Razor Bumps and Folliculitis
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Kevin
Posted on: November 24, 2005

I am a 21 year old male. I am desperately trying to get rid of the razor bumps on my legs. I was reading articles on red clover and see that it has hormonal properties like estrogen. I really do not want my breast to increase in size, but I heard that that is what estrogen does. Is that a risk I need to worry about? Or can you suggest any other herb that I may use (preferably in a tea form). I was also wondering if there is a herb that will either stop, or slow down the process of body hair growth with out any bad side effects.

Razor bumps, also called pseudofolliculitis barbae, are small bumps on the skin that develop after shaving when strands of hair curl back on themselves and grow into the skin. This causes inflammation of the surrounding skin. The inflamed area is often irritated with bacterial infection. The bumps are often resolved when shaving is stopped. Application of an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial salve or cream can speed healing. I recommend a cream based on chamomile and/or calendula. Most health food stores and many pharmacies stock a good quality homeopathic calendula salve. You can make your own lotion by adding a drop of tea tree oil or chamomile essential oil to a tablespoon of sweet almond oil.

Folliculitis is an inflammation of the hair follicles that progresses from pimples to pustules. This must be treated internally as well as externally. Please see our website at www.richters.com. Choose "Q&A" from the main menu, then enter "folliculitis" for the search. We do suggest including red clover as part of the protocol, to encourage cleansing of the lymph glands and to promote healthy skin tissue repair. You will not need to worry about increasing breast size with normal medicinal amounts of red clover. To make red clover tea, infuse 2 teaspoons of dried red clover blossoms (2 tablespoons of fresh blossoms) in a cup of boiling water for 15 minutes. Note that dried red clover blossoms should be purple. If they are brown, they will not be effective, because they have not been dried properly or are too old.

I do not know of herbs that will slow the growth of body hair.

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