How to Get Rid of Razor Burn for Good

If you understand how much of an inconvenience regular shaving can be, it’s only natural you want to know how to get rid of razor burn fast.

Although you know the importance of being well-groomed, you hardly have the time to shave carefully. And this is the most common reason most of us tend to rush through shaving. While luck favors us more often than not, incidences when we do end up encountering skin issues due to our poor shaving habits are far from rare. In fact, some of us who don’t often have luck on our side would experience something going wrong with our skin in pretty much every other shaving session.

Undoubtedly one of the most annoying skin issues we come across is razor burn, and it’s common in both men and women. It can be painful; it can lead to other skin issues, including but not limited to skin irritation and inflammation; and, if it gets worse, it can certainly make life difficult.

How Long Does Razor Burn Last

Most people falling prey to razor burns wonder exactly how long does it last. Sorry to disappoint, but there’s no one answer to it.

The thing is, depending on a few factors, it can last for as little as few hours to as long as few days, perhaps sometimes even longer. The factors that may determine the duration of your razor burn include:

• The severity with which you have been hit
• Whether also razor bumps are part of the problem
• Your shaving frequency

Apart from these factors, it’s also important to note that people with sensitive skin are going to have a tougher time getting their razor burn healed. This is simply due to the fact that sensitive skin tends to get considerably more irritated and aggravated than other skin types, so it’s going to be more painful and take longer to heal.

Similarly, if your razor burn is also accompanied by those annoying and itchy razor bumps, then you’re going to have to fight them for a longer period of time, although the razor burn itself may go away sooner. Things may also get worse if you encounter some problem with ingrown hairs, or develop an infection.

Finally, the bottom line is that the more severe it is, the longer it is going to take to get rid of it. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t be shaving until your razor bump is completely healed, or it may delay the healing further or even worsen the condition.

Remedies to get rid of razor burn naturally

Here are some extremely simple but safe home remedies that have been proven to be highly effective for treating razor burns and razor bumps:

Aloe Vera

When it comes to anything related to your skin, it’s hard to not think of aloe vera. It’s like a magic solution to a surprisingly wide range of skin issues, keratosis pilaris and razor burn is no exception.

What you need to do is simply squeeze out the gel from an aloe vera leaf, and apply it directly over the affected areas.

Aloe vera is known for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, and is an excellent natural treatment for anything that has to do with skin irritation. As razor burn is a kind of slightly extreme form of skin irritation, aloe vera gel is going to help you get rid of it surprisingly quickly.

However, you would want to be careful with aloe vera products. It is best to go with a 100% natural aloe vera gel, many come with artificial colors or fragrances that may not only make this remedy less effective, but also lead to some side effects.

Witch Hazel

Besides being a great DIY recipe for dealing with acne, witch hazel is also an effective home remedy for soothing razor burn. It works as a natural antiseptic that helps reduce skin inflammation, as well as comes with chemicals known as tannins.

This helps it aid in reversing the skin damage, as well as reduce swelling of the skin and prevent bacteria attacks. You can simply apply witch hazel extract over the troubled skin areas and you will notice the skin redness and irritation easing up quite a bit in no time. In addition to that, it would speed up the overall healing process as well.

Lemon Juice

While lemon juice may sound like a painful solution to your problem, if a solution at all, it may actually come in handy if you’re dealing with a more severe form of razor burn.

A common concern here is bacteria buildup on the infected areas, which can obviously lead to more skin issues. As lemon juice is acidic in nature, it prevents bacteria from accumulating in your ingrown hair follicles. Similarly, if the affected areas have already been attacked by bacteria, applying lemon juice over them would help effectively deal with the bacteria and prevent them from causing an infection.

Furthermore, lemon juice also contains vitamin C, which is considered essential to promote skin health and growth of new skin cells. Applying lemon juice over the irritated skin areas would also provide relief from skin redness.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is another natural agent that comes with a whole lot of benefits for your skin. Besides having anti-bacterial properties, it also works as a natural astringent, which is especially helpful when you’re trying to treat the kind of skin irritation usually associated with shaving.

