Hair removal often comes with a wide range of irritations and issues that threaten to ruin your smooth, hairless skin. This guide will cover all you need to know about hair removal irritations, their solution, and prevention just in time for hairless summer skin.
Common Hair Removal Problems And How To Solve Them
Itchy Regrowth
Itchy regrowth after you shave or wax can be incredibly annoying but don’t fret; it’s actually super simple to deal with.
Basically, our body hair doesn’t all grow out at the same angle. If you take a look at your legs, you’ll probably notice all the hair grows in different directions. Typically, hair grows at a slight downward angle, and we often shave straight across, which means one side of the hair ends up sharper than the other.
This means when your hair regrows, it’s lots of sharp tiny hairs pushing to the side of your hair follicle, and your body recognises this as an itchy sensation, often incredibly so. This is especially a problem on coarse hair such as the legs and the bikini line, it feels like your hair is stabbing you from the inside out!
The problem is usually caused by multi-blade razors, where the first blade or rubber line picks the hair up and holds it so the first blade can cut it, then the second or third subsequent blades cut the hair right after. This results in hair that is redirected out of its natural growth pattern before it is cut, then it falls just below the skin level. You now have a sharp piece of hair lying below the surface of your skin, trying to grow out at an angle.
Your answer? Let warm water soften your hair by washing your body first, then use a dedicated shaving cream or oil and apply it to the skin, leaving it there for a minute or two to further soften the hair. Then use a single blade razor, preferably a safety razor, as these create less waste, and shave in the direction of hair growth, and you’ll end up with a smooth shave, soft skin, and no more itchy regrowth!
Dark Spots or Strawberry Legs
Are your legs ever covered in weird black dots or dark spots after you shave? Then you’ve experienced strawberry legs, and they’re pretty common.
These small dark spots are clogged pores, very similar to a blackhead. They appear when open pores are blocked with sebum, dead skin, dirt, or bacteria, and the air causes the blockage to oxidise and turn black. These little dots often resemble the seeds of a strawberry, hence the term “strawberry skin”.
So, what can you do?
Dry brushing a couple of times a week, basically the answer to almost any skin problem, has heaps of benefits. It exfoliates away dead skin cells, encouraging cell turnover and keeps clogged pores at bay. It also increases circulation and lymph drainage, stimulating the nervous system!
If you’re not a fan of dry brushing, exfoliation is essential. Regularly exfoliating your body, 2 to 3 times per week, will banish not only strawberry legs but help with razor burns and ingrown hairs too! Our body scrub is a multi-action body exfoliant that brightens dull skin, deep cleanses and purifies the follicle, leaving your skin feeling smooth, refreshed and glowing.
Your shaving technique may be to blame when it comes to strawberry skin. Making sure that you’re shaving the right way is invaluable. This includes using a clean, sharp razor, soften the hair follicle with warm water and an appropriate shaving cream or oil to lubricate the skin and, also, and ensure you don’t go over the same area too many times.
Moisturising regularly works amazingly well to eradicate strawberry legs. When your skin lacks moisture, your body will ramp up oil production to overcompensate, resulting in clogged pores. On the other hand, if your skin is dry, it will flake off and clog your pores as well! Either way, moisturising is a great way to reduce an array of hair removal problems.
Finally, fake tanning straight after hair removal may be clogging up your pores further! When you first get out of a warm shower or bath, your pores will be open, and slapping tan on top will clog these pores up. It’s best to do your shower routine the night before you plan to tan, or at least leave it a few hours before you get out your tanning mitt.
Razor Burn
A big ol’ red rash after shaving is the bane of many people’s lives - razor burn. You may also experience tenderness, burning, itchiness, or small red bumps if you’re dealing with razor burn.
Razor burn can appear pretty much everywhere, the face, legs, underarms, and bikini area. Though it should usually go away on its own with time, you may want to speed up the process, especially if you have somewhere to go and want to show off soft, hairless skin.
Aloe vera has been proven to support first and second degree burns, making it an amazing treatment for razor burn. Whether it’s from your favourite plant or a tube, simply apply a thin layer of pure aloe vera gel onto the affected area and wait for it to soothe your rash.
Coconut oil has also been proven to be a safe and effective therapy for healing burns; it also has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, making it the perfect treatment for razor burn. Apply organic coconut oil onto the affected area the same way as you would with aloe vera gel.
Our Daily Treatment Oil, in our opinion, is the best solution to razor burns. It is an antioxidant-rich blend of plant-based oils to soothe, nourish and hydrate your skin and keep pores clear for fewer ingrown hairs. The oil includes the following natural ingredients, which are amazing for reducing and soothing razor burn:
- Jojoba oil and Grapeseed oil nourish and help to protect the skin's lipid barrier.
- Papain (from Papaya seed oil) dissolves dull, dead cells.
- Lemon, Tea Tree and Peppermint cleanse the hair follicle to prevent ingrown hairs.
- Lavender, Benzoin and Vitamin E soothes redness and inflammation.
Before you shave, dampen your skin with a warm flannel to ensure the pores are open and apply a dedicated shaving cream or oil to help the razor glides smoothly over the skin.
Ingrown Hairs And Shaving Bumps
We have a whole blog post and eBook dedicated to solving ingrown hairs, but here’s a quick rundown on the basics…
Basically, ingrown hair occurs when a shaved, waxed, or tweezed hair grows back wonky, pushing itself back and growing into the skin, rather than UP and OUT. A shaving or razor bump is when the shaved hair has grown OUT and then back INTO the skin.
The hair removal process usually causes these ingrown hairs or razor bumps, whether that be shaving, waxing, tweezing, or epilating. They can also be caused by a build-up of dead skin on the surface that prevents hair from breaking through, or from tight clothes rubbing onto the skin and pushing the hair back into the follicle.
The best way to prevent ingrown hair is by exfoliating to remove dead skin, moisturising to prevent dry skin and choosing the right hair removal method for you.
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Folli Oil is a natural, cruelty-free, Vegan skincare range that actually works. Using the finest, ethically sourced and sustainable plant-based and natural ingredients. Our products are handcrafted in small batches at our studio in the beautiful Cotswolds. We test on willing humans, not animals, and our packaging is recyclable. Shop now.