Bald Head Tips.com

I would first like to thank all of those who have taken the time and sent in correspondence relating to grooming tips, instructional posts and even the most typical questions about shaving your head bald.

Perhaps the most common question that hits our email box is that relating to the “grain of the hair”.

A very simple explanation is, you will either shave against or with the grain of the hair. The illustration clearly explains the differences between the two.

Please keep those questions coming and we will answer them in future articles.

The shiny bald head – we’ve all seen them, or blinded by them at some point.

Some find a beautifully clean shaven head a thing of beauty, while others are turned off at the blinding glare a shiny bald gives off. No matter which side of the fence you sit on, understanding how a bald gets its shine comes down to two things, how smooth the scalp is and how much oil the skin and scalp produce.

Smoothness

The head is typically the shiniest after a clean shave. This is because the scalp is smooth and stubble free, resulting in a shine depending on the lighting. As stubble grows back, the scalp is less smooth breaking up that shiny reflection.

Natural Oil

The skin, not just your scalp, produces a lot of oil – mainly for protection. Not everyone produces the same amount of oil on their scalp. Some people have oily hair, dry hair and then the normal hair. Without the hair soaking up the oil from the scalp, the oil would just build up on the scalp.

Those are the two elements that determine a shiny bald head. If a person produces a lot of oil on the scalp and has a clean shave, they will have a greater shine than a person with a dry scalp.

Creating A Better Bald Head Shine

To increase your bald head shine, shave frequently and keep it close. If your scalp is naturally oily, great. If your scalp is naturally dry, consider a leave in moisturizer or skin care lotion.

Reducing Bald Head Shine

To rid your bald of the shine, do not shave closely and wash your head frequently with hot water and shampoo. Be aware that you are removing the skins natural protection. This can cause the scalp to go dry and look flaky. Consider using a wet rag frequently to reduce the flakes and dryness.

We’ve all seen those perfectly bald heads that have absolutely no shadow to them.

Meaning of “Shadow” – the area in which you can visibly see the outline of where the hair used to be.

For those who are intentionally bald, having a shadowless clean shave is the ultimate goal. However, achieving that goal is not a natural process.

There are a few factors that can contribute to a shadowless clean shave look:

• Male Pattern Baldness taking over
• Electrolysis and Hair Removal Treatments
• Makeup

Shadow exists because the hair root still exists after shaving. As long as the hair root exists, there will always be a shadow. See illustration of hair root.

Electrolysis and hair removal treatments kill the root, resulting in less shadow. However, if that is what your ultimate goal is, there are less expensive and less painful ways to go about it such as makeup or foundation that closely matches your skin tone.

If you have coarse or curly hair, then you are most likely familiar with razor bumps, medically defined as pseudofolliculitis barbae or PFB for short.

Question: What causes razor bumps?

Razor bumps are more common amongst African-American men and women due to the coarse nature of the hair. Often shaving at an angle with a blade sharpens coarse hair which then sometimes curls back up puncturing the skin and becoming ingrown. The results are painful and irritated razor bumps.

Prevention

• Wet your hair or head. Wet hair is easier to cut and often cuts more evenly, reducing the chances of the hair being cut at an angle.
• Use a good shaving oil or gel. Using a good lubricant and water reduces friction and lessens irritation. Massage oil or gel into scalp for a period of time until the scalp and/or hair becomes soft.
• Shaving against the grain offers a smoother cut, however, shaving with the grain reduces the chances of razor bumps.
• Do not go over the same area more than twice has always been the golden rule to shaving. However, this is totally dependent upon your skin and hair type. Some people have to shave over the same area more than twice for a close shave.
• Ensure that you do not stretch your skin while shaving. Stretching the skin increases the chances of the hair curling underneath the skin causing ingrown hair.
• Use a single blade razor or straight razor if you suffer from razor bumps. The “lift and cut” effect of double and triple multi-blade razors is not recommended for people with PFB.

People who suffer from razor bumps often look for relief by using a depilatory such as Nair or Neet instead of a razor. Depilatories dissolve into the hair and is then washed off. The chemicals used in depilatories are string and often cause further irritation.

Treatment

If your suffering from razor bumps, the first suggestion for treatment would be to seek the advice of a dermatologist.

A typical treatment may consist of a prescription of Vaniqa (eflornithine hydrochloride). It’s a prescription drug used to treat women for facial hair removal, but has proven effective in controlling and treating razor bumps.

If you would like to treat the razor bumps on your own, start by letting your hair grow out for a short period of time. This will allow your your skin a chance to rest and heal before shaving again.

Razor bumps often get infected quickly, so its important to treat them early. Using an over the counter antibiotic will ease the pain and irritation.

DO NOT pick or squeeze the bumps.

Please do keep in mind that no one here at Bald Head Tips.com is a dermatologist, we hope that you found these tips on prevention and treatment of razor bumps helpful. The diagnosis of a dermatologist is always recommended above all else.

Game over, keep it low and clean.