Hygiene is important when it comes to grooming, especially when you’re shaving your body hair. After all, you’re pulling a sharp blade over sensitive skin. But even if your razor is clean and sanitized, things can still go wrong when you shave. What if your skin becomes irritated? Or what if you get nicks or cuts from improper technique?
This article explores the importance of a germ-free grooming routine and provides tips for a hygiene-focused approach to shaving body hair.
Pre-Shave Preparation
You should always shower before shaving, even if you just do a quick shave. Showering will help remove dead skin cells and make your hair softer, making it easier for the blade to cut through. If you’re in a rush, use soap and water on your face and body and shampoo in your hair.
Next, apply a pre-shave oil or cream that contains essential oils like lavender, tea tree oil, or eucalyptus. These ingredients have antiseptic properties that help keep bacteria away from sensitive areas like the face.
Suppose you don’t have time for this step but still want extra protection against bacteria during shaving. In that case, try using an antibacterial gel like witch hazel after washing off all excess soap with warm water. The antibacterial gel effectively prevents infections caused by shaving injuries like cuts or burns without drying the skin.
Most aftershaves contain either alcohol, witch hazel, or tea tree oil. According to acne.org, the witch hazel 90% solution is used generally. It should be present between 0.9% and 8% in the aftershave to be effective as an antiseptic.
Tool and Product Hygiene
Using a clean and sharp razor is essential to ensure you get the cleanest shave possible. According to Freya, using new, clean, and sharp razors will minimize the redness and itching on the skin. It will also reduce the chances of in-grown hair occurrence. On the other hand, poor product hygiene can lead to the chances of potential infections. It will also impact the quality of the shave and your overall experience.
Hence, it is always advised to use clean, hygienic, and sharp razor blades. If you use a razor with a removable head, you should use new heads for better shaving. You can find and buy new razor heads from the razor’s manufacturer’s website. Alternatively, you can search for the razor heads and the manufacturer’s name to find a list of websites that sell them.
You should also shave after showering or bathing, as this will help soften up your skin and hair follicles. Shave with the grain of the hair in small, light strokes to avoid irritation and ingrown hairs.
Many people use electric shavers for shaving. According to Statista, around 85.62 million Americans used electric and battery shavers in 2020. If you’re using an electric shaver, ensure it’s not plugged in when cleaning it. That way, there won’t be any risk of electrocution if water gets into any electrical components.
Also, remember that when washing out blades with soap or lather from foam dispensers on razors, always rinse thoroughly. This will prevent the collection of bacteria over time due to moisture buildup inside the housing unit itself.
Post-Shave Care
Even once you are done shaving, there are some care practices you must follow. Here are some tips to help you with post-shave care:
- After you’re done shaving, apply a moisturizer to your skin. This will keep it from drying out and feeling tight.
- Use aftershave if you have sensitive skin or want to soothe any irritation. You can apply this right away; it won’t clog up your pores like colognes or perfumes might do!
- Rinse with cold water to close up any nicks in the surface layer of skin that may have opened during shaving. This will prevent bacteria from entering and causing infection.
- Pat dry with a clean towel, but don’t rub at all. Rubbing can irritate sensitive areas like armpits even more than they already are after being shaved down there, and nobody wants that.
You should also be aware of how shaving impacts your skin type. An article from the Oxford Academic Journal states that people with black skin might have to take extra care after shaving. The study was conducted on military grooming.
It revealed that those of African-American descent were 45% more likely to contract pseudofolliculitis barbae. It is a common facial and neck inflammation, where symptoms include ingrown hair and razor bumps.
Maintaining Hygiene Between Shaves
Maintaining hygiene between shaves is an essential part of your grooming routine. It is easy to forget and let these things slide, but this will lead to problems. Here are some tips for keeping clean:
- Showering and bathing are two ways that you can maintain hygiene between shaves. If you shower daily, your skin will be clean and free of any dirt or grime accumulated throughout the day. Bathing works similarly by removing oils from your skin’s surface while providing an opportunity for deep cleaning.
- Using moisturizer after shaving helps prevent dryness by adding moisture back into those newly exposed areas where it was lost during shaving. Be sure not to put too much, though; too much could irritate instead of preventing it.
- A pumice stone can also help with exfoliation after shaving by removing dead skin cells underneath newer layers.
Dealing with Nicks, Irritation, and Ingrown Hairs
If you’re experiencing nicks or irritation, it’s important to address the problem immediately. If you don’t, this can lead to infection and other complications. Here are some tips for dealing with these issues:
- If there’s a cut on your skin, clean it thoroughly with soap and water before applying a disinfectant like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. This will help prevent any infections from developing in the future.
- If you still have redness around the area after cleaning, apply an antibacterial ointment until the redness disappears completely. This should take no longer than 24 hours after shaving.
- Try using an exfoliating scrub once or twice every week for ingrown hairs after shaving. This will remove dead skin cells from under where they’ve become trapped inside a follicle shaft. Thus, new ones will grow in their place without causing irritation when growing outward again. As rightly stated by Medical News Today, you have to recognize in-grown hairs early on for action. Irritation occurs within 1-2 days of shaving in most cases. You can see the hair beneath the skin. It can also lead to blisters if not treated early.
Hopefully, this article has given you some insight into how to care for your skin and body hair. The most important thing to remember is that shaving should be a hygienic experience. This means preventing nicks and cuts, keeping your tools clean, and ensuring no bacteria are transferred. If you follow these guidelines and practice good hygiene with each shave, then you won’t face skin irritation.
