Wet Your Face With Warm Water And A Gentle Cleanser
Washing your face with warm water softens the hair and cleans the skin. A softened beard is less resistant to shaving, which makes up for a more comfortable experience. So hop into a warm shower and let the steam warm up your skin. Alternatively, if you have some time to spare, pamper yourself by placing a warm wet towel on your face for a couple of minutes and relax while it does the job.
Oil- and dirt-free skin also makes shaving easier by not clogging up your razor. Cleansing your face with a gentle low-pH cleanser helps to balance the pH level of your skin and keeps the spread of bacteria to a minimum.
What Are The Risks Of Shaving With Acne Breakout
Shaving with acne can be tricky, but there are a few risks to be aware of. One of the biggest dangers is that you could spread bacteria from your hands to your face, leading to an infection.
Another risk is that you could irritate your acne-prone skin while shaving. This can cause redness, swelling, and even pain. If you have open sores, youre also at risk for infection.
To avoid these risks, its essential to take proper care of your skin before and after shaving. Be sure to cleanse your skin beforehand and use a sharp razor. After shaving, rinse your skin with cool water and apply a post-shave balm or moisturizer.
Dont Use A Razor With More Than 2 Blades
When you watch Gillettes video, they recommend you use a multi-bladed razor that is spaced closely together in the video, youll see the man using a 5 bladed razor.
But when you read the forums, most men would not recommend using cartridge razors because it causes irritation. And since a sharp blade is a must, you will need to change more often. That means youll spend more on cartridges.
Also, expert shavers like the Sharpologist say that using multi-bladed razors on acne is a bad idea because it can break pimple heads and spread bacteria.
Acne.org recommends a 2-bladed razor like the Gillette Sensor Excel and Gillette Trac II over a one blade razor because it provides the best compromise of a close shave without irritating the skin.
These razors are hard to find and can cost more down the road because youll need to replace them more often.
A more cost-effective solution would be using a safety razor because after the initial investment, you can replace the blades for as low as 10 cents a pop compared to the $1.3 $4 per cartridge of a Gillette.
These cartridges are costly, and the costs will add up.
These blades are way cheaper.
The best razors for acne are the least aggressive ones that dont expose too much of the blade. Some examples include the Weishi Safety Razor and the Merkur 34C. The latter has 5 adjustable settings depending on how close you want your shave to be obviously, youd to set it at the least aggressive setting.
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Acne Lesson : Shaving With Acne: 3 Steps For Preventing Breakouts
Acne Lesson 8: Shaving With Acne: 3 Steps For Preventing Breakouts
Shaving acne-prone skin can be painful and messy. Your skin is already feeling irritated and inflamed, and shaving the wrong way with the wrong tools can only make matters worse. In this lesson, well address the proper tools, products, and techniques for shaving to avoid painful razor burns, razor bumps, and ingrown hairs. Well make shaving with acne as comfortable as possible for you in just three easy steps.
Use A Shaving Solution
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The right razor does best with a good shaving solution.
A shaving solution lubricates the bearded area for a cleaner and smoother shave. There are a variety of shaving creams and gels you can choose from. Use a shaving solution thats suitable for acne-prone skin.
But remember to check the ingredients first before you buy. Look for a shaving solution that does not include comedogenic ingredients like mineral oil and denatured alcohol as they can worsen breakouts.
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How To Shave With Acne And Avoid Cutting Yourself
03.19.21
Acne. Its a special kind of bad word. Nobody wants it. All of us have had to deal with it to some extent. When youre a guy dealing with facial hair, it presents some unique problems. Shaving over acne is an awful experience you dont need to try firsthand. You can trust everyone else when they warn you about it. But, if youre determined to have a baby-smooth face despite your acne, you need to arm yourself with some survival tips. Youll find plenty here.
What Causes Acne After Shaving
To know what causes acne after shaving, we must understand what caused acne in the first place. If you really want to avoid pimples after shaving then you have to understand that acne is a type of skin eruption that occurs when oil, grime and other impurities resident on the skin get underneath it.
These foreign bodies then block the skin pores, making it impossible for harmful oils to leave the skin. They also affect sweat release from the skin pores. All these are what come together to cause a skin eruption/breakout.
Either before or after shaving, it is important to understand that acne can be very difficult to deal with. This is because it can cause painful blisters and spread rapidly when pus is pressed out of the bumps.
It can also cause disfiguration of the face, as acne treated improperly will leave scars that will later turn to black spots.
The relationship between acne and shaving with an electric razor is based on three things:-
- Skin type
These three factors are explained further below.
