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The Secret Weapon for Beating Razor Bumps is Here

By Katie Dickens Aug 6, 2021 7:44 AM

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We can all agree that utilizing high-tech solutions in life produces better results than ye olde alternatives (cellphone versus passenger pigeon, anyone?). This applies to the superficial, too. But while women were early adopters of anti-aging and cleansing innovations, it’s only recently that most dudes have discovered the literal beauty of battery-operated groomers. It helped that Clinique and Clarisonic introduced more masculine-looking devices that were specifically designed for your needs. The most recent addition to the grooming tool kit comes from The Art of Shaving and—no surprise here—its purpose is to set you up for the smoothest shave possible. Dermatologist Jared Jagdeo explains how the new Power Brush ($40) helps you get rid of razor bumps and ingrown hairs.

Related: Products to Help You Banish Razor Bumps

Get rid of razor bumps, power brush — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Bumping Off Bumps

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“This brush looks similar to brushes on the market, but it’s the only one that’s clinically tested with men and evaluated for whether this brush can release trapped hair. In the clinical trial, 69% of men saw an improvement in razor bumps and 85% of men had trapped hair released. The smaller head allows you to get access to spots like naso labial folds and places where men are more likely to get irritation and razor bumps, like under the jaw.”

Drop the Tweezers

“Across all ethnic groups, those with thicker, fuller hair, sometimes associated with curly and wavy hair, are more likely to get razor bumps. It’s especially a problem for African-American men, 70% of whom experience ingrown hairs. This happens when the hairs curl back in and re-pierce the skin and it can lead to inflammation. But pulling out ingrowns can lead to scarring and other outcomes we’d like to avoid like darkening of skin and patchy hair growth. Sometimes if you pluck out a hair repeatedly, it can scar the follicle and that’s when you get patchy hair growth and loss of hair growth. Some guys are getting hair transplants to their beard. If you want nice beard distribution, you need to release those trapped hairs. This brush releases 85% of trapped hairs.”

Smooth Moves

“It’s dual purpose so you can use it as a deep cleanser and preparation for a shave. It partners nicely with the pre-shave gel to provide a better glide and smoother shave. The more you exfoliate, the better results you get.”

Katie Dickens is a Manhattan-based beauty and grooming writer. She has held staff positions at Glamour, In Style, People… Read Full Bio

How The Beard Club Helped Me Grow a Beard

John Jones after beard growth

I was a failure … the facial hair equivalent of a 90-pound weakling. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t grow a beard; it was more that whatever facial hair I did grow felt like a Velcroed-on Brillo pad: super uncomfortable and leaving my skin itchy and broken out. As Movember and No-Shave November came and went, I made two separate attempts at beard growth … each ending with a sprint into the bathroom when I could stand it no more, trimmer in hand, welcoming back the clean-shaven face I know so well. It wasn’t the first time I’d given up on hirsute happiness.

When December rolled around, I decided to pay attention to an email I’d gotten for something called The Beard Club, a subscription service for beard care products. The Club’s premise was “helping first-timers as well as seasoned hirsute gentleman to up their grooming game.” I couldn’t resist and threw down the gauntlet. Could they help even me? After all, the site’s tag line is “Don’t Grow it Alone.”

The best-selling colognes for men (because some things are popular for a reason)

mens cologne on black satin

The way you smell is the message you send before you even open your mouth or shake a hand. When someone meets you for the first time, your style can give them a great first impression from a distance. But then your cologne will be the storyteller up close. Smelling good is one of the main points of men’s grooming. Soaps, shampoos, lotions, all fragrant and elevating your attractiveness, and ultimately, your memorability.

That is why popular men’s colognes become, well, popular. These are the scents that stand the test of time. The ones that linger on your shirt when you leave, and your girl wears it to bed. The kind that stays around in the office (subtly, not drifting throughout the office because you take a bath in it) after you have gone. And the kind that sparks memories of great dates in the past when she smells it on you before leaving the house. Of course, the best of the best sell like the best of the best. And these are the colognes that sell better than any other year in and year out.

The Manual’s Grooming Awards Are Open for Submissions

Head, Person, Face

For eight years, The Manual’s Grooming Awards have done one thing: told readers which products actually work. Not which ones arrived in the nicest box, not which brand bought the most media. Which ones survived months of daily use on our own faces, in our own showers, and were still worth reaching for at the end.

This year, we’re opening the awards to submissions.