Does your Nail Tech use a credo blade on your feet?

The use of the credo blade issue seems to be a popular question as to why we are not utilizing this tool within our pedicures.

Rejuvenation Salon & Spa believes in education.  It is against the law to use a credo blade in Washington State. If found out by the Health Board you could potentially loose your license and endangering your clients.  The credo procedure can remove too much of the callous and thus the skin becomes more irritated and forms more callous trying to protect itself!

We take pride in educating our clients about what callous are (dead skin), why they form (the skins way of protecting itself from friction or irritation, and the fact that the Nail Professional is not trained or licensed to surgically remove callous tissue with a sharp instrument (if the callous is that thick that it needs surgical removal the podiatrist is the one to do this and you will work with them to keep the callous tissue soft and thinned after this procedure is performed).

Most salons who perform this illegal procedure do not sterilize the credo blades after use on a client. The credo blade is basically a modified potato peeler that scoops out the callous rather than shaves it off as the surgical instruments used by professionals do. There are procedures that  help keep their callous smooth and softened.

If there is a Spa that you know of  using this illegal instrument you will do the right thing and report them to the proper authorities. Only you a as law-abiding citizen can help society and your profession uphold a law or regulation.

The credo procedure too much of the callous is usually removed and thus the skin becomes more irritated and forms more callous trying to protect itself!

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Do you suffer from swollen feet?

While most of you are too conscious about your face, did you ever think that your feet also require some attention? Your feet are the most used and abused part of your body. Right from the time you wake up in the morning, to the time when you go back to bed at night, your feet are constantly being used. Though most of us exploit our feet to the maximum, we rarely bother of consciously resting or relieving them. The result – extremely tired and swollen feet!! The need to relax, revitalize and soothe the feet, after a long day of standing, walking or wearing uncomfortable shoes, scores high on many people’s wish list. In the following lines, we have provided some tips for getting relief from swollen and tired feet.

Tips To Relieve Tired & Swollen Feet

• The easiest way to get relief from tired and swollen feet would be to dip them in a bucket of cold water. You can even keep your feet under a cold-water tap.
• Another effective method would be to take cold drink cans from the refrigerator and roll them over the feet. It will provide relaxing effect, kicking away bouts of tiredness or swollenness.
• Place your feet on a pillow and rest for about twenty minutes. Elevated feet helps in getting relief from tired and swollen feet.
• Rubbing feet with peppermint oils and fragrant herbal oils are effective in treating swollen feet. Massaging would improve circulation, which in turn will reduce edema.
• This might come to you as a surprise but rolling a tennis ball under your feet for several minutes is an effective way of exercising the feet and treating tiredness.

• Soak your feet in tea tree oil to get relief from pain and swelling.
• Add ginger to your diet, as it is a very good remedy for swelling. You can also have onions and garlic, as they have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that fight against the inflammation causing agents.
• Broccoli contains calcium and vitamin C, which help in fighting swelling. Have steamed broccoli at least thrice a week.
• The carotenoids in spinach also fight inflammation to a great extent. So, incorporate spinach in your diet.
• Soak almonds and walnuts overnight and consume thm in the morning.
• Brew a tea of witch hazel and soak a piece of cloth in it. Rub the cloth over the swollen area, to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
• Take a few leaves of cabbage and tie them in a moist cloth. Place over the swollen area.
• You can also place cucumber slices over potato slices and tie the two over the swelling, using a cloth. This will help in reducing the inflammation.
• To reduce swollen feet during pregnancy, drink a glass of warm limejuice every day.
• Another way to control swelling is to take 3 to 4 tablespoons of lecithin seeds every day, during pregnancy.
• Soak 20 sesame seeds in water, overnight. Drink the water next morning, on an empty stomach.
• Mix one teaspoon of palm sugar and two teaspoons of fennel seeds in two cups of water. Boil till the mixture reduces to half. Drink this thrice a day, to prevent swollen feet.
• Boil two teaspoons of coriander seeds in two glass of water, until the mixture reduces to half. Drink a glass each, for three days.
• Mix a cup of bitter gourd juice with a tablespoon of limejuice and drink it on an empty stomach. Drink this for 4 to 5 months.

Massage is another way to improve circulation,  alleviate pain and soothing aches. Massaging with natural essential oils is effective for reducing swelling as well.

