Post-shave irritation issues

Matthew Brown9 said:I’m dealing with a recurring issue regarding shaving. Every time I shave my groin area, everything seems fine on the first day. However, by the time I wake up the next morning, I suffer from intense ingrown hairs and severe redness. The irritation eventually subsides after a couple of days, at which point I feel I can shave again.
The last time this happened, the discomfort was significantly worse than usual; instead of just a mild sting, I woke up in actual pain, and I am not quite sure why that changed.
I would appreciate any advice or suggestions you might have. Thank you in advance for your help.😛

I would strongly suggest that you stick strictly to shaving with the grain and, quite frankly, avoid a close shave altogether. What I mean is this: use a sharp razor and make a single pass—take what you can and leave the rest. Whatever you do, do not go over the skin a second time against the direction of hair growth. Once you are finished, apply Johnson's Baby Cream—that thick, heavy cream infused with baby powder you can find at a CVS—and perhaps reapply it later, say, the following day after you shower.
Once the hair begins its regrowth phase, it is highly beneficial to exfoliate using a washcloth and soap during your shower; this should help prevent those hairs from becoming trapped under the skin.
In time, your skin will likely adjust to this routine, and you may find that those pesky bumps disappear entirely.

Alternatively, you might consider utilizing an electric trimmer set to its shortest setting. You will still have a bit of stubble visible, but surely that won't be an issue for your partner...

....every single time I shave, my skin just goes totally haywire. super irritated and red, especially on my neck... it stays like that for days at a time. since my skin is incredibly sensitive, I can't even touch Aftershave, so I just stick to some light cream... but lately, even that isn't doing squat. if anyone else deals with this, let me know what you're using. what's actually good for calming everything down right after shaving so I don't end up with an infection—those annoying little red bumps🙏

My dad has been sticking to the same routine for over 50 years now 😁 using a 3% salicylic acid solution he grabs from the local drugstore
It’s funny how much the beauty industry has changed over the decades (which is a pretty long time, right? 😁). They launch all these "miracle" products that promise the world, but after a few hours, you just end up looking like a teenager with a breakout again, so he always goes right back to his trusty alcohol-based formula

The thing is, this specific formula doesn't sting like pure alcohol would. If you give it a shot, I bet it won't even bother you, and if it does, it's definitely not breaking the bank

jadesailor14 said:My dad has been sticking to the same routine for over 50 years now 😁 using a 3% salicylic acid solution he grabs from the local drugstore
It’s funny how much the beauty industry has changed over the decades (which is a pretty long time, right? 😁). They launch all these "miracle" products that promise the world, but after a few hours, you just end up looking like a teenager with a breakout again, so he always goes right back to his trusty alcohol-based formula

The thing is, this specific formula doesn't sting like pure alcohol would. If you give it a shot, I bet it won't even bother you, and if it does, it's definitely not breaking the bank

...and when he actually uses it, everything’s just fine, right?

Everything works perfectly when he uses it!
But if he skips applying it right after shaving, his skin flares up immediately with those annoying red bumps.
He has to shave every single day—back when he was working, he actually had to do it twice a day just to stay ahead. If he misses even one day, his skin is a total mess the next morning. Taking a "rest day" from shaving definitely doesn't work for him.

So, my trick after shaving is splashing my face with the coldest water I can find, just to really chill out the skin 😁
Then I go ahead and apply some ointment 😁

I’m also a big believer in splashing your face with cold water first, followed by some Nivea Aftershave balm...

Zachary Fox58 said:....every single time I shave, my skin just goes totally haywire. super irritated and red, especially on my neck... it stays like that for days at a time. since my skin is incredibly sensitive, I can't even touch Aftershave, so I just stick to some light cream... but lately, even that isn't doing squat. if anyone else deals with this, let me know what you're using. what's actually good for calming everything down right after shaving so I don't end up with an infection—those annoying little red bumps🙏

Let's back up here: what are you actually using? Like, what kind of shaving cream or gel, and what razor? Trust me, those things make all the difference for your skin...

After shaving, I find it helps to splash my face with some warm water a few times—just to soothe things—and then lightly apply some cream, which should do the trick. Personally, I tend to get a bit of irritation immediately after using an electric razor, but if I rinse up properly and follow through with the cream, I don't deal with any ingrown hairs—not on my neck or my face at all.

I’ve found that Nivea balm works incredibly well for me...

Plus, it actually smells great, too.😁

A bit of Aloe Vera lotion might help too.

Alex Williams8 said:Let's back up here: what are you actually using? Like, what kind of shaving cream or gel, and what razor? Trust me, those things make all the difference for your skin...

So, I switched to an electric shaver on my dermatologist's advice. Using a blade was just spreading that mild inflammation everywhere... honestly, this thing shaves pretty well (dropped over $220 on it though)... the breakouts on my face are totally gone now, except for my neck area. Since the device doesn't sit perfectly flush against the skin there, I have to press harder, which just irritates the skin like crazy. It stays red, stings, and then those tiny little red bumps start popping up again...

So, here’s the deal. I decided to shave my underarms for the first time yesterday because I was heading to the pool and didn't want everyone staring at my forest of hair. Everything seemed fine initially, but by this morning, the whole area is bright red and stinging periodically. Why is this happening? I used shaving gel, a Gillette razor, and finished it off with some Aftershave. What went wrong?

Honestly, you shouldn't be putting Aftershave under your freshly shaved armpits! 😁 Using a little bit of cream should be enough, I suppose. 🙂 Aftershave is meant for the face only.

So, based on what I’ve read, I’m tossing my Adidas aftershave in the trash and picking up something from Nivea instead. Also, does anyone know if a white shaving cream works better than an aftershave?

It doesn't really matter which one you pick; Aftershave is strictly for your face. As for cream, even a basic
moisturizer should do the trick!

Can I just use regular body cream? I tried that Nivea SOS stuff, and I have to admit, it actually helped take down the redness quite a bit.

Hey there,

So, I’m turning 17 pretty soon, and I just decided to groom my downstairs area for the very first time. Now, I've ended up with these little bumps and a bit of an itch, and honestly, it's making me a little nervous—is this totally normal? Does anyone have any advice on how I can get rid of this irritation?

P.S. I only went through with it because I wanted to impress a girl.🙂

That was exactly my experience too, haha. It’s perfectly normal. Just apply a little Aftershave 😁 after you finish shaving.

quietowl74 said:Hey there,

So, I’m turning 17 pretty soon, and I just decided to groom my downstairs area for the very first time. Now, I've ended up with these little bumps and a bit of an itch, and honestly, it's making me a little nervous—is this totally normal? Does anyone have any advice on how I can get rid of this irritation?

P.S. I only went through with it because I wanted to impress a girl.🙂

First time 🤣
Honestly, you probably should have done it sooner, but it's fine—don't worry, it'll clear up quickly.
Aftershave 👍