Unwanted facial hair is a common problem and requires different grooming regimens or treatments. Shaving beard hair can cause undesirable skin effects, such as irritation, razor burn, razor nick, and pseudofolliculitis barbae. This study explores male behaviors related to shaving facial hair and the consequential effects on the shaved skin. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted on 340 healthy men. Most of the participants were manual shavers. Approximately one-third of the manual shavers prepared their skin for shaving, compared to 13% of the electric shavers. The most common shaving-related skin problems were irritation and dryness, razor burn, razor nicks, and pseudofolliculitis barbae. The shaving-related skin problems resulted from individual skin conditions and their shaving techniques. Appropriate skin preparation should be undertaken before shaving, and post-shaving care products should be used to avoid problems.
Keywords: facial hair; knowledge; male; shaving behavior; shaving-related skin problems.
© 2021 Japanese Dermatological Association.