Essential Oils enhance health, beauty and well being. They energise and detoxify. They represent an ideal alternative for looking after your body, your mind and your spirit. They are one of nature’s most effective tools for stimulating and storing positive energy, providing us with great support in our quest for a balanced, healthy and harmonious life. Use caution if you are going to use natural essential oils and massage at home because essential oils can be very healing to the body but also have the adverse effect if used in larger amounts, or you could cause skin irritation and damage to the skin. Since they are detoxifying you need to know what you are doing to your body. Your feet harbor the most toxins, so use essential oils with EXTREME caution.

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What are the benefits of a manicure?

Manicure and pedicure services are not just for women! There are great benefits for men as well. Manicures and pedicures should be done regularly for good foot and nail health for both genders.

Manicures are a treatment for hands and fingernails. Manicure treatment can treat only hands or fingernails or both. You can do it yourself at home or a manicurist will do it for you at his or her salon or spa. The word manicure is derived from the Latin word manus, which means hands and cure, which means care.

Purpose and Benefits of Manicure

The main purpose of the manicure treatment is to improve the look and feel of your hands and fingernails. Another purpose is to clean, strengthen, shape, make attractive and sometimes even dress your nails. The other benefits associated with manicure include:

• It improves the health and texture of your hands and fingernails.
• It helps in preventing hang – nail formation.
• It may help in treating sore or broken skin if present around the nails.
• It helps in preventing nail damages like fragile tips, cuts or splits.
• Massage that often accompanies manicure helps in improving the health of the skin by increasing blood circulation.
• By improving the health of the skin, it discourages the wrinkling of the skin on hands.

Different Types of Manicures

There are many different types of manicures available. The steps carried out during any of the manicure types are same. That what distinguishes a type from another is the different shaping of the nails and application of different oils and creams.

French Manicure: This is the most popular type of manicure. It involves the application of clear or nail-colored nail polish on the body of the nail and pure white nail polish at the tips of nails. The nails are shaped round, oval or square as per desire.

Paraffin Manicure: In this type of manicure, either your hands are dipped into wax or warm wax is rubbed into your nails. This will make your hands soft.

Hot Stone Manicure: In this type of manicure, hand massage is given by using hot stone therapy.

Luxury Manicure: This type of manicure includes the use of paraffin wax and heated mittens for softening and warming the hands and hydrating the nails.

Spa Manicure: This type of manicure includes few additional steps than the normal manicure like a hydrating mask or an aromatic salt rub.

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Do you have acrylic nails???

Acrylic nails are a clear heat sensitive plastic often referred to as false nails. They cover the most of the nail plate and are fairly hardy and resistant to different environmental conditions. The term acrylic nails is now widely used to describe all manner of false nails including fiber, silk and gel nails. It may be applied as a pre-molded film or more commonly as a liquid mixture that can be shaped once it dries. Primarily used as a beauty accessory, acrylic nails also provide additional nail length and mask brittle and discolored nails. Once fitted, the false nail provides a new surface for buffing and painting. 

Acrylic nails can seriously damage your natural nails and the integrity of the nail bed and hamper natural nail growth. The most common problem associated with acrylic nails is a fungal infection that may develop between the false and natural nail (ochynomycosis). Long term use of acrylic nails can also hamper natural nail growth resulting in severely deformed finger nails. Rarely, a dermatitis (skin inflammation) may occur on the skin surrounding the nail and this can be complicated with a bacterial infection (paronychia). Good nail care is essential to maintaining healthy nails even with the use of acrylic nails.

The acrylic nail is inorganic and cannot be infected with a fungus or bacteria. It often masks underlying infections until the symptoms of nail fungus are evident. Fungi require three sustaining factors to develop and grow – warmth, moisture and darkness. For this reason, a fungal infection of the toe nail is more common especially in people who wear closed shoes or perspire profusely. Acrylic nails usually form a tight seal with the natural nail when properly fitted. However any gap that may result between the acrylic and natural nail can provide an ideal environment for fungal growth. The fungus quickly spreads along the nail plate and can cause significant deformity of the nail. The nail may become discolored losing its natural shine and luster. It may thicken and become brittle and crumble. A powdery residue is often noticed as a result of the fungus consuming the keratin of the nail. A prolonged infection may cause deformity of the shape of the nail with significant darkening of the nail plate. If the infection remains untreated, the nail plate can detach from the nail bed (onycholysis).

