A smooth face after a shave means you have shaved your whiskers below the skin's surface. The whiskers grow back at varying rates. For those hairs that are dormant or slow-growing, the skin will close up over them. Before they erupt, they will push the skin up into a bump. When you shave over them, you decapitate these bumps, resulting in blood. Thus, the blood looks like a field of red dots on your face.
You can minimize this problem with several techniques that reduce, eliminate, or at least relax these bumps into benign terrain.
First, the longer you wait, the more hairs will have erupted by the time you shave. The first day is the worst, the second better, and the third much better.
A hot massaging face wash will exfoliate, helping skin to relax and whisker to emerge. Follow with a hot, not cold rinse.
An old barber's trick is hot towel compresses on the face and neck. This relaxes the skin, opens pores, allows whiskers to emerge and softens any remaining bumps.
A slick, lubricating pre-shave can help the razor avoid cutting any bumps.
A good lather that holds moisture on the face for the entire shave is essential. No foam. Don't let the skin dry. Re-lather if necessary.
Cutting only with the direction of growth will help because even the bumps are angled in this way. If this is successful, you can try across the growth, but don't try against the growth anywhere you have this problem.
As others have noted, a light touch overall is another key technique.
Good blade choice and reduced exposure play a role, but a sharp blade is essential. Dull blades that tug will inevitably cut the skin.
Finally, follow with a post-shave balm as tight, dry skin is a major cause of razor bumps.
If you have larger bumps from ingrown hairs, that is another matter, not addressed here.
With these techniques, you should be able to safely shave every day.
Individual results always vary, and you have to take any recommendations on these forums through a trail and error phase to find what works best for you.
You can minimize this problem with several techniques that reduce, eliminate, or at least relax these bumps into benign terrain.
First, the longer you wait, the more hairs will have erupted by the time you shave. The first day is the worst, the second better, and the third much better.
A hot massaging face wash will exfoliate, helping skin to relax and whisker to emerge. Follow with a hot, not cold rinse.
An old barber's trick is hot towel compresses on the face and neck. This relaxes the skin, opens pores, allows whiskers to emerge and softens any remaining bumps.
A slick, lubricating pre-shave can help the razor avoid cutting any bumps.
A good lather that holds moisture on the face for the entire shave is essential. No foam. Don't let the skin dry. Re-lather if necessary.
Cutting only with the direction of growth will help because even the bumps are angled in this way. If this is successful, you can try across the growth, but don't try against the growth anywhere you have this problem.
As others have noted, a light touch overall is another key technique.
Good blade choice and reduced exposure play a role, but a sharp blade is essential. Dull blades that tug will inevitably cut the skin.
Finally, follow with a post-shave balm as tight, dry skin is a major cause of razor bumps.
If you have larger bumps from ingrown hairs, that is another matter, not addressed here.
With these techniques, you should be able to safely shave every day.
Individual results always vary, and you have to take any recommendations on these forums through a trail and error phase to find what works best for you.
