To get started, let’s clear something up – yes, ingrown hairs and razor bumps are the same thing. Medically, they’re known as psuedofolliculitis barbae or PFB for short. Frustratingly, research has shown that over 50% of black men suffer from razor bumps in their beard line.³ Not only can it be embarrassing and painful, but it can also lead to significant scarring. Don’t worry! We’re here to talk you through why you get ingrown hairs, the best tips to avoid ingrown hairs on your face and neck, including some of the best products and routine!

What Causes Ingrown Hairs in The Beard? 

The Mayo Clinic shares that, “an ingrown hair occurs when a shaved or tweezed hair grows back into the skin. It can cause inflammation, pain, and tiny bumps in the area where the hair was removed.”⁴Ingrown hairs in the beard occur most frequently during the stubble phase. Some men opt to wear their facial hair differently to cut down on razor bumps, which certainly helps, but some men feel better clean-shaven or are required to shave. And we’re all faced with having to shave our neck and risk the even more annoying neck razor bumps. Keep scrolling to learn why you get razor bumps and how to get rid of razor bumps on your neck and beard for good!

Why do I Get Ingrown Hairs in My Beard? 

Razor bumps are by far most prevalent in black men who shave their faces. They can happen to anyone, but tend to affect those with thick, curly hair more. And it makes sense, your hair naturally wants to curl back into your skin. Other than hair type, how you shave also plays a role. If you pull your skin taut while you shave, you’re revealing hair underneath the skin line. This means that you’re cutting the hair shorter than the skin line making it much more likely to curl under the skin, rather than pushing through the skin line. Tweezing can cause a similar issue by leaving a hair fragment under the skin’s surface.

What’s the Best Way to Prevent Ingrown Hairs in My Beard? 

If you’re like us, you tried for years to find the right solution for preventing razor bumps and ingrown hairs in your beard with no luck. Below we’ve gathered the top tips to prevent ingrown hairs in your beard. The good news, they’re simple and you can start trying some of these tips to avoid ingrown hairs on your face today!

1. Use A Warm Compress Or Shower BEFORE You Shave

Hold a warm towel on your neck and beard area for at least 5 minutes before shaving or take a nice warm shower. This softens your beard hair and preps it to cut easier. This helps prevent friction while you shave and lessens the number of times you shave over the same area.

2. Don’t Pull Your Skin While You Shave

Yes, it gives you a closer shave, but it multiplies your chance of getting razor burn. Pulling the skin taut results in cutting your hair shorter than the surface of your skin. This leaves a sharp hair blade in a prime position to get trapped under your skin as it’s trying to grow out.

3. Skip The Harsh Chemicals And Fragrances

More than 2 million Americans alone are allergic to common fragrances used in skincare and personal products.¹ This results in red, irritated bumpy skin. The more inflamed your skin is, the more likely your shave will result in more inflammation and razor bumps.

Exfoliate 2-3 times a week

4. Maintaining the rest of your skincare hygiene can help prevent and treat existing ingrown hairs and razor burn. You’ll want to exfoliate 2-3 a week lukewarm water. Be sure to use at least a dime sized amount of exfoliator, rub between your fingertips and gently apply in a circular motion. Be sure to focus on the areas you shave, but all over exfoliation is great to help prevent aging and wrinkles. If you have a beard, sure to gently rub it into your beard. Beard pro tip: you’ll want a gel-based exfoliator to penetrate to the skin.

The best exfoliator if you suffer from chronic razor burn and even acne is one with Malic Acid. Malic Acid is a chemical exfoliant which will help get rid of dead skin buildup on your skin. Excess dead skin can create the perfect storm for ingrown hairs and acne. Malic Acid acid is effective, but gentle enough for use multiple times a week.

5. Use Bakuchiol

This ingredient might sound like a foreign language, but they’re incredible for everything from treating scars, hyperpigmentation, acne, preventing wrinkles and of course stopping ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Retinol is a derivative of Vitamin A and Bakuchiol is a plant-based version.  Bakuchiol tackle razor bumps and ingrown hairs by promoting healthy cell turnover. When we’re young, our skin regenerates every 16 days once we hit 30 it continues to slow down every decade until it reached 60+ days in our 60’s. Bakuchiol helps restore this process helping to prevent dead skin cell build up from the inside out. Click here THE BOSS duo expertly formulated with the right amount of retinol and bakuchiol for all skin types.

How To Get Rid of Razor Bumps on Neck? 

Razor bumps can be even more of a problem on your neck because your neck experiences more friction post-shave than your beard area. Think clothing, natural movement, skin to skin contact, etc. You’ll want to follow the same routine listed above: take a warm shower or use a warm towel on your neck for at least 5 minutes prior to your shave, use a salicylic acid exfoliator 2-3 times a week, don’t pull your skin taut, skip fragrances, and finish with a moisturizing balm containing retinol and bakuchiol. If your finances allow and you suffer from extremely persistent razor bumps on your neck, you might also want to consider laser hair removal for a more permanent solution.

What’s the Best Razor to Prevent Ingrown Hair on Face? 

Be sure to use sharp blades and maintain your razor. A dull razor is a sure way to get razor bumps. Dr. Christopher G. Bunick shares with Yale Medicine that you should opt for a four- or five-blade razor which helps reduce irritation on your skin. You’ll also want to avoid razors that lift hair before cutting because “This lifting process can cause the top of the just-cut hair to descend below the skin surface, where it causes inflammation, leading to the red bumps” says Dr. Bunick.² Get one step closer to saying goodbye to razor bumps and ingrown hair forever with THE BOSS duo. Shop Now!

Sources:

1. Laino, Charlene. “Questions about Fragrance Allergies: Symptoms, Sources and Fragrance-Free Products.” WebMD, WebMD, 2020, https://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/3-questions-about-fragrance-allergies#:~:text=More%20than%202%20million%20Americans,number%20is%20on%20the%20rise.
2. Moriarty, Colleen. “Keeping Your Pandemic Beard? Solve Skin Problems Caused by Your Facial Hair.” Yale Medicine, Yale Medicine, 1 Sept. 2021, https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/beard-mustache-skin-problems.
3. Perricone NV. Treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae with topical glycolic acid: a report of two studies. Cutis. 1993 Oct;52(4):232-235. PMID: 8261811.
4. Pruthi, Sandhya. “Ingrown Hair.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 31 Mar. 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ingrown-hair/symptoms-causes/syc-20373893.