Ask Levi: What’s With These Little Red Bumps After Shaving?

If you decided to shave your legs and have completed shaving them, there could be one more question…

i have another question. after im done shaving red bumps appear on the inside of my shins. is this because of the razor im using, shaving cream or lotion?

That’s not uncommon at all. It sounds like a case of “razor burn” which could be caused by… the razor, shaving cream, lotion, shaving technique, and/or the sensitivity of your skin.

It could also be something called folliculitis, which basically means ingrown hairs.

Either way, there are a few things to try that will most likely solve the problem:

1. Shave with the grain.

While shaving against or across the grain of the hair can lead to a closer shave, it can also lead to razor burn if you have sensitive skin.

So you always want to shave with the grain of the hair (usually from the knee towards the ankle) instead of against the grain (usually upward from ankle to knee.) This is probably your best bet.

2. Shave smoothly.

Another key to preventing razor burn is simply using the razor as little as possible.

To do so, make sure you’re using long, smooth strokes and not shaving over the same spot twice.

3. New (old) razor.

When I switched to a Gillette Fusion razor (one with five blades,) razor burn became more common. Despite the “more blades the better” approach from companies, I’ve had better luck with the two and three blade systems.

So that is something to consider.

4. New lotion.

It’s possible that a different lotion or after-shave balm, or the addition of a pre-shave oil, will help.

I always had a problem with razor burn until trying Day Away, which alleviated the razor burn on my thighs.

Some “aftershaves” contain alcohol which dries out your skin, so that could be part of the problem. If the red bumps are only in one location and not all over your legs, chances are it’s not any sort of allergic reaction, but it’s worth switching if nothing else helps.

And for further reading, check out this guide to the perfect shave from The Art of Shaving. You can pick up some good tips from their guide (that are helpful even if you don’t buy any of their stuff.)