Clear Skin of Razor Bumps Naturally

You shave to make your skin look better -smooth, hair-free, sleek. So the last thing that you want is to whisk the razor over your legs and raise up an ugly red rash. Unfortunately, a lot of women do just that when they shave incorrectly. They slap on soap and quickly shave over it, and end up with chafed, red skin -also known as razor burn.

Razor burn is actually a skin irritation. When you shave, you're basically peeling off part of your epidermis -the top layer of skin. The redness is a normal response to tissue injury. Blood flow increases to the area to heal the wound, and blood vessels dilate and become red.

Razor burn is hard to get rid of. Every time you shave again, you re-irritate your skin.

Smooth Moves

One way to avoid razor burn is to stop shaving. If that's not your preferred option, women doctors offer these tips for taking the redness and itching out of shaving.

Reach for hydrocortisone. Reduce embarrassing redness by immediately applying a dab of 1 percent hydrocortisone cream to the area after you shave. It will take the redness, sting and irritation right down. Hydrocortisone constricts blood vessels, so less blood flows to the area -meaning less redness. You probably need to do this only twice the first day, and symptoms should fade.

But don't use hydrocortisone daily. Any preparation containing cortisone should be used only as a short-term treatment, for a couple applications or a few days at most. If you overuse cortisone, your skin could become habituated to it and actually become redder and more irritated when you stop using it. So it's not meant to be applied every day. Plus, overuse of cortisone preparations can thin skin over time; blood vessels in the area may enlarge, and in your pubic area, you could even get stretch marks.

Lubricate skin after you shave. A moisturizing body lotion will help reduce dryness and itchiness after shaving.

Shave after you bathe. Next time you shave, give irritated skin a break by making sure that it's well-hydrated before you graze a razor over it. The best time to shave is after a shower or bath. Your skin won't be dry, and your hairs will soften and stand up, so shaving will be less traumatic.

Drop the soap. People with razor-sensitive skin should stick with a shaving cream that contains aloe or use BIO SKIN CARE™ as they contain soothing ingredients.

Shaving cream is a real help. Put it on after you bathe, when your skin and hair are already soft. Then, leave the shaving cream on for another couple of minutes to soften your hair even more before you shave.

Shave it down. Shave hair in the direction that it grows -in a downward motion. This won't irritate the hair follicles as much as if you're shaving upward against short, bristly hairs.

Switch to a hair-dissolver cream. If you know that you're prone to razor bumps, consider using a lotion depilatory, which dissolves hair. These lotions may be a little smelly and messy, but they're less traumatic to the hair follicles than scraping a razor over them.

Most people tolerate depilatories very well, but some people are allergic. If you notice a rash, irritation or burning sensation in reaction to a hair-removing lotion, rinse it off and don't use it again.

Zap bumps with BIO SKIN CARE™. As a long-term treatment, use our topical BIO SKIN CARE™ to help minimize razor bumps and lessen the chance that they will return.

Replace your razor. You get a close shave with double-edge razors and disposables -so close that they can really irritate your skin and traumatize hair follicles. And the duller they get, the more irritating they become -like a rake dragged over your skin. You may be better off tossing a disposable razor and break out a new one after three or four uses or replace the blade after three or four uses in a nondisposable handle.

Go electric. Sometimes it is best for women to switch to electric razors. It may give you a smoother, more even shave than a regular razor.