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Consider A Single Edge Razor
Using a sharp razor is obviously good common sense when thinking about how to shave with acne. However, the type of razor is equally important. If you can, use only a single edge razor. The technology of multi-blade razors may sound like a good idea, and commercials will proclaim its the only way to shave, but not if you have acne.
When a second, third, or fourth razor blade scrapes over an acne blemish, it magnifies the damage. This totally negates any attempt on your part to avoid acne blemishes. You should stick with a single edge razor, preferably with an easily interchangeable blade, so you can always guarantee a sharp shave.
Risks For Shaving With Acne
If you shave improperly when you have acne, you risk making your breakouts more irritated or inflamed, which in turn can make them take longer to heal. You could also unintentionally break open a whitehead with the razor, which could cause acne scars.
If you shave too quickly or without properly prepping your skin, you could get razor burn or razor bumps, which are different from acne but have a similar red and bumpy look.
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Dont Forget The Aftershave
Always splash on an aftershave after shaving. An aftershave contains astringent that closes the pores and helps kill the remaining pimple-causing bacteria on your face. Most aftershaves contain natural ingredients that have anti-inflammatory or moisturizing properties so its beneficial for you to use one after shaving.The type of aftershave one uses will depends on the skin type. Liquid aftershaves are good for normal skin,while lotion and gels are good for oily skin. Balms are best for dry skin.
Give your razor a similar treatment. Wipe or rinse the razor blade with rubbing alcohol in order to disinfect it. Do this every after shaving.
By using proper steps and the correct products, shaving acne-prone skin need not be a traumatic experience. Straight razors, in particular, are very useful since they have the versatility to shave from different angles, allowing you to skip over areas with acne, while giving a clean and smooth shave.Here at Naked Armor, we have a variety of high quality straight razors, all manufactured to give you a smooth and easy shaving experience. Our top-of-the-line products give a new meaning to luxury, so that the next time you shave, you wont be thinking about how painful it is, but rather how luxurious it is, even with the zits around.Click here to learn more.
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Shaving Tips For Acne Prone Skin
Casey Gallagher, MD, is board-certified in dermatology and works as a practicing dermatologist and clinical professor.
Shaving when you have acne can be a bit tricky. If you’re not careful shaving around pimples, it’s easy to be left with raw, red, burning skin.
Short of tossing your razor and growing a beard that would make ZZ Top envious, what can you do?
Although it takes just a bit more care, you can remain relatively clean-shaven and still treat your skin gently, while allowing pimples to heal.
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A Guide To Shaving With Acne
With the focus on avoiding cuts or exacerbating breakouts, you may not realize you’re increasing the likeliness of damaging your skin. It’s important when shaving with acne or breakouts to remember three important tips: preparation, products and technique.
I know. We get set in our ways when it comes to how we shave and changing that up sounds like work. While switching to better-for-you products and correct techniques does take time to adjust to, it is worth it in the long run when your end result is clear skin.
Use A Very Sharp Blade
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Heres the bottom line, a dull blade will irritate the skin more because instead of cutting hair, it will tug and pull, thus creating more friction. And since youre working with a dull blade, you will tend to put more pressure, which will generate more friction not suitable for acne.
One of the advantages of using a safety razor is it gives you the option of picking a specific blade type for your need. If you have a dense beard, opt for a sharper blade like the Feather DE Blade.
If you need a sharp blade, then these brands are good choices. It will slice through the coarsest beards with little to no pressure.
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What To Do If You Get An Ingrown Hair
If you do get the occasional ingrown hair, its important to avoid tweezing or waxing them. Tweezing and waxing are not permanent hair removal methods. When these hairs start to regrow in two to three weeks, they get trapped in the curved hair follicle below the skin line. Those areas quickly become hot spots of chronic ingrown hairs, thickened skin, and scarring. So, resist the urge to get in that mirror to tweeze or pick.
If you see an ingrown hair that is visible on the surface, use a sterile needle to lift the hair gently and then snip it with clean cuticle scissors. Do not attempt to dig out deep ingrown hair. Apply Nelly De Vuyst BioFemme Ingrown Hair Complex to the area daily and immediately after shaving or waxing.
Finish With Hydrating Aftershave
Shaving is hard on the skin under the best circumstances. Adding acne to the equation makes things quite a bit rougher. A little skincare after you shave will help you heal from the process, and it will keep the shave from making your acne even worse. Thats a positive feedback loop that makes the next shave easier.
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Is It Ok To Shave If You Have Acne
If you already have acne, it is totally possible to shave acne-prone skin without causing or worsening existing breakouts. However, shaving must be done with caution, care, and the right tools. Otherwise, it can cause irritation, spread bacteria, and worsen the acne condition.
For some people, when done the right way, shaving can actually help prevent future acne breakouts by sloughing up dead skin cells that can otherwise build up and clog pores.
