave Mist followed up with Harry’s Post Shave Balm.
Moisturize your skin through the week
Lastly, find an esthetician you prefer, have them provide you with professional grade moisturizes and cleansers to use throughout the week to keep dirt away. I use Glymed products.
That is it. Follow these steps and watch shaving become a self care routine that you look forward to.
Iman Tucker a proud member of Believe Brand Co.
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