Pseudofolliculitis barbae or razor bumps, is a common skin condition that affects the bearded area of the face. It causes redness, pain, itching and sometimes scarring in the affected hair follicles. At least 50 percent of black men and 3 percent of white men who shave are prone to this condition.1 Any area that is shaved can be affected, but it most commonly occurs in the face and neck. A good history often elicits very close shaving, shaving against the lay of the hair and using a double-edged razor. This leads to red, painful and pustular follicular inflammation.Pseudofolliculitis barbae occurs when the sharply cut hair curls back and reenters the skin. The reentered hair is treated as foreign material within the skin and elicits a foreign body reaction. More tightly curling hair, such as in African Americans, is prone to doing this when shaved. When shaved, these hairs are sharper and prone to pierce the skin. The hairs may penetrate to a depth of 2-3 millimeters. The process resolved when the head of the pustule drains and the hair pulls out again. Over time, the skin can become hyper-pigmented and, in people prone to keloid or hypertrophic scarring, can lead to disfiguring scarring in a cosmetically sensitive area.

There is no complete cure for this disorder of ingrown hairs. Conservative measures include improving shaving techniques, such as not shaving as often or as closely, shaving with the lay of the hair, and using electric clippers. When such measures fail, a good solution may be laser hair removal. Laser hair removal works by damaging the hair follicle so that it grows ever smaller, finer hairs that are barely visible or none at all. One may not need to shave again. It also reduces the risk of pseudofolliculitis barbae or razor bumps by reducing the number and thickness of the beard hairs. Contact Tattoo MD Medispa for a free consultation!