If you have used a cartridge razor before, you probably have gotten a few nicks and cuts either from shaving too quickly or because you dug too deep when you were gliding the razor across your face.
This is a very common injury especially if you are inexperienced but caring for your injury can determine whether you get a scar from it or it healing properly.
If you want to avoid this painful experience altogether, you can either apply shaving cream which will make the shaving more pleasant or use an electric shaver.
Cuts from a razor occurs when the blade of your razor is too blunt to smoothly glide across your face or when when you apply too much pressure and the blades get direct contact with your skin to leave a laceration.
These cuts can range from a minor cut to even a deep cut if you are not careful.
Because your facial hair can breed bacteria and germs, it is important to tend to these cuts to prevent infection which can increase the risk of a scar forming.
Scars normally form when the dermis which is the deep layer of skin is damaged and your body forms new strands of fibres to fix that damage which results in a scar.
That is why the scar will have a different texture or even a raised bump from the surrounding tissue.
Preventing this is extremely easy if you take immediate action when the cut occurs and following these steps will ensure that you recover quickly without any permanent damage.
There are shallow cuts and deep cuts and I will be covering the different steps to care for it.
Shallow cuts Shallow cuts are easier to deal with because the opening of the wound is not fully exposed.
Firstly rinse the wound with running water(cold water).
The cold water helps to contract the skin and also helps to wash away any remaining hair particles.
Add some light facial soap(preferably antiseptic soap) to clean the wound and the surrounding area.
This helps to prevent infections and ensure that the wound is clean for application of bandages.
Get a bandage and ensure that the surface is dry before application.
Stretch the skin out to ensure that there is a tight fit.
The bandage helps to repel any dirt and germs entering your wound and infecting it.
After a few days if it has not fully healed, it should have formed a scab and it is now safe to remove that bandage.
A common habit that most people have is to peel the scab but that is the number 1 cause of scars.
Leave the scab as it is a form of protection for your wound and leave it to drop on it's own.
Deep cuts Deep cuts are more difficult to handle because most of time your skin will not be able to heal itself because of the large opening.
Most large cuts will result in a scar but you can reduce the risk of it by following these steps.
If the cut is really large and there is a clear split in the tissue.
You might have to get stitches(100% scar).
However, if you deduce that it is not that huge, use a sterilized bandage or use your fingers first to close the opening.
this will help to either stop or reduce the bleeding by quite a bit.
Hopefully by about 15 minutes the platelets and clotting activators which are released will stop the bleeding.
If not, you will probably have to get to the clinic to get some patching or stitches to close the wound.
But if it has stopped bleeding, leave it for another 20-30 minutes for the bond to be stronger.
After 20-30 minutes, remove the bandage carefully and wash the area with antiseptic soap and water and replace the bandage with a clean one.
for the first few days, try to minimise facial movements to reduce pressure on the area and check and clean your wound daily to remove any perspiration build up.
To speed up your recovery, use some scar gels to increase the rate of recovery as well and like shallow cuts, DO NOT remove the scab before it starts to fall off.