What to watch for when going to a nail salon:

Be AWARE of STRONG smells. There is a substance that has been banned from the FDA called Methyl Methacrylate also known as MMA, it is an inexpensive adhesive that bonds VERY strongly and dries fast. It can cause skin reactions wherever the nail touches, destroy your nail beds, sometimes permanently. Studies have even show that it can cause nerve damage.

When there is unexpected trauma caused to the nail, the glue is so strong it can cause damage to the natural nail underneath causing increase sensitivity and breakage of the natural nail under the acrylics increasing risks of infections.

If a salon is offering nails for less then $20.00 a set the chances are they are using the less expensive MMA. 

20/20 did an investigateive report on nail salons. If you would like to read more about the dangers and what to watch for please click the link below:

http://www.beautytech.com/articles/abcnews2020_042002.pdf

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Do you have “dandruff” on your feet???

Athlete’s foot (also known as ringworm of the foot and tinea pedis is a fungal infection of the skin that causes scaling, flaking, and itch of affected areas. It is caused by fungi in the genus Trichophyton and is typically transmitted in moist areas where people walk barefoot, such as showers or bathhouses. Although the condition typically affects the feet, it can spread to other areas of the body, including the groin.

Athlete’s foot may be contagious from person to person, but it is not always contagious. Some people may be more susceptible to the fungus that causes athlete’s foot while others are more resistant. There are many households where two people (often husband and wife or siblings) using the same showers and bathroom for years have not transmitted the fungus between them. The exact cause of this predisposition or susceptibility to fungal infections is unknown. Some people just seem more prone to fungal skin infections than others.

The treatment of athlete’s foot can be divided into two parts. The first, and most important part, is to make the infected area less suitable for the athlete’s foot fungus to grow. This means keeping the area clean and dry.

Buy shoes that are leather or other breathable material. Shoe materials, such as vinyl, that don’t breathe cause your feet to remain moist, providing an excellent area for the fungus to breed. Likewise, absorbent socks like cotton that wick water away from your feet may help. DON’T sleep with socks on, allow your feet to breathe while you are sleeping.

Powders, especially medicated powders (such as with miconazole or tolnaftate), can help keep your feet dry. Finally, your feet can be soaked in a drying solution of aluminum acetate (Burrow’s solution or Domeboro’s solution). A homemade remedy of dilute white vinegar soaks using one part vinegar and roughly four parts water, once or twice a day as 10-minute foot soaks may aid in treatment. Original Listerine is also a good at home remedy. Mix one cap full in a soaking tub and soak for 10 minutes.

The second part of treatment is the use of antifungal creams and washes. Many medications are available, including miconazole, clotrimazole, terbinafine (Lamisil) sprays and creams, and ketoconazole shampoo and cream, etc. Ask your health-care professional or pharmacist for a recommendation. Treatment for athlete’s foot should generally be continued for four weeks, or at least one week after all of the skin symptoms have cleared.

If you notice any redness, increased swelling, bleeding, or if your infection is not clearing up, see your health-care practitioner. If a bacterial infection is also occurring, an antibiotic pill may be necessary. If you have fungal nail involvement, are diabetic, or have a compromised immune system, you should also see your physician for treatment.

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What’s “Toe Fungus?”

Do you suffer from  thick, yellowed toenails?

Toenail fungus, also known as onychomycosis, is a fairly common condition that disfigures and can destroy the toenail. The big toe and the little toe are the nails that are most likely to be affected. This condition is caused by any one of the many types of fungi that grow in the moist warm environment in your shoes. As they grow, they invade and feed on the protein (keratin) that makes up the hard surface of the toenails.Toenail fungus is rare in children but the incidence increases as you age, with an estimated 48% of people in the United States having at least one toe affected by the time they are 70 years of age. Studies also show an increase in diabetics.

Wearing tight-fitting shoes and layers of nail polish increases the risk of developing toenail fungus. It can also be spread person-to-person in public areas, such as locker rooms and showers. Having a chronic condition that affects your circulation, such as diabetes, or HIV also increases your risk.

Symptoms of Toenail Fungus

The affected nail will become discolored (yellow or brown) and will become very thick and overgrown. You may notice foul-smelling debris under the nail. The nail may crumble and eventually completely fall off, or it may become so thick that it is very painful to wear shoes.

