Shaving Tips for Acne Prone Skin

11 Ways to Avoid Making Breakouts Worse

Shaving when you have acne can be tricky and, if you don't do it right, can leave you with nicks and raw, burning skin. If you have a sudden breakout, it may be OK to go a couple of days without shaving until the symptoms settle.

However, if you have chronic acne, avoiding shaving may not be an option, and you will need to find a solution to remain clean-shaven without harming the skin and making your symptoms worse.

This article offers tips on how to shave if you have acne. This includes tips for females who want to safely remove facial air.

Man shaving face in bathroom mirror
Thomas Northcut / Getty Images

Don't Shave Over Pimples

First and foremost, if you are having an acne breakout, don’t shave directly over pimples. This may not only cause bleeding but also expose underlying tissues to bacteria normally residing on the skin. This, in turn, can lead to an infection and scarring if the infection is severe enough.

Saving over pimples also prolongs the healing process, leaving you with scabs and red, inflamed skin. Not to mention, some acne treatments can sting when applied to broken skin.

Instead, try to shave around pimples as much as possible.

Switch to a Single Blade or Electric Razor

Multi-blade razors promise a super-close shave, but when you have acne, you are actually exposing pimples to two or three times the friction when you have two or three blades.

During a breakout, opt for a quality, single-blade razor or even an electric razor that doesn’t shave as closely as straight-edge blades.

If considering an electric razor, there are both rotary razors with two or more circular blades and foil razors with a blade that swings left to right under a foil guard.

While not a hard and fast rule, foil razors may be preferred because the shaving motion is in one direction. With a rotary razor, the shaving is in more of a circular pattern which can cause friction.

Get a New Blade

Generally speaking, manufacturers recommend that you change blades on safety razors every week if you shave daily. This is especially true if your facial hair is thick. Dull blades pull rather than cut hairs cleanly, which can cause swelling or bleeding if you have acne.

Many people use safety razors much longer than this, presuming that manufacturers are trying to “sell more razors.” But the simple fact is that blades do get dull quickly, and it’s in your best interest to use a new one if you have an acne breakout.

Prep Your Skin for Shaving

If you use a safety razor, it is much easier to shave if you soften your skin and facial hairs with a warm, moist washcloth. Don’t make it too hot, but just warm enough so that you can feel your skin heating up gently.

Next, use plenty of high-quality shaving cream to reduce friction. There are many foam and gel shaving creams marketed specifically for sensitive skin. Products not made for sensitive skin may contain ingredients, like palmitic acid, that can cause irritation and inflammation of acne-damaged skin.

If you have the habit of shaving with soap and water, you may find that switching to a lubricated shaving cream reduces the redness and tenderness you may have long been experiencing.

Shave With Proper Technique

People with acne, whether male or female, need to shave differently during a breakout.

To make shaving safer and easier:

  1. Shave with the grain (in the direction that the hair grows). This reduces irritation and helps prevent ingrown hairs.
  2. Use gentle strokes. Let the razor do the work.
  3. Rinse after each swipe of the razor.
  4. Pass over the area once or twice.

Ditch Shaving and Trim Instead

For some males, shaving with a regular razor can trigger a breakout. If careful shaving still causes redness and irritation, consider using a beard trimmer instead.

Because a trimmer doesn’t drag across the skin, you’ll be exposed to less friction. If your breakouts are widespread, it may not be realistic to shave around each and every pimple anyway.

You can use a trimmer during a bad breakout or on a regular basis if you have chronic acne or severe forms of acne (like nodulocystic acne or acne conglobata).

Moisturize After Shaving

After shaving, gently wash your face with warm water and apply a light emollient moisturizer that can help lock in moisture. Use only moisturizers designed for the face and apply when the skin is still slightly damp.

Washing the skin removes protective oils, allowing moisture to escape as the water evaporates. This can leave the skin feeling and looking dry—a serious concern if you already have skin dryness from acne medications like benzoyl peroxide.

Avoid alcohol-based astringents (or any alcohol-based shaving products) as these not only cause stinging but can also promote skin dryness.

Do Not Use Shaving Oils

Some people like using pre-shaving oils that help lubricate and moisturize the skin so you can press harder for a closer shave. Others use post-shaving oils that are thought to keep the skin hydrated, soothe irritation, and prevent ingrown hairs.

The problem with both of these products is that they can block follicles and promote pimples in the same way that sebum (oils produced by the sebaceous glands) can.

Moreover, some shaving oils contain ingredients like sunflower oil that are inflammatory and can make acne worse. While other ingredients like castor oil and olive oil are anti-inflammatory, the risks in terms of pore blockage may outweigh the potential benefits.

Make Certain It's Really Acne

There are other skin conditions that cause acne-like bumps and pimples, especially in the beard area. One such example is pseudofolliculitis barbae, also known as "razor bumps." The cause of this condition, ironically, is shaving.

When the facial hair is shaved close, it can sometimes cause hair to curl back into the skin rather than emerge from the pore as it is meant to. This is especially common in Black males who tend to have coarse, curly facial hair.

The resulting ingrown hairs can easily be mistaken for acne.

It is important to distinguish pseudofolliculitis barbae from acne as the treatment is different. When ingrown hairs are severe, shaving is discouraged. Topical steroids may also be used.

Treat the Acne

The best solution to avoid complications from shaving is to get your acne under control.

If your acne is mild, start with over-the-counter (OTC) acne treatments. If OTC products are unable to control a breakout, make an appointment to see a dermatologist who can put you on prescription medications or use photodynamic therapy (PDT) or laser therapy to help clear severe acne.

Get Rid of Facial Hair

One way to reduce the risks of shaving if you have acne is to have the hair removed. In males, this is not often an option given the density of follicles in the beard area.

However, many females with facial hair find it displeasing and may want to pursue options for long-term or permanent hair removal, including:

Before considering any of these procedures, speak with a dermatologist. Some, like depilatory creams, are known to cause skin irritation, while any method that plucks hair from a follicle can cause inflammation and make acne worse.

Avoid hair bleaching (a.k.a. "mustache bleaching") which is especially irritating to the skin and can cause scarring of acne-damaged skin.

Summary

Shaving with acne can be challenging but can be done safely with the proper preparation,
technique, and follow-up skin care. Apply warm moisture to the skin before shaving and use plenty of shaving cream made for sensitive skin. Wash and moisturize after.

Avoid using old blades, multi-blade razors, or shaving against the grain which can pull hairs
and cause inflammation. You can also consider switching to electric razors or beard trimmers if regular razors cause irritation.

8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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  2. Yang Z, Zhang Y, Lazic Mosler E, et al. Topical benzoyl peroxide for acneCochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;3(3):CD011154. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011154.pub2

  3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Isopropyl alcohol.

  4. Mohebbipour A, Sadeghi-Bazargani H, Mansori M. Sunflower seed and acne vulgaris. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2015 Sep;17(9):e16544. doi:10.5812/ircmj.16544

  5. Ogunbiyi A. Pseudofolliculitis barbae; current treatment options. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2019;12:241-247. doi:10.2147/CCID.S149250

  6. American Academy for Dermatology Association. How to treat different types of acne.

  7. American Academy of Dermatology. 7 ways to remove unwanted hair.

  8. MedlinePlus. Depilatory poisoning.

By Angela Palmer
Angela Palmer is a licensed esthetician specializing in acne treatment.