Best Ways To Treat Shaving Cuts
Shaving is one activity no post-pubescent man can go a week without; unless you have succumbed to the bearded caveman trend. Just a couple of days without a good shave might lead to a number of awkward scenarios, with none of them being in your best interest. Imagine working up the courage to lean in for a romantic kiss on a date night, only to have Miss Lady lock her lips with what feels like sandpaper. This doesn’t exactly set a romantic mood.
Although some fellas opt out of shaving altogether, from fear of getting nicks and cuts, it need not be the case. In fact, shaving is almost as easy as frying an egg: a little foam, blade up and down and go. Sadly the reality is that not everyone knows how to do it correctly, with most being left with a cut or two. Hence why the below tips will help you treat your shaving cuts like a pro.
Be Alert
Prevention is better than cure. So the saying goes. Unfortunately, shaving cuts aren’t entirely preventable. Maybe, over the years, you have acquired enough skill not to end up with a face full of toilet paper covering your shaving cuts. However, there are many other things that you do not know that you are doing wrong and why you would be denied the approved shaving.
Even with years of experience, you still could very well nick your face while shaving; especially when in a hurry to clear that overnight stubble before preparing for a presentation at work. Sometimes it even seems like someone somewhere is after you when you cut yourself multiple times in one shaving session.
For a tremendous cut-free shaving experience, the first rule is to always move the blade in the direction in which the beard grows. We would also recommend that you only shave when you are calm and not in a hurry to avoid any cuts and bruises. You might have to wake up a little earlier or even take a moment to do it the night before. It might not be so convenient, but it sure saves you a lot of pain.
Use Some Toilet Tissue
Plain ole toilet tissue can really come in handy in times like these. It is one of the first remedies to use once a cut happens. Simply cut some tissue large enough to cover the cut and hold it in place. As some face cuts tend to bleed longer, apply some pressure on it to encourage blood clotting. Don’t be in such a rush to leave the house that you forget to remove the tissue though. You don’t want to gross colleagues out showing up at work with bloodied tissue stuck to your face.
Embalm It!
No need to be nervous with this next tip; we understand that lip balm is not often considered a grooming staple by many men, but it sure is effective for healing the skin. However, you might have to raid the Missus’ makeup bag for this one. Who knows, if you ask her nicely, she just might let you have it for keeps.
Lip balm is a great way to treat face and lip cuts. Some lip balms have pleasant fruity fragrances; this means, you not only get to treat your nicks, but you can also smell great while at it. If you aren’t big on fragrances, you could opt for the plain smelling balms or even good ole Vaseline.
Simply clean the cut with tissue paper then apply the lip balm using a cotton swab as a dipstick to pick some up and apply. That way, you don’t have to stick your bloodied fingers into the pot of lip balm rendering it useless for future use.
Lip balm will not only stop the bleeding but also prevent unsightly scab formation by creating a seal over the cut while blood clotting and healing take place underneath. Better still, its waxy texture is soothing and sting free on cuts. It works as a much faster means of stopping bleeding shaving cuts than regular toilet paper.
Ice It
If lip balm is too feminine for you, those rocks you reserve for your nightcap of smooth cognac are more multipurpose than you might have realized. Not only will some ice cubes plastered on your skin have your manly hormones running wild, but it will also ensure a fast healing process. This is because cold is a very fast relieving and sting free means of treating shaving cuts.
When using ice, start by cleaning the cut with toilet tissue before reaching for the ice cube tray. Extreme cold as only an ice cube can provide constricts the blood vessels to stop bleeding almost immediately. With such a quick relief, your days of wincing all the way on the drive to work, with bloodied tissue pressed against your face are over. Just make sure you use the ice immediately when the cut occurs. The use of ice is one of the fastest ways to treat a shaving cut.
An added bonus of using ice cubes is its pain relieving effect. The coldness has a way of numbing the cut area against further pain. If by any chance your buddies used up all your ice cubes in their whiskey when they dropped by after work, dabbing the cut with some very cold water would also do the trick.
Spray on Some Antiperspirant
Hardly any contemporary men’s grooming closet is without a bottle of antiperspirant. Well, that bottle your armpits are super familiar with is also good for your face especially when you got a nick in the mix with bleeding that just won’t quit.
First off, you have got to tidy up that cut with some tissue paper, then run the ball of antiperspirant over the cut (not your entire face). You can even consider using a cotton swab to get the antiperspirant off the ball and onto your face. That way you avoid getting blood all over it. Be warned; it may sting a little due to the aluminum chloride found in antiperspirant. Sadly, there is no way out of this; just handle it like a man because after the pain comes healing.