Diagnosis of Toenail Fungus

If a fungal infection becomes uncomfortable enough to seek medical treatment, your doctor will examine the toenail and may take small samples. The nail can be examined for fungi or some other infection under a microscope in the lab.

Treatment of Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus often becomes a chronic condition, and if it is not painful, many people do not get treatment. However, people with chronic illness like diabetes should see a doctor if they notice changes in their nails as it may be an indication of more serious problems. If the nail becomes very thick and makes wearing shoes and walking painful, you should see a doctor.The nail can be trimmed and filed down carefully, (note: you should ALWAY trim the nail with a straight clipper rather then a moon shaped.)  either at home or by a licensed foot specialist. If the infection is mild and very localized, your doctor may prescribe a medicated nail polish containing either Loceryl (amorolfine) or Loprox (ciclopirox).

If the infection persists or continues to spread, your doctor may prescribe an oral, systemic anti-fungal medication such as Sporanox (itraconazole) or Lamisil (terbinafine). The length of treatment will be about 12 weeks. Both of these drugs have some very serious side effects and may not be appropriate for some people.

For extremely persistent infections, permanent surgical removal of the nail may be necessary.

Prevention of Toenail Fungus

You can help to prevent toenail fungus by:

• Wearing comfortable, well-fitting shoes and clean hosiery every day, and allowing your shoes to dry thoroughly between wearings
• Wearing shower shoes, sandals or flip-flops in community showers or locker rooms
• Washing your feet daily, drying them thoroughly, and using a good-quality foot powder
• Keeping your toenails trimmed
• Avoid applying layers of nail polish
• Having regular pedicures help add nutrients back into the nail and also help sluff off dead skin from other parts of your feet
• The elimination of dirt and bacteria from your feet will also help prevent nail diseases and disorders and helps eliminate foot odor.

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Health Benefits of Essential Oils for skin

When it comes to natural skin care, essential oils are an invaluable tool. These natural, non-greasy oils from plants and herbs are used for toning, spot treatment of acne, scars and blemishes, smoothing wrinkles and age marks, creating a healthy glow and bringing skin back to life. Most beauty regimens involve essential oils in tiny amounts, usually diluted in a vegetable oil or cream with other natural and synthetic ingredients. In these forms, essential oils are being used more for fragrance and marketing than for their therapeutic properties.

In fact, most of the oils in commercial health and beauty products hardly have medicinal or therapeutic properties – they are grown and processed in such a rapid way that the healing potential of the plants is lost.

Pure and properly derived essential oils require a slower, more arduous process and yield a smaller volume of product – but quality essential oils are able to provide concentrated oxygen and nutrients to the skin that is almost impossible to get from other sources.

If you’re using therapeutic-grade, organic essential oils, you can put the oils directly onto your skin, or dilute them with a carrier oil for easier application.

Some of the most popular essential oils to restore skin’s health and beauty include:

Clary Sage

Clary sage contains plant chemicals which are very similar to human hormones and act as “hormone precursors” – the human body can convert them to whatever it needs at the time. It is also helpful to skin where there is a hormonal imbalance acting in concert with a skin issue.

Eucalyptus

Similar to tea tree oil (below), eucalyptus is well known for its ability to clear blackheads and blemishes and create smooth skin.

Lavender

Lavender is often called the “universal oil,” good for everything and harmful to none – unless you’re using hybrid lavender or an artificial substitute. Real lavender is very difficult to find and labels can be misleading. Lavender is a natural antiseptic and has properties in it to soothe skin and clear acne. It is also  good for the skin, soothing and calming, and extraordinarily healing for burns and blemishes, but is very drying.

Lemon

Citrus oils are healing and restorative to the skin. A dab of lemon oil, in particular, is one of the fastest ways to clear up acne, take the redness away from a break out and assists in shrinking pore size. But beware: citrus oils may discolour (like a sunburn) if exposed to direct sunlight within 72 hours of application.

Myrrh

The lesser-known partner to Frankincense, Myrrh was well-known in the ancient world as a balm and was used to treat almost everything. This thick, resinous essential oil is often considered invaluable for treating rashes and blemishes caused by warts, eczema, and bacteria. (But be careful of your source – inferior quality myrrh, processed from the resin, can contain solvents and chemicals that make it unsafe to use directly on the skin.)

