Originally posted by California Love
I would have to dissagree.
The point is to achieve the absolute minimum # of swipes. With an electric you are getting hundreds. With a blade, maybe 4-6 if you are good. More swipes = greater aggravation.
From WebMD:
How can I avoid razor bumps after shaving?
By Charles Zugerman, MD
I've tried razors and shaving creams for men with sensitive skin, yet I still have razor bumps. What can I do to get rid of them?
March 6, 2000 (Chicago, Ill.) -- Razor bumps are a common and treatable nuisance. Normally, hair grows to the surface of the skin in a tube called a follicle, without touching the skin itself. If your beard is naturally thick and curly, or if your follicles grow out at oblique angles to the skin's surface, shaving can cause sharp ends on the hairs.
If the sharp ends penetrate the skin, the body reacts as if to any foreign object, such as a splinter. This can lead to a very red, pimple-like bump.
These changes in your shaving routine can help you reduce the problem:
Take a warm shower for at least two minutes before shaving to soften your beard. Hairs will cut more easily and the severed ends will be duller, making penetration of the skin less likely.
Use a razor that does not shave as closely or try an electric razor that is not set at the closest setting. Apply a lubricated shaving gel made for use with electric razors.
Choose a razor with a single blade. Double- or triple-bladed razors cut hair shafts so far down that they may recoil much farther back into the follicles. The hairs then may penetrate the follicle and cause a reaction in the surrounding skin.
To dislodge hairs that may be starting to grow into the skin, use a short-bristled toothbrush. Using a circular motion, gently brush the parts of your face that are prone to razor bumps once or twice daily.
Avoid aftershaves or colognes, which may irritate your skin. Instead, try a moisturizer containing lactic acid or glycolic acid to help soften the hairs.
Be patient. It may take several days to a few weeks to see improvement.
If these suggestions do not work, you may as a last resort want to consider alternatives to shaving, such as depilatories and electrolysis.
Occasionally red bumps are a sign of an infection. If the bumps do not resolve or improve, see your doctor or a dermatologist.
Charles Zugerman, MD, a practicing dermatologist and associate professor of clinical dermatology at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and a member of the Chicago Dermatological Society, Chicago Medical Society, American Medical Association, and the Noah Worcester Society.
