Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Feb;30(2):e13598.
doi: 10.1111/srt.13598.

Multispectral near-infrared spectroscopy study evaluating the effect of razor design on shaving-induced erythema

Chris Boodoo  1 , Dragos Duta  1 , Nathan Swift  1 , Paul Hunter  1 , Anna Khimchenko  1 , General Leung  1 , Karen Cross  1   2   3
Affiliations

Multispectral near-infrared spectroscopy study evaluating the effect of razor design on shaving-induced erythema

Chris Boodoo et al. Skin Res Technol. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Background: While shaving-induced erythema is a common inflammatory skin issue, there is a lack of quantitative information on how well a shaving product performs in this regard. In this study, multispectral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) imaging was used to quantitatively and qualitatively measure the extent of shaving-induced erythema. The research compares a safety razor and a cartridge razor to evaluate their impact on skin irritation.

Materials and methods: Fifty-nine healthy male volunteers without pre-existing skin conditions were enrolled. Basic demographics were recorded, and participants' faces or necks were imaged before shaving. Shaving was conducted on the right side of the face/neck with the safety razor and on the left side of the face/neck using the 3-blade cartridge razor. Images were captured immediately after shaving, at 5 and 10 min post-shaving.

Results: Tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) measurements demonstrated that the safety razor induced significantly less erythema than the cartridge razor. Immediately after shaving, 40.3% of skin shaved with the safety razor had erythema compared to 57.6% for the cartridge razor. At 5 min post-shaving, 36.5% of skin shaved with the safety razor had erythema, compared to 53.8% of cartridge razor.

Conclusions: Multispectral NIRS revealed significant differences in shaving-induced erythema between safety and cartridge razors. Safety razors demonstrated a lower incidence of erythema, suggesting a potential advantage for individuals prone to skin irritation. This study contributes valuable insights into skin irritation and highlights the potential of multispectral NIRS in dermatology research.

Keywords: dermatology; inflammation; men's grooming; multispectral NIR; non-invasive imaging; razor design; razors; shaving; skin irritation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Major components of the Mimosa Pro device.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Device and smartphone connection ports.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
StO2 maps of the face of an individual immediately after shaving (Post‐Shave), 5 min after shaving and 10 min after shaving.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Relative erythema over time for each razor.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cowley K, Vanoosthuyze K. Insights into shaving and its impact on skin. Br J Dermatol. 2012;166(1):6‐12. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10783.x - DOI - PubMed
    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(1):3‐9. doi:10.1111/ics.12328 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Evans RL, Bates S, Marriott RE, Arnold DS. The impact of different hair‐removal behaviours on the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of female axillary skin. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2020;42(5):436‐443. doi:10.1111/ics.12648 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lee D, Kim MJ, Park HJ, et al. Current practices and perceived effectiveness of polynucleotides for treatment of facial erythema by cosmetic physicians. Skin Res Technol. 2023;29(9):e13466. doi:10.1111/srt.13466 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tao M, Li M, Zhang Y, et al. Objectively quantifying facial erythema in rosacea aided by the ImageJ analysis of VISIA red images. Skin Res Technol. 2023;29(1):e13241. doi:10.1111/srt.13241 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Grants and funding