Shaving bumps are one of those problems that many women face (not just men) — not only on their legs, but also on the face and underarms as well. Shaving bumps are a form of ingrown hair, but these are caused solely by shaving, when a hair curls and penetrates the skin. While shaving bumps can wreak chaos on your appearance, they can also cause irritation and be quite painful.

They lead to the formation of what some people call “shaving pimples”, because the body treats the ingrown hair as an irritant and the red bumps that appear as a result resemble acne. Luckily, preventing them and getting rid of them takes less effort than cystic acne because it’s a matter of shaving habits and not hormones.

 There are several ways to prevent and to get rid of shaving bumps . First, the easiest way to prevent them would be to not shave at all… Okay, so maybe that’s not the best option you’re hoping for, shaving bumps are a serious possibility if you do decide to shave. You can consider waxing and epilating instead if you’re feeling up for a little pain.

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Now, if you’re still set on shaving unwanted hair, you can opt to shave less. Areas such as the underarms and legs definitely do not have to be shaved daily because the hair doesn’t usually grow fast enough for you to need to shave so often.

In order to get a smoother shave (which can prevent shaving bumps, as these are often formed as a result of angular cuts), you can soften the hair with warm water and steam (which is why many women choose to shave their legs in the shower). Remember to be patient. Leave shaving cream to do its magic and soften your hair before you shave — that’s what you applied it for anyway, right? There’s a rumor that conditioner works even better than shaving cream but I’ve never tried it so I can’t vouch for that. You’re free to experiment though!

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Some people choose to shave against the grain (against the direction of hair growth) for a closer shave, but that’s the easiest way to get shaving bumps. And don’t shave the area more than twice in an attempt to get a closer shave, because it makes the cut closer but more angular — thus giving you shaving bumps.

It’s important to be keep your razor clean. Since it’s a tool you’ll be reaching for on a weekly basis, you should clean it thoroughly with rubbing alcohol to lessen the growth of bacteria on the blades. You can also prevent infections by cleansing the surface of your skin carefully before you shave.

If you do happen to get shaving bumps, the best thing to do is to not pick at them. Sanitize the area with an alcohol-based antiseptic treatment, and apply tea tree oil or other soothing ointment. Exfoliate the layers of skin on top of the ingrown hair to allow the hair to grow normally (you can exfoliate after you shave to prevent the ingrown hair from forming in the first place).

Keeping things sanitized and clean is one of the first steps to maintaining a healthy body, so it makes sense that it applies to shaving as well. But, if you asked me, I’d suggest you look into options aside from shaving, as you’re pulling out the hair from the root of the problem — literally. The hair also takes a lot longer to grow back after waxing or epilating with cream, so what’s not to love?

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Do you choose to shave instead of waxing or epilating? How do you prevent the nearly inevitable shaving bumps that come with shaving?