Pimples After Shaving Your Face: Why This Can Happen and How To Avoid Shave Acne

Shaving your face can be a tricky process. Not just to make sure you don’t nick yourself, but also to make sure that you aren’t irritating your skin and leading to the development of razor bumps or pimples.

Below, we will cover just why pimples can develop after you go for that close shave, what exactly the difference is between razor bumps and shave pimples, and how you can reduce the risk of developing irritation, shave bumps, or acne after shaving.

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Read Related: Meaning of Jawline and Chin Acne: Acne Mapping

Why can pimples sometimes form after shaving your face?

There are a few different things that can be going on when shaving your face that may lead to the development of pimples.

Firstly, irritated skin is more prone to developing pimples, so if you are shaving your face dry, with dull razors, or using irritating products, you may be setting the stage for pimple development.

In addition to irritating shaving practices, if your tools or face and not clean before diving into your shave, you could be spreading lots of dead skin cells, face oils, and bacteria around. Once dead skin cells, bacteria, and oils lodge themselves in your pores, you have a pimple developing.

Another tricky component of shaving is how to go about the process if you are already dealing with acne on your face. If you shave over active blemishes, you run the risk of opening them and spreading some of that contained bacteria around. Shaving over pimples can also lead to scarring of the blemishes by shaving off the top.

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Razor bumps vs. acne

Every bump that pops up after you shave is not necessarily a pimple. Bumps after shaving could also be “razor bumps” which are considered a form of dermatitis, or skin irritation.

Razor bumps generally come in clusters and may be raised, red, pink, and feel irritated.

Pimples from shaving may be few or scattered and may have pus inside.

There is also a risk of developing ingrown hairs from the shaved hairs growing back in incorrectly.

Razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and pimples may be able to be reduced by following good shave techniques to reduce irritation and keep everything as clean as possible.

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Also Read: Testosterone & Acne: Is This Hormone Causing Your Zits?

How can you avoid getting pimples or bumps after shaving your face?

Pimples and razor bumps post-shave can be potentially avoided by incorporating these gentle face-shaving techniques and strategies into your routine.

• Try shaving after a shower and facewash so that your skin is clean, and your hair is softened slightly.
• Always shave with the hair growth to reduce irritation.
• Do not dry shave and only use gentle shave creams and products. Look for ones that do not have scents or colors, and you may want to try them out with a test patch to ensure they won’t irritate your skin.
• Apply a gentle moisturizer after shaving.
• Rinse your razor with warm water in between each stroke.
• Clean your razor thoroughly after each use.
• Dispose of disposable razors after 3-10 shaves, or when they start feeling dull.
• Shave around active pimples as much as possible.
• Shave slowly and with care.

Strut Health prescription acne treatments online

If breakouts still occur regularly even after integrating clean and gentle shave techniques, you may be able to reduce your acne occurrence by using prescription acne medications.

At Strut, we carry medicated acne formulations and acne scar formulations. We utilize the power of prescription retinoid, Tretinoin, to help reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts.

If you are interested in seeing if our Strut Acne Formula is a good fit for you, you can have a free online questionnaire and image-based telemedicine consultation today.

If the doctor determines that Strut Acne Formula is a good fit for your skincare routine, your medication can be shipped to your front door with our free shipping.

If you have any questions during your treatment, our team and doctors are available for free and unlimited follow-ups.