After you remove your body hair, you would always have those rough, spiky bumps that can be itchy and uncomfortable. May it be through shaving, waxing, tweezing, or even electrolysis, the bumps would always appear like mushroom heads popping out of your skin.

These inflammations are called pseudofolliculitis barbae, or more commonly known as razor bumps.

Razor bumps are actually hair follicles trapped inside the skin, forming the dark lumps you see after you wax or shave. You may ask… how do these follicles get stuck anyway?

We get that question answered in this article. Here are the reasons why you get razor bumps, so you can avoid them as much as you can and keep your skin hairless and smooth:

Your shaving practices

The more often you shave, the more razor bumps you’ll have. When a blade repeatedly passes over the skin, it only cuts the part of the hair above the surface and doesn’t extract the roots beneath. Because of this, you are more likely tugging on the hair than removing it, irritating the hair follicle in the process. This in itself can trigger razor bumps, yet it can worsen with the amount of pressure you are applying as you shave. Furthermore, the remaining hair roots can grow again but curl back into the skin, resulting in ingrown hairs that can lead to more lumps. Shaving against the grain of your hair growth also has a similar effect.

Using an old and dull blade

When you use razors that are old or blunt, you have more difficulty shaving off the hair so you tend to use more pressure as you run the blade over your skin again and again. This pulls on the hair follicles and irritates them, inducing razor bumps. Razors that are old and rusty can also cause more nicks and cuts and store bacteria in their blades, two factors that can create razor bumps and even develop into infections in some cases.

Exposure to heat and sweat

Humidity and heat can cause skin to swell and trap the hair follicle below the surface, leading to bumps. Razor bumps can also appear from the accumulation of sweat and bacteria caused by the excessive heat. This is why you shouldn’t constantly put on tight clothing, such as fitting tops, underwear or pantyhose, as they can be too hot to wear and will likely rub against freshly shaved skin.

Applying harsh products

Another cause of razor bumps can be the use of products that contain alcohol or fragrances. These ingredients can dry out the skin and make it more susceptible to irritation and inflammation. Razor bumps would eventually rise from the dry and inflamed skin.

Your hair type

People with curly hair tend to be more prone to developing razor bumps than those with straight hair. This is because curly hair is more likely to twist back around and re-enter the skin after being shaved, causing irritation and lumps.

Hormonal changes

This usually occurs for women. Ladies tend to have constant hormonal changes that occur during menstruation or pregnancy. This can cause the skin to become thicker and more prone to developing razor bumps.

Through this list, we hope you’re able to minimize the bumps that show after you pluck and shave your body hair. If you prevent these causes, you just may have less lumps to worry about after using your razor and jar of wax.

Nonetheless, not all of these causes can be avoided and mitigated. When you have persistent bumps that won’t go away, use our Razor Bump Stopper Serum. It relieves irritation from hair removal and treats ingrown hair so you get smooth skin even after you shave.