Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Does Shaving Cause Acne?

Now it’s not entirely known if shaving causes acne, or makes it worse if you already have it, but I for one believe that it does have an effect. For some people they claim that shaving actually helps clear them up, while others have the opposite effect. Some people who don’t have acne tend to only have breakouts after they shave. Now a lot of things can come into play like how long each person waits before shaving, what kind of shaving cream/gel they use, if they use an ordinary razor or an electric one, etc. For a while I was using some fancy shaving cream that my mom had given to me, and every time after I shaved I was always breaking out. So I finally bought some regular foamy shaving cream for sensitive skin at the store and my breakouts after shaving subsided. Also depending on what skin you have you need to be careful on what you choose to put on your skin after shaving. Some people leave it dry, some people use aftershave, and some just use their ordinary moisturizer. In the end though all that matters is that you experiment and figure out what works best for your skin!

Here is a quick little article from:, check it out!

“Many men and women when they shave get acne-like outbreaks, which are commonly known as shaving bumps. The shaving bumps are the result of inflammation of the hair follicle which happens due to shaving. However, these shaving bumps, medically known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, can occur also due to waxing or plucking, wherein the hair gets trapped in the follicle leading to irritation and swelling.

Shaving bumps can occur any time but people who have curly hair have a tendency to get them more often. These bumps can be avoided by learning to shave smart so that you have fewer outbreaks.

It is important to prepare your skin for the shave. This means washing and wiping the face with warm water. The water helps to hydrate the skin and thus making it more pliable. In addition, the warm water dilates the blood vessels and the blood flow to skin increases. That is the reason why many people prefer to shave while taking a shower even though they may not know the reason behind it.

You can reduce the number of shaving bumps by using a good quality shaving cream or foam. The cream or the foam should be filmy and thin. This will help the razor to slide easily over the skin and reducing irritation to the skin. Even choosing the right razor can make a big difference. Whenever possible, try using an electric razor. Although the shave may not be as close as you want but the possibility of pseudofolliculitis barbae reduces substantially. However, if you are the type who only uses blades for shaving, then use a new single blade each time you shave. Remember, double edged blades tend to lift the hair out of the follicle and the resultant shave is actually done below the epidermis. When the epidermis starts to grow back, it does so by growing over the opening of the hair follicle. As the hair grows, it struggles to get out of the hair follicle, which is now closed, and this causes skin inflammation.

In addition, while shaving, make sure that the razor strokes are in the direction of the hair growth, that is downward strokes. This will reduce irritation and also keep the number of cuts down.

Immediately after shaving, use an alcohol-free toner or antibacterial gel. This will destroy the bacteria on the surface of the skin before they reach the hair follicles and will prevent shaving bumps from developing. Benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid is available in gel form and you can use them to stop shaving bumps and the resultant acne from developing.”

Happy shaving.



  1. I have Rosacea and my face gets really red like sunburn. I have read all kinds of things about products to use to help the redness and pimples to stay down but I am really confused, what to do.

    What is Riversol?
