Does shaving cause acne? How to shave with it

Shaving is not listed as a cause of acne by the American Academy of Dermatology, which says acne develops when pores become clogged and that hormones called androgens increase the size of the skin's oil glands. What the AAD does say is that shaving can irritate your skin, making acne worse. So shaving can inflame acne you already have without being the thing that started it.

Shaving with acne is possible, and the American Academy of Dermatology gives instructions for it rather than telling people to stop. Its guidance is that men who have acne should take special care while shaving. The two specific rules it gives are to shave lightly to prevent nicks and never try to shave off the acne, because both can make acne worse.

Shaving can make acne worse, and the American Academy of Dermatology says so directly: shaving can irritate your skin, making acne worse. The irritation comes from the blade dragging across inflamed spots. The AAD's advice is to shave lightly to prevent nicks, and never try to shave off the acne, because running a blade over a pimple can make it worse.

Running a razor over a pimple is advised against by the American Academy of Dermatology, which says never try to shave off the acne because it can make acne worse. A blade across an inflamed spot can open it and leave a nick. Shaving lightly, and working around raised spots rather than over them, follows the AAD's instruction more closely.

Bumps that appear after shaving are often not acne. The American Academy of Dermatology says you get folliculitis when you damage your hair follicles, and once damaged, it is easy for germs to get inside. It lists shaving among the common causes. Folliculitis can look like acne, and the AAD says it can be helpful to see a dermatologist to confirm which one you have.

Repeated bumps after shaving point toward folliculitis or razor bumps rather than acne. The American Academy of Dermatology says folliculitis follows damage to the hair follicles, and names shaving as a common cause. Its shaving guidance covers the usual sources of damage: shave in the direction that the hair grows, and change your blade or throw away disposable razors after 5 to 7 shaves.

No single razor is named best for acne by the American Academy of Dermatology. Its advice is to experiment: if you have acne on your face, try electric or disposable blade razors to see which work best for you. For razor bumps, razor burns or ingrown hairs, the AAD's skin care page for men suggests using a single-blade or double-blade razor instead of a multi-blade one.

Shaving cream is part of the American Academy of Dermatology's shaving instructions, which say to apply a shaving cream or gel after wetting the skin. For skin that is dry or sensitive, the AAD advises looking for a shaving cream that says sensitive skin on the label. Shaving without any cream removes the layer that helps the blade move without dragging on the skin.

After a shower is the timing the American Academy of Dermatology suggests. Its instruction is to wet your skin and hair to soften it before shaving, and it says a great time to shave is right after a shower, as your skin will be warm and moist. Softened hair cuts with less pulling, which lowers the irritation that can make acne worse.

Shave in the direction that the hair grows, which the American Academy of Dermatology calls an important step to help prevent razor bumps and burns. Shaving against the growth cuts hair shorter and can leave it to grow back into the skin. On skin that already has acne, fewer new bumps means less to tell apart from the acne itself.

Skinli's guidance is to be careful with timing, because freshly shaved skin is already irritated and acne gels add their own dryness. The adapalene label says sore, red or dry skin is more likely when you use more than one acne medicine. If a gel stings badly on shaved skin, shaving at a different time of day than the gel gives the skin a gap to settle.

After 5 to 7 shaves, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, which says to change your blade or throw away disposable razors after that many shaves to minimize irritation. It also says to store your razor in a dry area and let it dry completely between shaves to prevent bacteria from growing on it, and not to leave it in the shower or on a wet sink.

Growing the hair out removes the blade from the skin, which removes one source of irritation. The American Academy of Dermatology does not present stopping as a treatment for acne, since it describes acne as a problem of clogged pores and oil glands rather than hair removal. If bumps clear when you stop shaving and return when you start, that pattern fits folliculitis or razor bumps.

See a dermatologist when you cannot tell what the bumps are or they keep coming back. The American Academy of Dermatology says it can be helpful to see a dermatologist to make sure you have folliculitis, since infected hair follicles can look like another skin condition such as acne. A doctor is also the right step for painful lumps, acne that scars, or acne that keeps getting worse.