and fresh looking.
Others aren't so lucky: Shaving means days or even weeks with skin
that's sensitive to the touch and has quite visible breakouts.
For men, this seems to offer the option of sporting a lifetime beard
or presenting to the world a freshly shaved rash where the neck, jaw
and cheeks once existed. For women, the dilemma could make for a long
summer wearing pants.
But not all of us can run from our shaving problems. Men in the
military must shave daily.
Societal norms favor smooth, hairless legs for women. People working
in the hospitality industry are usually required to project a
clean-shaven visage. For those of us prone to shaving rash, the world
has some painful customs, demands and expectations when it comes to
the length of hair we're expected to maintain on our faces and bodies.
What exactly is shaving rash? It's different from what's commonly
called "razor burn." Razor burn is mild skin irritation following
shaving due to a dull razor or insufficient use of moisturizer or a
shaving lubricant. Razor burn can also occur when sweat or chemicals
(such as lotions with fragrances or deodorant) make contact with the
multitude of tiny nicks and cuts shaving creates in the skin, which we
normally don't detect unless we really give ourselves a good slice.
Shaving rash -- also called shaving bumps, razor bumps or
pseudofolliculitis barbae -- is quite a step up on the irritation
scale from razor burn. It occurs when recently shaved hair grows back
into the skin, becoming an ingrown hair.
How and why does hair grown into the skin? What can be done to prevent
it? Is growing a bushy mountain-man beard totally off the table as an
option?
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