What causes razor bumps or ingrown hairs?
Hair grows from follicles in the skin. When shaved, the tip of the hair is left with a sharp point. As curly hair grows, this sharp point may emerge from the hair follicle, curve back and pierce the skin. The body reacts to and treats these ingrown hairs just as it would a splinter or other foreign body, producing a pimple-like bump. Razor bumps can also form when shaving too close causes whiskers to be clipped off below the skin surface. This allows hair to penetrate the side of the hair follicle instead of following its normal path to the skin’s surface. This occurs more frequently when the hair follicle is curved. Once razor bumps are formed, continual shaving cuts and slices existing bumps, resulting in a painful and uneven shave and possible worsening of the condition.
