Those of us who shave, which is most men and woman, have encountered the skin irritation and rash that can come with clearing our skin of unwanted hair. Commonly called razor bumps or razor burn, the symptoms are usually similar from one person to another. The skin feels dry and irritated, and it usually turns red. Often times the red bumps will become pustules that will need to be popped, or soaked with a hot pad until your body cleanses the infection. Razor burn will eventually go away on its own, but in the mean time there are some ways to cure the condition, or to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Prevention is the easiest way to stop razor bumps from happening so that you don’t have to deal with the condition in the future. There are some simple things that a person can do, like not stretching their skin out when they shave, soaking their skin in hot water to loosen it up (or even shaving in the shower if you’re comfortable doing that), and changing razor blades once a week are good methods for preventing razor burn from happening. Another method is shaving against the grain that the hair grows in, which has been shown to be less irritating to the skin as it requires fewer razor passes. None of these methods will do you any good if you already have razor bumps, however.

If you already have razor burn, then one of the best things to do about it is wait. Give your skin time to heal itself and for the rash and irritation to fade away before shaving again. For some people this isn’t a helpful option, but it is an effective and natural method. For more immediate relief from not only the appearance of the rash, but also of the uncomfortable, burning feeling that comes with it it’s a good idea to rub aloe vera onto the effected skin. If a lotion comes with aloe vera content, then it will likely do the job passingly well.

If your razor bumps are severe enough that you need more than just lotion however, there are some other options to take the sting out of your rash and to help your skin heal better. If you take two aspirin (uncoated tablets only!), dissolve them into a teaspoon of water, mix it into a paste, and then apply it to the razor bumps then it should take the sting out of the skin. Other things that can help are witch hazel (an herb that can be made into poultices and may be contained in new age balms), and aftershave that comes with gel to help soothe skin and prevent razor burn from forming in the first place.

Often times you may have to try a few different solutions before you find something that works for you and your skin. Don’t get discouraged if your first try doesn’t eliminate your rash, just keep trying until you find something that works. Even if that something happens to be growing a mustache and goatee.