Best shaver for acne prone skin

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It is not just women, who battle acne. Even men have to handle acne and for them shaving can be a painful experience. Shaving every day takes a toll on your skin, but if you also have acne, it is a recipe for complete disaster.

With the wrong shaver, you will end up irritating your skin and your acne will worsen. Men with acne should avoid shaving with a manual razor and should choose an electric razor (read the linked article or see ideas below for the best electric shaver for acne prone skin).  Manual razors simply cut too close to the skin, whereas with electric razors you can retain greater control over how close you shave and the pressure you apply around acne prone areas. If you simply must have a manual shave, you might want to investigate the products you are using.

Importance of Daily Skincare for Men with Acne

When you have acne, you should have a daily skincare routine. This will help reduce the acne and also allow your skin to heal. Exfoliate your skin two to three times a week to slough off the dead skin cells that bacteria love to feed on. Exfoliation will promote growth of healthy skin cells, making it easier for new facial hair to push through the skin, so that you can shave properly.

Also, have a cleansing routine that takes off the excess sebum from your skin. Use a cleanser that is specifically made for acne-prone skin. Do not over cleanse your skin, as it will be counterproductive. Cleansing your face more than once a day will make your skin too dry and this will stimulate your skin to produce more sebum. This, in turn, will attract bacteria and dirt, causing fresh more breakouts.

Please read this article which contains 7 powerful ways to treat acne with coconut oil!

Relationship Between Humidity and Acne

Believe it or not one of the often overlooked natural treatments for acne is moisture.  If you live in a dry or cold climate it might be worthwhile doing some further research and buying a humidifier for your home or office – Groom+Style has done some of the leg work for you and reviewed the best humidifiers.

Best Way to Shave with Acne – Electric Shaver Shaving Tips

Here are a few tips that will help you enjoy your morning shave without leaving your skin in a bloody mess or aggravate your acne.

These steps assume you have bought an electric shaver that can be used with shaving cream i.e. the Wet/Dry type that allow shaving creams and gel to be used – see next blue box below.

Tip: There will be some days when your acne is worse. On such days, it is best to avoid shaving and letting your skin’s natural healing process soothe the breakouts and inflammation.

• Prepping the Face: Before you begin using the electric shaver, it is necessary to prepare your face and neck. Take some warm water and splash it on the area. This will dilate the blood vessels and increase blood circulation to the skin. It also will hydrate your skin, making it more supple and pliable. You also can prep your skin while taking your morning shower. In fact, shaving in the shower is one of the best options.
• Lathering: Use a shaving cream that is thin and yet creamy – you can even use a natural product like coconut oil as a shaving cream replacement. This will help the shaver glide on the skin, thereby reducing irritation. Make sure you lather the area well and coat it evenly. Do not try to whip up too much lather. A thin coat is more than enough.
• Shaving with the Grain: If you try and get a close shave, you will irritate your skin and your acne will worsen. Instead concentrate on shaving with the grain. In other words, move the shaver down instead of upwards. This will help to reduce skin inflammation and also reduce the number of cuts and nicks.
• Aftercare: Once you finish shaving, use an alcohol-free skin toner. Alternatively, you can use an antibacterial gel, such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. What this does is prevent bacteria from entering into your hair follicles and aggravating your acne.

The Best Razor for Acne Skin – The Right Razor Matters

When you have acne prone skin, your razor makes a huge difference. Always use a top of the range men’s electric shaver – you should focus on the wet/dry models that allow you to use shaving creams.

In general Groom+Style would also recommend a foil shaver (rather than a rotary shaver) – you can read more in our article, Choosing an Electric Shaver: Rotary, Foil or Clipper?

Tip: Not all wet and dry shavers actually “allow” you to use shaving creams.  For example, in the Series 9 models from Braun you need to look for models with the suffix “s”.  The models which come with a cleaning station typically cannot be used (otherwise the warranty will be voided) with shaving creams or gels, as the gels affect the cleaning station.  Some customers get around this by washing the shaver first and then putting it in the cleaning station (but Groom+Style cannot officially recommend this).

Even if it means having to spend a bit more time (and money) finding the right shaver for your needs, it will be time well spent.

Switching to Constant Stubble – Trimming Your Beard Instead of Shaving

The other option is to ditch the idea of shaving every day.  If your work and lifestyle allow you could change your look to sporting a constant five o’clock shadow (or at the other extreme just grow a full beard).  Many men with acne or sensitive skin are following this trend, they buy a beard trimmer and just trim their stubble.  This has 2 advantages; firstly the stubble can work on hiding some of the acne and second benefit is that the reduced irritation on the skin can actually help the acne breakouts heal faster.

The Bottom Line for Men Shaving With Acne

A foil electric shaver is the best option if you are battling acne. The  Braun 7 Series Shavers or the more expensive Braun 9 Series Shavers foil shavers fit the bill perfectly for acne prone skin as they offer an extremely good shave without irritating your skin with propreitary ActiveLift technology.  If you can afford it the Braun 9 shavers is the one to go for as it comes with a cleaning and disinfecting station which is really beneficial for men with acne – as it reduces the chance of infections (although you need to take note of the Tip above).

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