Help! Clipper Bumps (back of neck)

[ThStoddart]

Gentlemen -- I recently switched barbers and found a great old-fashioned barbershop that finally gave me a great haircut.

Unfortunately, the last few times I've been there, I developed very bad clipper/razor bumps on the back of my neck. I would get these occassionally with previous barbers, but never this bad or this consistently, which leads me to believe there might be something with the barber's technique or hygene/sanition of the equipment.

I'm going to see a dermatologist asap to make sure that there isn't an infection or something worse going on, but wanted to know if anyone had advice on

(1) preventing this from happening again, and
(2) treating clipper bumps.

I've been using Neutrogena T-Sal shampoo, which has a mild concentration of salicylic acid and occassionally cleansing the area with witch hazel.

I've also thought about (1) shampooing before my next haircut with an antibacterial shampoo (to cut down on germs/bacteria) as well as after.

Any advice the wise sages of this board could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Stodd

 

[guenron]

Call me OC, but I always shampoo immediately before I go to the barber and immediately after I return from a haircut. Have you been using the salicylic acid-based stuff for any length of time? It can be tough on tender tissues.

 

[NMMB]

Ron, that is way beyond OC… perhaps OC^3 (cubed) or something. That said, I’ve never encountered any problems (clipper bumps or otherwise) from any barbershop visits, else I might exhibit a little OC behaviour too.

Stodd, one thing that you may consider is asking the barber not to use clippers when doing your hair. Any talented and patient cutter of hair can do at least as good of a job, if not a significantly better job, without using clippers. A clipper-free haircut may take a little longer and as a result it may cost a little more, but it may help to avoid your so called “clipper/razor bumps”

 

[ThStoddart]

Call me OC, but I always shampoo immediately before I go to the barber and immediately after I return from a haircut. Have you been using the salicylic acid-based stuff for any length of time? I can be tough on tender tissues.

I actually always shampoo'd before/after as well, but not with anything anti-bacterial.

I picked up the Neutrogena salicylic acid shampoo after the second clipper bump breakouts and have been using it for about a week. I thought the % concentration of the T-Sal was lower than other brands, plus it's labeled for use on a wide range of skin problems - psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis.

Guenron, do you have other recommendations/suggestions on shampoos or topicals I should use?

Thanks,
Stodd

 

[guenron]

Stodd,
It would be easy to recommend that which I use, but since I am not sure what underlies your problem, I am reticent. As for my behavior, I started this shampooing because I once picked up a ringworm-like fungal at a local barbershop (that will go unnamed). Whether it was the result of unsatisfactory sanitation on the shop's part or my just being in the right place at the wrong time, it was really annoying and not as simple as one might think to erradicate. The "SPECIAL" shampoo I used to clear it up reaked and was less than gentle to the scalp.
Now, just as a matter of course, I do a double lathering with Nancy Boy shampoo, followed by their conditioner and a tiny dab of their excellent (lanolin!) hair styling cream before and after the Herrenfriseur.

 

[liamseo]

Gentlemen -- I recently switched barbers and found a great old-fashioned barbershop that finally gave me a great haircut.

Unfortunately, the last few times I've been there, I developed very bad clipper/razor bumps on the back of my neck. I would get these occassionally with previous barbers, but never this bad or this consistently, which leads me to believe there might be something with the barber's technique or hygene/sanition of the equipment.

I'm going to see a dermatologist asap to make sure that there isn't an infection or something worse going on, but wanted to know if anyone had advice on

(1) preventing this from happening again, and
(2) treating clipper bumps.

I've been using Neutrogena T-Sal shampoo, which has a mild concentration of salicylic acid and occassionally cleansing the area with witch hazel.

I've also thought about (1) shampooing before my next haircut with an antibacterial shampoo (to cut down on germs/bacteria) as well as after.

Any advice the wise sages of this board could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Stodd

ive had similar problems before..

i thought it was the razor or something but my doctor told me that the type of hair used in the brush was the problem..

synthetic hair was more ok than those who use biological ones..

__________________
The only thing I fear are women and Hair Loss.

 

[jmhUT]

Stodd,
I've run into this problem a couple of times. In my case it was a question of irritaiton, not of infection. One can get razor burn just as easily on the back of the neck as one can on the front.

There are a couple of things you can do to avoid this. The first is to tell the barber that you have a sensitive neck and request that he use only slight pressure with the clippers and apply some talc. The second is to shampoo when you get home. This is usually a good idea anyway if for no other reason than to rid your hair of the clippings. Third, apply whatever aftershave treatment you use to the area.

On the rare occasion that I beat my face up during a shave I use first aid/aintibiotic cream along with hydrocortisone cream. The former cleans the area while the latter reduces swelling. This combination works quite well for me with standard razor burn so it should give you some relief.
Cheers,
Jeff