Shave With The Grain Slowly
If you think wet shaving on normal skin requires slow and precise movements, shaving on acne-prone is twice as slow. Thats because you have to be careful in shaving with all the acne around. Shaving experts agree that one should shave with the grain, that is, along the direction of the hair growth. This makes the shaving easier and comfortable, with less incidents of nicks and cuts which can aggravate your skin condition.
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How Shaving Can Cause Acne
Shaving can cause acne in a few sneaky ways. If your blemishes appear soon after shaving, the following could be to blame:
- Dirty/Old Razor Blades Old razor blades can harbor bacteria, which can then make their way into your skin when you drag your blade across your face. Be sure to swap out your razor every five shaves10 is the absolute max.
- Shaving Products Some shaving creams and gels can irritate the skin, causing swelling and inflammation that turns into a pimple. To reduce breakouts, look for skin care products that are designed for men and are free of fragrances and dyes.
- Rinsing Your Face with Hot Water After youve finished shaving, you need to close your pores to prevent dirt and debris from getting in there and causing acne. Rinsing with cold water after your shave will do the trick.
Disinfect The Blade With Alcohol
After shaving, makes sure to rinse the blade with alcohol to kill any bacteria present.
If youre using safety razors, you can take off the whole blade and use a cotton ball to wipe both sides of it. Make sure to do the same before shaving.
Make sure to wipe the blades dry before storing them, so rust doesnt form.
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If You Pop A Pimple With A Razor Rinse Immediately
Just in case you pop a zit with your razor, stop shaving and rinse that razor under hot running water immediately.
Rule of thumb is to not rinse it in a bowl of water. Rinsing it under running water is a better option.
Make sure to stop the bleeding before shaving again. You can use a clean facial tissue to clean the area and absorb as much blood as possible. User Raimundo in the Acne.org forum recommends using a styptic pencil to stop the bleeding and prevent bacteria from spreading
Which Electric Shaver Is Best For Preventing Acne

The best electric shaver for preventing acne is the u003ca href=u0022https://amzn.to/35qV4zyu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 data-type=u0022URLu0022 data-id=u0022https://amzn.to/35qV4zyu0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopener nofollow sponsoredu0022u003eBraun Series 9u003c/au003e. It has a unique design that makes it easy to handle and clean.
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Be Gentle And Go With The Grain
Use light pressure when shaving to minimize skin and hair tugging. Remember to go slow around the bumps to make sure you dont end up nicking the skin. While it can give you a closer shave, shaving against the grain of your hair growth can also cause skin irritation, razor burn, and ingrown hairs. So shave along the grain instead to prevent aggravating the skin.
Dont Forget The Aftershave Protection
After applying the alum block, wait around a minute then use a shave balm to hydrate and protect the skin from further irritation. Some of these products contain Aloe Vera that moisturizes the skin and has antimicrobial properties that help fight acne.
If you have acne, try to avoid aftershave because these products contain alcohol that can dry out the skins natural oils.
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Use A High Quality Straight Razor
Despite what the modern razor industry may want you to believe, multi-blades arent really the answer to shaving acne-prone skin. Thats because skin bacteria can easily be trapped in the spaces between the blades. This increases the chances of the bacteria reinfecting your skin during the second pass of the blade.A single blade, like a straight razor, is best for shaving acne-prone and sensitive skin. One can also use a safety razor but it doesnt have the same maneuverability as a straight razor, which you will certainly need when youre shaving over or around a pimple patch. High quality straight razors are also very sharp so that they shave the hair off at first go, reducing any need for another pass. You also dont need to exert heavy pressure in order to shave off your whiskers.
How To Shave With Acne: 14 Tips For A Comfortable Shave
An honest disclosure:
Youve been through this stage puberty. Its a time of rejoicing because youre crossing over from being a child to becoming a man. During this stage, hormones are raging, and theres one adverse side effect Acne.
Shaving in itself without cutting your self takes time and practice. Now imagine how tough it is to shave with acne all over the face and neck.
But with the right prep, a sharp blade, and gentle enough product , it is possible.
Related: If youre looking for a razor, you can check this article I wrote about the best razor deals right now for products like the safety razor, cartridge razor and much more. Get the best deals for yourself or buy it as a gift.
One option would be to grow out your beard and hide the acne , but when that is not an option, follow these tips for a clean-shaven, irritation-free face.
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Apply Shaving Soap Or Cream
Using a mild acne shaving soap or cream could be a great way to prepare your beards before using your blades. When choosing creams and gel, you want to avoid those that contain alcohol to prevent any further irritation. Organic options containing aloe could help soothe the shaved area, so you may want to do well to find one that works well for your skin type.
Check these shaving creams for acne: