Help!

[balddome]

It's been about a year now since I started shaving my head. I'm loving the sly look so far, but I don't always keep it. My hair tends to grow slowly, and I shave probably ever 3-4 weeks. Also, I haven't tried shaving with a razor (fear of bumps and in grown hairs with my curly hair); right now I'm using a Wahl balding clipper and the Wahl super close shaver foil. All in all, its not bad, but it doesn't get it baby bottom smooth.

A few questions:

• If I wanted to start shaving with a razor, what steps should I take? (Note: I'm African American and I have curly hair)
• [See attached photos] Can anyone tell me what this is on my scalp? I get this everytime I shave and even when I let my hair grow, I feel it there and it itches (actually, my whole scalp itches.) This is only on one side of my head that have these bumps.
• How do you wash your head? What shampoo,gel, product...?
• What moisturizer is best? I've been using coconut oil but it still feels as though my scalp is dry after a few hours. I'm thinking of using some Tea tree oil

Thanks in advance!

[Sir Harry]

Welcome!

I had to take a long look at your pictures. It looks like a classic case of razor bumps, but it doesn't look like keloids (thankfully). The first thing I would go get right away is some Bump Patrol, which is sold in a blue bottle(You can find this at WalMart or most national drugstore chains). In most cases, the bumps should start to clear within 48-96 hours with use of the Bump Patrol. (Another alternative is to get an aspirin, mix it in water and spread across the bumps). That said, how often did you clean and/or oil your clippers between uses? I'd say that 95% of AA men break out because of poor clipper care by themselves and/or barbers. When you start with a razor, I would either use a Microtouch Safety Razor, Mach 3 or a high-end razor. Then I would shave with the grain for the first couple of shaves and then try against the grain after. Down the road, I would invest in Shave Secret preshave oil, a shaving brush and some shaving soap. These tools give most people a better shave than the traditional shaving foam/gel, but some people can make it work with foam/gel. I usually wash with a scrub such as Neutrogena (it doesn't matter if you wash before or after shaving), or even Noxzema, but the big key for me is to rub my head (and face when I shave that) with an ice cube immediately after shaving. Witch hazel is also a good product to use with or without aftershave. The tea tree oil is good for stopping dry skin as well as breakouts.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope this gets you in the right direction. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, or you can ask here on this thread and myself or one of the other members will respond. Good luck!

[balddome]

Sir Harry,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I've been looking through the forum and read up on a lot of your replies.

I've seen Bump Patrol but never tried it (I didn't really think it worked); but I'll try it today. Quick question about it though: can I apply it anytime or solely after a shave?

As for my clipper maintenance, I clean and oil them after each and every use. The Wahl balding clippers only get used for my head; I use the Andis Outliner for my face (and I don't have any razor burns there or any irritation for that matter). For both, I brush out the hairs, apply some Andis clipper oil, and then I put some Andis Cool Care on it. After a 5-6 uses, I take them fully apart and brush the insides. Speaking of barbers, my very first bald shave came from my barber and I didn't have any bumps. So maybe my method isn't working?

I'm a bit scared to try shaving my head with razors (when I first started shaving my face, I used them. But I noticed that my face was beginning to break out with alot of razor bumps so I stopped. I started with the generic shave gels but then graduated to using a brush [albeit with the same foam lol]) Should I give my head a break before trying to shave with a razor?

Once again, thank you for your help! I truly appreciate it.

[Sir Harry]

You're welcome. I would suggest using the Bump Patrol every day shave or no shave. Also, I have used the Wahl on my head, but when I can't get to a razor, the  Andis is the best at cutting real close. Whatever you do, don't scratch the bumps, it will only aggravate the condition. Keep us posted!

P.S. I saw that you said that you shave only every 3-4 weeks. When shaving your head, especially with a razor, that may be too long of a gap. Unless you have a good dandruff or prescription shampoo, you may have a case of sebhorric dermatitis which skin may become inflamed. As easy as a bald head is to care for, there's some huge maintainance with it.