A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SHAVING WITH ACNE

Acne is one of the most frustrating skin conditions there is. It’s as down-casting as they come. It can happen to anyone and at any time. There are no scientific backings that acne breakout is only identified with a particular gender. Stats and figures don't lie.

Almost 70 million people in the US suffer from acne alone. According to dermatologists, well over 20% of females in the US suffer from Acne as against the 5% in males.

Unlike pimples, acne is a chronic skin condition that is very hard to deal with. Imagine the horror of waking to find red spots all over your face. That alone can ruin your mood for the whole day, and that’s just the half of it.

Acne is even more difficult to handle when you have a beard. Naturally, shaving will become a tough and painful task. The fear of what might happen in the process has even made some people give up on growing a beard altogether.

However, there’s no need to panic or give up on your beard growth journey, because in this post, you’ll find a simple, yet effective step-by-step guide that’ll help you shave your beards comfortably if you have acne.

GUIDE TO SHAVING WITH ACNE

Before we dive into the guide, I need you to understand that acne can't be cured. That is a fact most people do not like to hear.

Most people always expect a cure for something as frustrating as acne. But unfortunately, there is no cure for it. Why is that? Acne mostly happens naturally, and you can’t defeat Mother Nature.

However, since it can't be cured, then it can be controlled. One of the best ways to prevent it from getting worse is by adopting a good shaving habit.

To make this segment easier for you, I’ll group the steps into three subsections:

- Before Shaving / The prep work

- The Shave

- After Shaving/ Aftercare.

1.    THE PREP WORK/BEFORE SHAVING: 

If you are experiencing an acne outbreak and you need to shave, the prep is very vital. This is because your preparation will determine the kind of reaction you will get. Proper preparation will open and clean your pores, thereby stopping the spread of the bacteria.

Also, proper preparation will make shaving smoother than before and eliminate the tendency of getting an aggressive reaction to shaving. 

Good prep work includes:

-        Always cleanse your face first:

 This can be done by using warm water. The water shouldn’t be too hot because hot water can strip off essential oils. The water just has to be a little warm so that it will soften and hydrate the hair follicles.

Taking a bath before you shave works too.

-        You can pop the acne: 

While this is not advisable, the best way to remove the bacteria lurking beneath the inflamed hair follicles is by popping them.

-        Lather Up: 

It is usually advisable to go natural. That is, your choice of shaving lather should contain less alcohol and chemical contents because too much of these can cause further irritation of the acne.

-        Try not to apply your shaving lather with your brush: 

This is a mistake most people usually make. When you apply shaving lather with a brush, it further spreads the bacteria from one spot to another. Drop that brush! Use your hand instead.

Using your hand makes the application of shaving lather very easy and less harmful to your skin because it doesn't aid the spread of the bacteria. Not only this, it also helps to separate your hair and makes shaving very easy.

2.    THE SHAVE: 

When it comes to shaving with acne, choosing a razor is an essential part, because, your choice of the razor will determine the success of this process.

I will personally recommend you get a safety razor for your shaving. So let us consider the following steps:

-        Avoid the Spots:

Always try as much as possible to avoid the inflamed part. This is because if your shaving blade breaks any of them, it could lead to the spread of the bacteria.

-        Shave with the grains: 

This means that whenever you're shaving, endeavor to shave in the direction of your facial hair growth so as not to irritate your acne.

-        Don't press the blade on your face: 

This might sound funny, but it is not. This is because some people are fond of pressing the shaving blade too hard on their faces. You don't need to apply too much pressure when you are Shaving.

3.    AFTER SHAVING:

Our facial skin gets exposed after we have shaved. Hence, a need for good post-shaving care.

-        Clean your face thoroughly after shaving:

Adopt a proper cleaning measure after you have completed your shaving. You should try to use clean warm water to rinse your face so that it will wash away the bacteria from the acne.

-        Rub the face with a clean towel:

Gently run your face with a clean towel after you've rinsed your face with water.

-        Moisturize: 

After you have done all that, you can now apply an oil-free moisturizer to your face. Why oil-free moisturizer? This is because oily moisturizer is a fertilizer for acne.

Oil-free moisturizer will help to replenish certain skin nutrients that were peeled off while shaving.

CONCLUSION

Since acne can’t be cured, the best way to control it is by seeing a dermatologist who will guide you on the skincare routine that will reduce the inflammation of acne on your face, and in turn, make shaving a whole lot easier.