Q: I’m a teen with a bad case of razor burn. What should I do?
A: Lots of teens shave, pluck and wax. Although being hairless or hair-reduced is “in,” you lose hair’s protective features.
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Shaving, plucking and waxing can cause razor burn or inflame the hair follicles (folliculitis). Tender pimples, pustules or larger skin lesions can develop.
For small lesions, antibiotic ointment (Neosporin® or bacitracin) four times a day can help.
If it looks like a pimple, over-the-counter or prescription acne medicines can tackle the surface or deeper skin layers to prevent more of them. But use them with your doctor’s blessing.
Big, juicy lesions may signal a pocket of pus that needs attention — see the doctor for these.
—By adolescent medicine specialist Ellen Rome, MD, MPH
