Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is a type of irritant folliculitis that commonly affects people who have curly or coarse facial hair.

[1] It occurs when hair curls back into the skin after shaving, causing inflammation, redness, and bumps.

PFB can be treated with various methods, including changing shaving habits, using topical creams or ointments, and undergoing laser hair removal.

[4] Razor burn is a lesser condition caused by shaving, characterized by mild to moderate redness and irritation on the surface of the skin.

Where folliculitis barbae is caused by viral or bacterial infections, pseudofolliculitis is created by irritation from shaving and ingrown hairs.

Left untreated, this can develop into acne keloidalis nuchae, a condition in which hard, dark keloid-like bumps form on the neck.

[10] This sequence change leads to an amino acid substitution in the highly conserved helix initiation motif of the K6hf rod domain.

[10] This suggests K6hf mutation structurally weakens the companion layer separating the inner and outer root sheath and increases the chances that a beard hair will in-grow.

The resulting faint stubble can be shaped using a standard electric razor on non-problematic areas (cheeks, lower neck).

[medical citation needed] For most cases, completely avoiding shaving for three to four weeks allows all lesions to subside, and most extrafollicular hairs will resolve themselves within at least ten days.

Clinical trials have shown glycolic acid–based peels to be an effective and well-tolerated therapy which resulted in significantly fewer PFB lesions on the face and neck.

Tea tree oil, witch hazel, and hydrocortisone are also noted as possible treatments and remedies for razor bumps.