Patchouly

Patchouly is often recommended for all kinds of skin conditions. It is excellent for treating rashes and scarring, and may be used as a moisturizer or as deodorant because of its powerful fragrance.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood oil has a mild fragrance and is extremely moisturizing. One of the ancient healing oils used for the skin in Biblical times, it is helpful for removing wrinkles and scars and renewing tired skin.

Tea Tree (Melaleuca)

Tea tree or melaleuca is useful for cleaning and soothing blotchy skin or acne. It helps heal blemishes and relieves congestion in the skin.

There are some important things to remember in purchasing essential oils. Make sure they are ORGANIC and come from a trustworthy source. If they are not in a pure form they can have extra added chemicals, some of the properties can damage and harm the skin, a little goes a long way-so use the oil sparingly, make sure you know your specific skin type. Using products even essential oils can change your hyaluronic acid level (natural moisture of your skin) and cause you oil break out shine or dry, chapped or chaffed skin.

You can find natural essential oils at Ubiquitous Journey. There address is: 15011 Meridian E.  Suite C Puyallup WA 98373. Their phone number is: 253.445.6128. If they do not have a specific essential oil you are looking for they can custom order it for you. They are organic and made from plant derivatives.

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Honey has anti aging benefits???

With such a wide variety of anti-aging products advertised on television and available on any department store shelve, it is difficult to know which one has scientific proven health benefits to the skin.

Minerals such as Vitamin A,C,E,D, beta carotene, and Coenxyme Q10 are all proven antioxidants that will fight free radicals.

Honey is a great natural anti aging skin care product that has actual health benefits to help fight the signs of aging. Throughout the centuries, legendary beauties like Cleopatra and Poppea, wife of Roman Emperor Nero have used raw honey as part of their skin and hair care treatments to keep them looking youthful. This natural healing products contains an enzyme called glucose oxidase, that when combined with water, produces hydrogen peroxide, a mild antiseptic. In addition to the glucose oxidase enzyme, honey also contains antioxidants and flavonoids that may function as antibacterial agents. Honey is also a great natural moisturizer for dry and parched skin. A humectant it is able to attract and retain moisture, and rebuild the moisture level in the skin without making it oily. Honey provides a calming effect without irritating the skin, and helps replenish necessary skin moisture, especially during the winter months. This is why the golden liquid is such a popular anti aging skin care ingredient in many commercial moisturizing products including cleansers, creams, shampoos, shower gels, and conditioners. And because it’s so gentle, it is suitable for sensitive skin and baby care products.

Here are some GREAT facial masks that you can do at home:

For Dry Skin: Avocado & Honey Face Mask

You will need:

2 tablespoons of avocado flesh

2 tablespoons honey

1 egg yolk

To form this anti aging skin care face mask, put all the ingredients in a blender, or mash by hand in a bowl. Use your fingers to spread the mask over your face and neck and leave it on for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before removing.

For Dry Skin: Honey and Egg Mask

You will need

1 tablespoon honey

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon almond oil

1 tablespoon yogurt

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and stir until it becomes sticky and thick. Apply the mask to your face for 5 minutes and wash face thoroughly with a mild facial soap. Honey stimulates and smoothes, egg and almond oil penetrate and moisturize, and yogurt refines and tightens pores.

For Tired Skin: Almond Yoghurt Honey Mask

You will need:

6oz plain yoghurt

¼oz finely-crushed almonds

2tsp honey

2tsp wheatgerm oil

Mix all the ingredients into a smooth paste. Apply and massage the mixture into skin. Keep the mask on for 20 minutes.

For Normal Skin: Apple Honey Mask

You will need

1 Apple, cored & quartered

2 Tablespoons Honey

Drop the apple pieces into a food processor and chop. Add honey and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pat the mixture onto your face with a light tapping motion, tapping until the honey feels tacky. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse.

For Oily Skin: Honey-Papaya Mask

You will need:

1/3-cup cocoa

three teaspoons of heavy cream

1/3-cup ripe papaya

1/4-cup honey and three teaspoons of oatmeal powder

Mix and apply on your face. After 10 minutes, wash your face with warm water. This anti aging face mask helps heal skin blemishes, nourishes, draws out impurities, balances your skin pH, and will leave your skin radiant and soft. Good for acne prone skin.

REMEMBER: Don;t self diagnose your skin type. Have a Licensed Esthetician complete a skin analysis and obtain detailed information and past health history on your specific skin!!

Happy Masking!!

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Do you suffer from age spots or liver spots?

