Razor burn, bumps and rash after manscaping: how to look after your skin

Manscaping (trimming or shaving the hair around your groin) should leave you feeling tidy, not itchy. But intimate skin is thin, the hair down there is often curly, and the area is warm and covered, so razor burn, razor bumps and shaving rash are common. All three usually settle on their own, and a few changes to how you groom make them less likely next time. (New to grooming below the belt? Start with our guide to manscaping.)

Razor burn, razor bumps or shaving rash: what's the difference?

The three names are often used as if they mean the same thing, but they have different causes, so each needs slightly different care.

Razor burn, razor bumps, shaving rash and chafing compared

	What it looks like.	When it shows.	What usually helps.
Razor burn	Red, hot, stinging or itchy skin, sometimes with tiny red dots	Within minutes to hours of shaving	Stop shaving the area, cool water, pat dry, a plain fragrance-free moisturiser
Razor bumps (ingrown hairs)	Small, raised, itchy spots, sometimes with a hair visible under the skin	A day or more after shaving, as the hair grows back	Stop shaving until they settle; don't pick or squeeze
Shaving rash from a product	Red, itchy, sometimes dry patches where a foam, gel or aftershave touched	Hours to a couple of days after using it	Stop using it, rinse with water, a plain fragrance-free moisturiser
Chafing	Red, raw or sore skin in the creases of the groin or inner thighs	After walking, running or sweating, shaved or not	Keep the area clean and dry, loose breathable clothing, rest the skin

Redness that spreads, swelling, heat, pus, a high temperature or feeling unwell can be signs of infection: see a GP, or get help from NHS 111.

What causes razor burn on the pubic area?

Razor burn on the pubic area is irritation from the blade itself: red, stinging or itchy skin that usually shows up within minutes of shaving. The usual suspects: a blunt or clogged razor, shaving dry or with too little gel, pressing hard, going against the direction of growth, and going over the same patch again and again. Sweat and friction from clothes afterwards make it sting more.

How to get rid of razor burn on your pubic area

Razor burn on the pubic area usually settles by itself within a few days. Your job is to stop irritating it while it does: put the razor down, cool the skin, keep it clean and dry, and leave it alone.

• Stop shaving the area until the skin looks and feels normal again.
• Cool it down. Rinse with cool water, or hold a clean, cool, damp cloth against the skin for a few minutes.
• Pat dry, then apply a thin layer of a plain, fragrance-free moisturiser if the skin feels tight.
• Let it breathe. Loose cotton underwear rubs less than tight synthetic fabrics.
• Skip the extras. No aftershave, scented products or leave-on intimate products, ours included, until the skin has fully settled.
• Don't scratch. It breaks the skin and lets germs in.

If it isn't improving after a few days, or it's getting worse, speak to a pharmacist.

How to get rid of razor bumps

Razor bumps happen when a shaved hair curls back and grows into the skin. The NHS says ingrown hairs are more likely in areas you shave, your pubic area included, and if your hair is coarse or curly, which is why they turn up so often after manscaping. It also says you usually won't need medical help for them. To help them get better:

• Don't pick, squeeze or dig at them with tweezers or a needle. It can damage the skin and lead to an infection.
• Stop shaving the area until they have gone, and let the hair grow a little.
• Keep the area clean with warm water, and pat it dry.

Be patient with them. Once you stop shaving, the trapped hairs grow long enough to spring out of the skin, and the skin heals once they have. A few new bumps can still appear in the meantime, as hairs cut short by your last shave grow back. A pharmacist can help if they bother you.

If a bump becomes very painful, hot or swollen, or fills with pus, it may be infected: see a GP.

Is it razor bumps, or something else?

Bumps that appear when you haven't been grooming, keep coming back in the same place, or look like blisters, sores, warts or a rash beyond where you shaved are not razor bumps. Get them checked by a GP or at an NHS GUM clinic (free, confidential clinics for genital health; you don't usually need a GP referral). It's routine for them, and it's the quickest way to stop wondering.

What about groin chafing?

Chafing is soreness from skin rubbing against skin or fabric, made worse by sweat. It isn't caused by shaving, but freshly shaved skin chafes more easily. Keep the area clean and dry, change out of sweaty clothes soon after exercise, choose loose, breathable underwear, and give the skin a rest until it heals. If the skin in the creases becomes red, raw and moist and doesn't settle, a pharmacist can help. Our guide to groin chafing goes into more detail, and there's more on washing and drying in what is men's intimate skin care?

How to stop razor burn when you shave your pubic area

To stop razor burn, make the blade's job as easy as possible: soft, wet hair, a sharp blade, shaving gel, light pressure and as few strokes as you can manage, always in the direction the hair grows.

1. Trim instead of shaving, or trim first so the razor has less to do. A body trimmer with a guard leaves a little length, so there's less razor burn and fewer ingrown hairs.
2. Shave after a warm shower, when the hair and skin are soft.
3. Use a sharp blade, never a blunt one. Dermatologists suggest a new blade, or a new disposable razor, after 5 to 7 shaves.
4. Never shave dry. Use a fragrance-free shaving gel.
5. Shave in the direction the hair grows, with light pressure and short strokes, rinsing the blade after each one. Go over each patch no more than twice.
6. Don't stretch the skin tight while you shave.
7. Finish with cool water. Rinse off every trace of gel, hold a cool, wet cloth against the skin for a few minutes, pat dry, and skip the aftershave.
8. Dry your razor and keep it somewhere dry, not in the shower.
9. Try not to shave every day, so the skin can recover.

The scrotum needs the most care of all: our step-by-step guide to how to shave your balls covers it.

How to prevent razor bumps

The surest way to prevent razor bumps is not to shave: the NHS says not shaving is the best way to prevent ingrown hairs. If you'd like a closer finish anyway, these habits make bumps less likely.

• Leave a little length. The NHS says leaving at least 1mm of stubble can help reduce ingrown hairs, which is what a body trimmer with a guard does. Our guide to choosing a trimmer for manscaping explains what to look for.
• If you shave, don't shave too close, and not every day if you can help it.
• Keep the blade sharp and go with the grain. A dull blade makes razor bumps more likely, and shaving in the direction the hair grows helps keep both bumps and razor burn away.
• Try an electric razor rather than wet shaving.
• Never pluck a hair out of a razor bump. It can cause new bumps and make the old ones worse.
• Ask a pharmacist about shaving products that cause less irritation, and exfoliating products that help stop hairs getting trapped.

Waxing can lead to ingrown hairs too, so it isn't a way round them. Our guide to pubic hair removal for men compares trimming, shaving and waxing, and our simple men's intimate grooming routine puts the everyday habits into four easy steps.

When can you use intimate creams and sprays after grooming?

Give your skin at least 24 hours after shaving, trimming or waxing, and only use leave-on intimate products on unbroken skin with no redness, soreness or bumps. That goes for ours too: they're for clean, unbroken skin only, never for broken or irritated skin. Our how to use page sets out the full directions.