Exfoliation Tolerance?

November 22, 2006 7:26 AM

I have extremely soft skin, but laser sharp, straight facial hair. Gross details and an actual question in the

Each time I shave (only once per week) I exfoliate using St. Ives to remove dead skin from my face. If I shave more frequently or skip the exfoliation, I can't get a clean shave and will bleed and suffer from nasty and physically painful ingrown hairs.

It seems that my face has now become tolerant to the exfoliation process and as new hair grows out, it has a tremendously difficult time breaking the surface of the skin (which has become tougher, much like a callus). When the hair actually breaks through the surface, it drags the skin with it, causing a lot of flaking from my face, which looks really gross and is painful.

So it seems that each new time that I shave, the more and more I need to exfoliate to get the same closeness of shave compared to previous attempts. Now the calluses are visible and I can even pick them off with a fingernail, which makes them even tougher in the long run.

Okay, is there any way to break this cycle other than growing my beard out for a month (which by the way my workplace would frown upon as being unprofessional)? I do not qualify for laser removal because of the pigment my skin. And this is really annoying. Help!

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (14 comments total)

Electric razor?
posted by Leon at 7:31 AM on November 22, 2006

St. Ives- you mean the St. Ives Apricot Scrub? When I used that regularly, I found at first it worked great, but after awhile, it wrecked havoc on my skin (those big pieces scratch and scrape your skin like crazy). If that's what you're using, that could be the problem. You should try switching to a gentler facial scrub- sounds ccounterintuitive, I know, but something gentler will exfoliate your skin without making it go crazy. I use Kiehl's Pineapple Papaya Facial Scrub, which I love. The fruit acids exfoliate really well; there are several scrubs on the market (both "upscale" and drugstore brands) with these ingredients and it might be worth looking for one.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:32 AM on November 22, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

You should probably see a dermatologist about this, but I suspect that you're not shaving well (as most people don't) and that you're using bad razors/shavers (like most people.) I switched to using a Merkur razor with a badger brush and soap rather than the Mach3 bullshit that I used to use and I noticed my skin getting better. I get a close shave every time and I don't get any ingrown hairs.

There were a few posts a while back about shaving, but this one seems to have plenty of links to articles and products of interest. Good luck with this!
posted by ob at 7:37 AM on November 22, 2006

TendSkin.
posted by stratastar at 7:56 AM on November 22, 2006

TPS has good advice re: buying a more gentle exfoliator. You could also try a toner with a topical exfoliator like alpha or beta hydroxy acids. But you're only shaving once a week, so the other 6 days you're walking around with a bit of stubble/growth. Why bother shaving down to the skin at all? Stubble is sexy! Get an electric razor, and use a setting that trims your hairs just above the skin. Do it once or twice a week, maintain a sexy perma-stubble, and avoid this skin irritation altogether.
posted by junkbox at 8:06 AM on November 22, 2006

I have very similar problems, although I have never tried exfoliating, so I haven't had your more unpleasant symptoms.

I have found that it is important to shave at least every other day. Skipping one day is okay (like on the weekend or something), but if I go any longer, I get massive ingrown hair problems. Shaving very GENTLY every single day is a good idea. DON'T scrape too hard, be very, very careful and gentle. You can still get a close shave without a ton of pressure, and it hurts your skin a lot less. Multiple feathertouch passes are much better than one major dig. When I get an ingrown hair, I will know it within an hour or so, and I will immediately attack it with a needle to open the pore and get it pointed the right direction again. It leaves a little sore on my face for a day or so, but that's much better than a huge swollen bump for six weeks or more.

Avoid, at all costs, Gillette razors. I have had good luck with Edge Gel and Schick disposables, which seem well suited to my face and skin, and aren't very expensive. Replace your razor frequently, at least once a week, to keep it sharp. I use a little more gel as aftershave; that keeps me from getting razor burn.

Exposure to sunlight will also help a lot; it toughens up your skin some, and will make shaving much easier. If you don't tan at all, that might not be a good idea, but it has worked well for me.
posted by Malor at 8:11 AM on November 22, 2006

I use a norelco electric razor and keep the perma-stubble junkbox is talking about.

I get very bad irritation and razor bumps when I shave with a blade more than once a week, and this is unacceptable for my employer (I have a very thick black beard).

When I'm not working I keep the stubble a little longer and it's much more comfortable for me.
posted by eleongonzales at 8:18 AM on November 22, 2006

I think exfoliating and shaving are overkill, and your skin's work to counteract this are what is causing the problem. Shaving itself essentially exfoliates the skin, so adding the extra step seems like too much. If you must, exfoliate the REST of your face, not your beard.

Also, experiment and learn how to shave better. It may be that shaving in the shower is a better option (if you use a hot shower with lots of steam in particular) or one of the trendy safety razors is better - or that a Mach 3 is the best for you (it is for me).

I would quit using shaving cream altogether however. Nasty, skin-drying stuff. Good facial wash lather in a steamy environment and a good moisturizer (NOT an aftershave, whcih is the opposite) following should do wonders.
posted by mikel at 9:10 AM on November 22, 2006

are you sure you don't suffer from seborrheic dermatitis? a cortisone-based cream will make it go away
posted by matteo at 9:13 AM on November 22, 2006

The frequent exfoliation could be overkill. Most skincare advice I've gotten or seen states that too much exfoliation can actually injure the skin. Once a week doesn't seem like a lot, but if you have soft skin as you say St. Ives apricot scrub sounds like overkill. There are exfoliants out there that claim to be gentle enough for daily use, but again, it may depend on your skin.

But do go to see a dermatologist if it's causing that much discomfort. If it's not being caused by something medical, maybe try out out shaving products designed for African American men? I've seen Tend Skin as a suggested product and there are others on the market like Bump No More.
posted by kkokkodalk at 9:33 AM on November 22, 2006

Hair shouldn't have to break through the skin. Are you shaving against the grain? That's the only way I've ever gotten ingrown hairs from shaving and my skin is fairly sensitive. If you are, try using a washcloth, hand, or, if you're a bit gay, a badger bristle brush to raise bristles of your beard and shave down with the grain. That will get you a close shave without having to go against the grain.
posted by stavrogin at 10:11 AM on November 22, 2006

are you sure you don't suffer from seborrheic dermatitis? a cortisone-based cream will make it go away

Seborrheic dermatitis occurs in symmetric patterns on the face and sometimes body, not just in areas irritated by shaving. Furthermore, cortisone cream only suppresses the symptoms; it is a hormonal treatment and relying on it heavily for your entire life is probably not good for you.
posted by Krrrlson at 10:47 AM on November 22, 2006

I second Leon's advice of the electric razor. Its going to always cut the hair above the skin. That way the hairs cannot go ingrown or poke through the skin anymore. You'll have to probably shave every morning to keep a good "clean shave" look if you happen to have a decent growth rate. Upside is, electric shaves can be very quick, just a minute or two once you get it down.

Another option for you might be to try a slightly dipilitory (sp?) shaving cream. I have been using Edge shaving gel with a beard softening agent in it that works great. Also, use hot water on your face to soften the hairs up. And also shave down, not up, against the grain. Make sure to always use a sharp razor. The mach 3 is good and I can't speak from experience to recommend anything with more than 3 blades, but I will say that three seems to be better than two or one.
posted by farmersckn at 10:52 AM on November 22, 2006

If you go with the proper wet shave suggestions, I'd recommend starting here for a tutorial. It's taught me how to do a proper close shave for the first time ever and it really does eliminate ingrown hairs.
posted by greycap at 12:47 PM on November 22, 2006