Age spots or liver spots are a build up of the chemical melanin in the skin, resulting in a brownish or black blemish on the skin and usually afflicting people over the age of 40 with a history of prolonged exposure to the sun. Although called liver spots, this condition is a skin occurrence that has absolutely nothing to to with the liver. The main cause for liver spots is a gradual and continuous exposure to UV rays, which leads the body to react with overproduction of the main skin pigmentation causing chemical melanin. It may take years for these spots to begin appearing on the skin, and although a long lived condition in the making, removal and reduction of the effects of liver spots, though not immediate, need not take the same amount of time to treat. If you are afflicted with liver spots, there are several treatments that are popular, with the most effective being the four mentioned here:

1. Protect your skin from the sun. With the use of sunscreen, properly covering clothing, and avoiding sun overexposure is the number one defense against these unsightly blemishes. Be sure to read your sunscreen products, and eye wear to make sure that they effectively protect you against the UVA and UVB rays that promote melanin buildup. Using a stand alone SPF in a moisturizer is critical. If it is in your make-up it DOESN’T count because the potency of the SPF strength is diluted once the chemicals to cover blemishes are added.
2. A proper diet – While not always associated with skin care, a proper diet can go a long way in reducing liver spots. Vitamin C and vitamin E rich foods such as citrus fruits and green vegetables are not only great for your skin, but also help to promote general health and higher natural energy levels at almost any stage of life.
3. Skin creams – Natural skin creams known to help with the reduction of age and liver spots are found many pharmacies, either over the counter or through the prescription of your health care professional. One great substance that is often found in these whitening creams is hydroquinone.  Dermalogica’s Chromo White line has been shown in clinical trial to diminish the signs of age spots by as much as half. To promote the production of elasticity and collagen in your skin, two naturally occuring substances in the body that help the skin to remain firm, elastic, and young looking all at the same time.
4. Use anti-oxidant containing natural supplements. Natural supplements, often containing either green tea or olive leaves are a great source of anti-oxidants that help to reduce the amount of free radicals in the skin that lead to progressive skin damage and lowered protection levels. Make sure that the supplements that you take are composed of all natural ingredients in order to ensure the safety of their use, as well as their proven effectiveness, as most chemical concoctions seem to benefit the marketing department of the source company than they do the health of your skin.
5. Chemical peels have great health benefits to help lighten age and liver spots on the surface, while providing benefits to the inner layers of skin.

Using these methods on their own or in conjunction with each other often help to not only reduce the signs of age and liver spots, but also act a a preventative measure against re-occurrence or spread of the condition.

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Do you suffer from ingrown hairs?

Ingrown hair is a condition where the hair curls back or grows sideways into the skin. The ingrown hair condition is seen primarily among people having curly hairs although any skin or hair type can be prone to this condition. It may or may not be accompanied by an infection of the hair follicle  or “razor bumps” , which vary in size. While ingrown hair most commonly appears in areas where the skin in the beard, legs, arms, pubic region, it can appear anywhere on the body where hair grows.

Anything which causes the hair to be broken off short with a sharp tip can cause ingrown hair. Shaving is the leading cause, followed by waxing and tight clothing. The embedded hair causes a localized inflammation and can become painful and pus filled. Sometimes ingrown hair occurs naturally without shaving, as too much dead skin or blocked pores can make hair grow sideways.

The following are some GREAT and inexpensive home remedies to prevent ingrown hairs:

Prep and soften skin and hair. Prior to shaving, use a gentle scrub which will both remove dead skin for a cleaner shave, and help point hair out of the skin for it to be properly shaved. Shave after you have been in the shower for a bit, not right away, since the steam and heat will soften the hair.

Use a new blade, or try a different kind altogether. Old blades are both dull and can introduce bacteria into freshly shaved skin. Some skin types simply do not respond well to standard blade shaving. If you are still having ingrown hairs or razor bump/burn challenges, switch to a high quality electric razor.

Watch your pressure and technique. Press gently with the blade as too much pressure removes excess surface skin. Shave with the grain, as shaving against the grain will cause both skin irritation and point hairs back into the skin causing a bump. Try and avoid shaving over the same area too many times, as each stroke removes skin cells and can cause unnecessary irritation.

Waxing is another way to help prevent ingrown hairs because it is detaching the hair follicle at the papilla, or the end of the hair follicle. When the hair begins to grow back it is soft without stubble.

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