You only need to apply a small amount of tea tree oil over skin areas that demand treatment. However, pure tea tree oil is very strong, and should be diluted with a small amount of water or coconut oil before use.

Tea Bags

If you’re not having much success with other home remedies, you may want to turn to black tea bags. They have been found to be surprisingly effective for getting rid of razor burns, thanks to containing tannic acid.

Besides helping ease skin inflammation and redness, they also provide a quick relief from the annoying burning feeling.

It’s highly recommended to avoid the more expensive brands, though, and instead go for the cheap ones. The cheap tea bag products are believed to contain more tannic acid and are overall more effective than their expensive counterparts.

That being said, going for organic sources is likely going to be your best bet in order to get the best results and prevent the possibility of any undesirable outcomes. Simply take a black tea bag, dip it in warm water, and gently apply over the areas affected by razor burn for about 3 minutes. You would want to do this twice a day if the burning feeling is refusing to go away.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is an age-old home remedy for pretty much every type of skin problem out there, and it can certainly soothe razor burn.

Just make a mixture of one tablespoon of baking soda and a cup of purified, filtered water, and dip a clean cotton ball in the mixture and gently dab it onto your skin. Let the mixture stay on your skin until it’s dry, and then wash it off using cool water. This should provide an instant relief from the constantly painful, stinging feeling.

You can use this home remedy a couple times a day until your razor bumps are a thing of the past.

Lavender Essential Oil

The right essential oils can work wonders for your skin. And when you’re dealing with something like razor burns, lavender essential oil (like this one) can turn out to be immensely helpful.

It’s an excellent natural soothing and healing agent, and is very effective at getting rid of the irritation and redness that are a result of a bad shave.

Use the lavender oil by diluting six to seven drops of the oil with a carrier oil such as almond oil, and gently massaging the irritated areas with the mixture.

Coconut or Olive Oil

You would probably be surprised that the oils you use everyday for cooking can actually work great for shaving as well. In fact, it’s believed that these oils have been used to assist in shaving since centuries.

The best way to use oils like coconut or olive oil to get a clean, smooth shave is to simply apply them over the skin areas to be shaved before shaving. This practice of using these oils as lubricant is getting increasingly popular nowadays, as more and more people realize that they help have a smooth shave while also moisturizing the skin at the same time.

Furthermore, they also don’t come with any of the toxic chemicals as most commercial skin or shaving products do, and pave the way for a closer shave without irritating the skin in any way. Coming to coconut and olive oil, they are both non-comedogenic, which means that they won’t get into your skin’s pores and lead to clogging.

Finally, while olive oil is more quickly absorbed by your skin, both olive oil and coconut oil are great option for avoiding razor burn as well as preventing it from growing further. This can turn out to be especially helpful when you want to shave while the effects of the razor burn are still there.

How to Prevent Razor Burn

 

As they say, prevention is better than cure. So here are some preventive measures you can take to prevent razor burn from developing in the first place.

Avoid Dry Shaving

Shaving when your skin is dry dramatically increases the chances of getting razor burn. You would want to wet your skin, which makes shaving right after taking a bath your best bet.

Avoid Random Shaving

Just randomly (read: quickly) shaving your skin without thinking about whether or not you’re shaving in the right direction is like almost asking to get razor burn. For example, shaving against the direction of your hair growth can help you get a closer, faster shave, but also makes you more likely to get a few nicks, which is especially true for guys.

Here are the right directions to shave in:

Do Not Overuse the Blades

Ideally, you would want to change the blade after it has been used 6 to 7 times. You should also consider replacing your razor if it seems to have gotten rough.

These simple things can go a long way in preventing skin irritation and bacterial infections.

Moisturize Using a Vegetable Oil

Applying a small amount of vegetable oil such as coconut or olive oil is a great way to moisturize your skin and prepare it for a smooth, close shave. When using these oils, you would find your razor moving swiftly yet smoothly over your skin, which leaves both you and your skin satisfied.