THE SCIENCE OF RAZOR BURN

What causes razor burn, and what helps

Razor burn is your skin reacting to mechanical stress: the pressure and friction of a blade against its surface. Shaving is a trade-off between removing hair and protecting skin. Here’s what published research says about where razor burn comes from, and what reduces it.9,10

Extra passes, extra irritation.

Hard-to-cut stubble makes men press harder and go over the same spot again. Both raise the odds of irritation.1

Maurer et al., Int J Cosmet Sci, 2016

Every pass takes some skin.

Shaving removes skin along with the hair. In a lab skin model, even one dry pass of a razor disrupted the skin’s barrier.2,3

Turner et al., 2007; Costello et al., 2023

One blade helps. It’s not the whole answer.

In one split-face study, 40.3% of participants had redness right after shaving on the side shaved with a single-blade safety razor, vs 57.6% on the side shaved with a 3-blade cartridge. The researchers point to the friction and pressure of multiple passes.4

Boodoo et al., Skin Res Technol, 2024

Your face isn’t one surface.

How strongly skin reacts to shaving depends on where it’s shaved: cheek and neck skin differ. Many men also have sensitive facial skin. (The imaging study used an electric shaving device.)5,1

Chaturvedi et al., 2024; Maurer et al., 2016

Technique and prep matter.

Shaving dry weakens the skin’s barrier, and shaving foam reduces the damage. A dull blade tugs the hair before it cuts. Men’s shaving problems track with how they shave.3,6,7,8

Costello 2023; Pany 2019; Ogunbiyi 2019; Sukakul 2021

SETPOINT is designed around these findings: one blade, and a dial that sets the gap for each part of your face and each day’s growth, so you can shave with fewer passes.

These studies did not test SETPOINT. They describe what causes shaving irritation in general.

Shop SETPOINT

HOW TO SHAVE WITHOUT RAZOR BURN

A gentler shave, step by step

Fewer passes, light pressure and good prep do most of the work. Use these starting settings, then adjust.

  1. Soften first.

    Shave after a warm shower, or wash your face with warm water. Wet hair is softer and easier to cut.7

  2. Never shave dry.

    Use a shaving cream, soap or foam. In lab tests, a dry razor pass damaged the skin’s barrier, and foam reduced the damage.3,6

  3. Set the dial for the area.

    Start low on your neck and upper lip, higher on your cheeks and jawline. The table below gives a starting point.

  4. Set it for your stubble.

    The longer since your last shave, the higher the setting. Hair longer than the gap gets pushed flat and missed, which means another pass.

  5. Let the razor do the work.

    Use light pressure and short strokes. Pressing harder and going over the same spot raise the odds of irritation.1

  6. Go with the grain.

    Shave in the direction your hair grows. For a closer finish, re-lather and go across the grain. Don’t stretch your skin.7

  7. Change blades often.

    A dull blade tugs the hair before it cuts it. Swap in a fresh blade as soon as you feel it pull.7

  8. Finish with moisturiser.

    Rinse with cool water and apply a moisturiser. In lab tests, moisturising after shaving reduced barrier damage.3

Starting settings by area

Cheeks & jawline

Long, dense hair. Less sensitive skin.

Settings 3–6 · start at 3

Upper lip & chin

Dense hair. Moderately sensitive.

Settings 2–5 · start at 2

Neck

Sparse hair. Sensitive skin.

Settings 1–3 · start at 1

From the SETPOINT face map. Move up within the range as your stubble gets longer.

REFERENCES

Sources

Every claim on this page links to its source. Each reference links to its PubMed record, where the abstract is free to read, and to the full text where it’s available.

  1. 1.

    Maurer M, Rietzler M, Burghardt R, Siebenhaar F. The male beard hair and facial skin – challenges for shaving. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2016;38(Suppl 1):3–9.

    PubMedPublisher page

    Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin with Procter & Gamble (Braun). Review article.

  2. 2.

    Turner GA, Moore AE, Marti VP, Paterson SE, James AG. Impact of shaving and anti-perspirant use on the axillary vault. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2007;29(1):31–38.

    PubMedPublisher page

    Unilever R&D. Studied underarm skin.

  3. 3.

    Costello L, Goncalves K, Maltman V, et al. Development of a novel in vitro strategy to understand the impact of shaving on skin health: combining tape strip exfoliation and human skin equivalent technology. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023;10:1236790.

    PubMedFree full text

    Reprocell with Procter & Gamble. Lab-grown skin model.

  4. 4.

    Boodoo C, Duta D, Swift N, Hunter P, Khimchenko A, Leung G, Cross K. Multispectral near-infrared spectroscopy study evaluating the effect of razor design on shaving-induced erythema. Skin Res Technol. 2024;30(2):e13598. Correction: Skin Res Technol. 2025;31(12):e70314.

    PubMedFree full text

    Funded by a safety-razor maker. Authors were employed by the maker of the imaging device (2025 correction). 59 healthy men, split face.

  5. 5.

    Chaturvedi P, Kroon W, Zanelli G, Worsley PR. An exploratory study of structural and microvascular changes in the skin following electrical shaving using optical coherence topography. Skin Res Technol. 2024;30(7):e13830.

    PubMedFree full text

    Philips with the University of Southampton. 10 men; electric shaving device.

  6. 6.

    Pany A, Klang V, Brunner M, Ruthofer J, Schwarz E, Valenta C. Effect of physical and chemical hair removal methods on skin barrier function in vitro: consequences for a hydrophilic model permeant. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2019;32(1):8–21.

    PubMedPublisher page

    University of Vienna. Lab study on pig skin.

  7. 7.

    Ogunbiyi A. Pseudofolliculitis barbae; current treatment options. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2019;12:241–247.

    PubMedFree full text

    Review article. The author disclosed an honorarium from Procter & Gamble.

  8. 8.

    Sukakul T, Bunyaratavej S, Chaweekulrat P, Trakanwittayarak S, Varothai S. Facial hair shaving behavior and skin problems of shaved areas of males. J Dermatol. 2021;48(9):1409–1413.

    PubMedPublisher page

    Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. Survey of 340 men.

  9. 9.

    Cowley K, Vanoosthuyze K. The biomechanics of blade shaving. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2016;38(Suppl 1):17–23.

    PubMedPublisher page

    Gillette (Procter & Gamble). Review with new data.

  10. 10.

    Chaturvedi P, Worsley PR, Zanelli G, Kroon W, Bader DL. Quantifying skin sensitivity caused by mechanical insults: a review. Skin Res Technol. 2022;28(1):187–199.

    PubMedFree full text

    Philips with the University of Southampton. Review article.

These studies did not test SETPOINT. Funding and affiliations are listed so you can weigh each source. This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a skin condition, talk to a dermatologist.