Aluminum chloride is actually designed to shrink the sweat glands in your armpits. When used on your cuts, it will shrink the blood vessels at the site hence controlling bleeding with faster healing. Make sure you use antiperspirant, not deodorant. It is very easy to mix up the two but they are different. Deodorant has no astringent in it as it is only designed to mask odors and would serve no purpose on a cut.
Apply Some Mouthwash
You could even use some mouthwash to dab at the cut. Mouthwash not only offers a cooling effect, but it also contains alcohol which works as an astringent to both disinfect the cut and stop the bleeding. When combined with ice, after the cold relief of the ice cubes, you can probably withstand the sting of the alcohol on the fresh cut.
Get Domestic
Ah, sugar… it is just as incredible outside of the teacup as it is inside. You’ll be amazed how many shaving-cut treatment hacks you can pull off with regular household items you’ve got lying around. Sugar is a classic example. Following cleaning the cut with tissue paper, take a little sugar and pat it into the wound.
Sugar offers great healing properties that can disinfect a wound and stop bleeding. Just make sure to wipe it off once the bleeding has stopped before you have house flies hovering all over your face.
Alum is another kitchen drawer staple most folks have lying around. In some areas with visibly unclean and brownish looking water coming through the taps, some folks gather the water into containers then give the alum block a few swirls in the water and voila ten minutes later the water is cleared of all impurities.
Interestingly, this same alum block is very effective in treating shaving cuts. All you have to do is wet the alum block then hold it over the cut for a little while. The alum disinfects the cuts and stops bleeding. Make sure to let the block dry before storing it. You can even rub it on as an aftershave to prevent ingrown hairs.
Keep Things Moist
When taking a bath, this is an excellent time to carry out your shaving activities. Hot showers are especially nice as the hair and skin become very soft. Although dry shaving puts you at greater risk for cuts and nicks, avoid simply splashing water on your face before letting the razor loose. First, start with allowing the warm water to soften your facial skin for a couple of minutes. With the skin super soft, the razor just glides right over those facial hairs, giving you that close, clean shave that makes the Missus get all handsy with that sculpted chin of yours.
You could even slather on some moisturizer all over your face after the warm shower to make the razor’s job much easier. Not sure which moisturizer to choose? Just look up our best moisturizers for men list for an array of options with different price ranges, both fragranced or unfragranced for all kinds of skin types.
A moisturizer can also be used to treat shaving cuts; after cleaning the site of the cuts, simply dab a spot of moisturizer on it. Besides stopping bleeding, it has the added benefit of preventing scabs from forming. It is advisable you do your best to avoid scabbing happening in the first place as they tend to leave scars that could be quite unsightly depending on where there are placed.
Change That Razor
To avoid or at least reduce the incidence of shaving injuries, you need the right razor for the job. A safety razor is an excellent choice to save your face from potential pain. Designed with a protective device nestled between the skin and the blade’s edge, it is far less likely you hurt yourself using it. The safety razor is also an equipment of choice among young men who just learning the shaving ropes or those who would prefer an injury free face. You can also consider using razors with two to three blades as they give a very close and smooth shave. They may even be safer to use as you are less likely to cut yourself.
Once you do get yourself the safety razor, don’t go using the same old one with plans to pass it on to the coming generations. Using the same razor over and over again is a sure way to get cuts as the blade is already blunt. Blunt razors tend to require more drag to achieve a close shave than a sharp one, making the blade more likely to catch your skin and cut it. So change the blade as soon as you observe any bluntness.
Conclusion
Depending on the kind of skin you have and its sensitivity, you may not have to use all the methods proffered before you are able to get that bleeding under control. More likely, one or two of them will become your preferred go-to shaving cut treatment. Fortunately, most of them involve items that are frequently used in most homes anyway. One would be hard pressed to find a home with no sugar, ice or some antiperspirant for example.
If you soften your facial pores using hot or warm water, use moisturizer after a warm bath and before shaving. Also, don’t forget to change the blades in your safety razor as soon as it becomes dull; the times you have to treat shaving cuts will be few and far between.
No knowledge is wasted! That’s why it is a good idea to keep these shaving cut treatment hacks handy using easy to find at-home items. No man, even you are above the occasional shaving mistake, especially when the time is not on your side.
Sources
- How to Shave – Wikihow
- Aluminum chloride – Wikipedia
- Vaseline Topical;Uses and Side Effects – Webmd
Comments