Red bumps on the neck, chin and cheeks that appear as the hair grows back after shaving are usually ingrown beard hairs, also called razor bumps: the cut hair curls and grows back into the skin. Right away it helps to shave less often, less closely and with the grain. For the long term there are two options: grow a beard, or have far fewer hairs in the area you shave. The second is what laser hair removal for men on the neck and along the beard line does, over a course of 6-10 sessions.
Why beard hairs become ingrown after shaving
A razor leaves the hair with a sharp, angled tip. As the hair grows back, the sharp tip pierces the skin and grows back in, and the skin reacts with inflammation. Coarse and curly beard hair is the most likely to become ingrown. The typical spot is under the jawline and on the neck: hairs there grow in different directions, and the razor cuts some of them against the grain. Stretching the skin while shaving makes it worse: the shave ends up too close, and the hair becomes ingrown more easily.
Sources: DermNet, Pseudofolliculitis barbae
Razor burn or razor bumps: how to tell them apart
Spots and a rash after shaving are either skin irritation (razor burn) or ingrown hairs (razor bumps). Razor burn appears straight away: the skin turns red, stings and gets small red dots. Don't shave the area until it has settled. Razor bumps appear as the hair starts to grow back: bumps that are skin-coloured or red, sometimes with the hair visible under the skin. They itch, hurt when touched and bleed if you shave over them. Pus-filled spots that hurt a lot, feel hot and swell are a sign of infection and need a doctor.
| What it is | When it appears | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Razor burn | Right after shaving | Redness, stinging, small red dots | Don't shave until it settles, moisturise |
| Razor bumps (ingrown hairs) | As the hair grows back | Bumps, sometimes a hair under the skin, itching | Don't squeeze, shave less often and less closely |
| Infected spots | Any time | Pus-filled spots, pain, hot skin | See a doctor |
Sources: DermNet, Shaving, NHS, Ingrown hairs, DermNet, Pseudofolliculitis barbae
How to treat razor bumps
What helps most is a break from the razor: once you stop shaving the area, the bumps go down in about 4-6 weeks. Don't squeeze the bumps or dig at them with a needle: you can damage the skin and easily cause an infection, and a dark mark may stay after the inflammation. A warm compress for 5-10 minutes softens the skin, and a gentle scrub every other day helps the hair come out. When the tip shows above the skin, you can gently lift it free with clean tweezers, but don't pluck the hair. A pharmacist can suggest a cream for the itching and a mild antiseptic.
Sources: NHS, Ingrown hairs, DermNet, Pseudofolliculitis barbae
How to shave without getting a rash
The closer the shave, the more ingrown hairs, so the goal is a slightly less smooth shave without the bumps.
- Wet your skin with warm water and use shaving gel or foam.
- Shave with the grain, not against it, and don't stretch the skin.
- Go over each area only once and use as few strokes as possible.
- Rinse the razor after every stroke and change the blade as soon as it gets dull.
- Leave about 1 mm of stubble: a trimmer or an electric shaver is good for this, and with an electric shaver hairs become ingrown less often than with a manual razor.
- If you can, don't shave every day.
Sources: NHS, Ingrown hairs, DermNet, Pseudofolliculitis barbae, DermNet, Shaving
What to put on your skin after shaving
After shaving, apply a moisturiser or an aftershave balm, ideally with glycolic acid: it gently exfoliates the skin and lowers the risk of new ingrown hairs. Right after shaving, hold a cool, wet cloth to your skin or rinse it with cold water to calm the irritation. If the skin itches, a pharmacist can recommend a cream for it.
Sources: NHS, Ingrown hairs, DermNet, Pseudofolliculitis barbae, DermNet, Shaving
How to get rid of ingrown beard hairs for the long term
If you can wear a beard, about 4-6 weeks without shaving puts an end to ingrown hairs. If you want a clean neck and a sharp beard line, men's laser hair removal will help. The laser works on the hair root through the skin, without cutting or pulling anything out, and over the course there are noticeably fewer hairs in the area: a hair has to grow before it can become ingrown, and where there are fewer hairs, there are fewer ingrown ones. Pseudofolliculitis barbae, the medical name for ingrown beard hairs after shaving, is one of the medical reasons for laser hair removal.
Only the areas you shave are treated, and the beard inside the line stays as it is. More about each area on the front of neck, back of neck and face pages. How to choose your beard line is covered in beard line laser hair removal.
The laser only acts on hair in its growth phase, which is why you need a course: on the neck and face, expect 6-10 sessions. We do the first three 4-5 weeks apart, then the interval grows as the hair regrows, and after the course 1-2 maintenance sessions a year are usually enough. More in how many laser hair removal sessions do men need? and how men should prepare for laser hair removal.
The laser barely works on grey hair: it has too little pigment.
| Area | Where | Price per session |
|---|---|---|
| Front of neck | From the chin to the collarbones | 900 Kč |
| Back of neck | Below the hairline | 900 Kč |
| Upper cheeks | Above the beard line | 600 Kč |
| Cheekbones | Along the cheekbones | 600 Kč |
| Sideburns | By the temples | 600 Kč |
Sources: NHS, Ingrown hairs, DermNet, Pseudofolliculitis barbae, StatPearls (NCBI), Laser Hair Removal
Can you have laser while hairs are ingrown
Yes. A few ingrown hairs don't get in the way of a session, and the specialist works around inflamed areas with pus and redness and carries on with the rest of the area. Ordinary razor burn doesn't get in the way of a session either.
When to see a doctor
Ingrown hairs usually clear up without a doctor. See one if a bump is very painful, hot or swollen, if you have a fever or if more pus-filled spots keep appearing. It is also worth seeing a dermatologist if ingrown hairs leave dark marks or raised scars behind.
Sources: NHS, Ingrown hairs, DermNet, Pseudofolliculitis barbae
How we do it
Men's hair removal with us starts with a free consultation. The specialist looks at your skin and hair, checks where there is inflammation and decides with you which areas to book and where to start. We work with a hybrid laser (alexandrite, diode and neodymium) with contact cooling. In our experience, ingrown hairs become noticeably fewer already in the first half of the course. Prices for every area are in the men's price list.
Reviewed by: MEDULLA team