Thread: Shaving spreading infection?

Originally Posted by Croaker

Those sores could have been a common staph aureus skin infection which was spread by your razor cutting into it. My old barber manual advises barbers NOT to shave someone with an infection on their face, due to the risk of spreading it. It also could spread to other customers, if the razor was not properly disinfected. My best advice is to stop shaving that area until it heals, and to use lots of soap, hot water, and an antibiotic ointment on the area. My .02.

Nothing normal or healthy about a pathogenic strain of Staph aureus...

I've not shaved since, will prob do so today.
It was definitely cold sore type sores, but yeah i'll give atg a miss.
I've been using that razor for months, it wasn't a new one.

Originally Posted by BKratchmer

Nothing normal or healthy about a pathogenic strain of Staph aureus...

Acually, is it quite normal to have them living on your skin. Even MRSA (multi or methicillin resistant Staph aureus) is found often on skin. They're not a problem for healthy people, it's when your immunity system decreases that the Staph can become problematic if it gets into your system.

Originally Posted by Zwaplat

Acually, is it quite normal to have them living on your skin. Even MRSA (multi or methicillin resistant Staph aureus) is found often on skin. They're not a problem for healthy people, it's when your immunity system decreases that the Staph can become problematic if it gets into your system.

Oh, certainly. But if you have lesions/inflammation because of S. aureus, it's a problem. There is a big difference between having something as part of the microbiota, and having it become infectious.

LOL! For it to be a staph infection GhostRida'd most likely be immunocompromised and unless he works in a hospital or a nursing home I don't think he'll have to worry about MRSA playing a role in it as well. It's a CDC reportable and thankfully it's not that prevalant in society as of yet.

Gost... if it's a staph infection it will still be there in a weeks time and will most likely spread topically. If it is still there in a week go and see your primary care doc and let him do a culture and sensitivity to see what it grows.

If it's, God forbid, MRSA the same steps above will catch it as well. Either way dude, don't worry about it. If it's PFB you should have small white pustules by now where you shaved ATG. You can either bust the pustules with a toothbrush by rubbing in circular motions or just shave them off.

LOL! We're getting as bad as WebMB.

Try this to see if it helps. I had the same problem and I found out that by stretching to much I was shaving to closely. Put hot water into a cup and add about 2 teaspoons of Epsom salts and stir well. Put a washcloth into the cup and wring it out a little and then put it on a plate and microwave a little, not to hot. Soak your face for about 10 minutes and heat the cloth as needed. You will be amazed how your face will be the very next morning.


Take Care,
Richard

Originally Posted by riooso

Try this to see if it helps. I had the same problem and I found out that by stretching to much I was shaving to closely. Put hot water into a cup and add about 2 teaspoons of Epsom salts and stir well. Put a washcloth into the cup and wring it out a little and then put it on a plate and microwave a little, not to hot. Soak your face for about 10 minutes and heat the cloth as needed. You will be amazed how your face will be the very next morning.
Take Care,
Richard

This is an excellent idea Richard!

Originally Posted by Utopian

I'm not a fan of bleach for razor disinfection, as it will rapidly corrode carbon steel and even will corrode "stainless" steel surgical instruments. Alcohol will help to dissipate the bleach but it will have little impact as a viricide.

According to medical manuals I have, ethanol or isopropanol at 60-90% effectiveness is effective against a number of viruses including HBV HBC and HIV. It is not effective against spore forming bacteria (e.g. anthrax).

^^ Right. Pure alcohols will denature the proteins that make up the coat of a virus, and often times the genetic material inside as well. (Without a capsule, it is awfully hard to keep DNA or RNA safe).
Spore forming bacteria are tough, as these spores can sometimes survive autoclaving! (Super frustrating, believe me...) Fortunately these are rarely species we have on our faces, mostly soil living. (For example, the bacillus that causes botulism, Clostridium, is largely spread as spores. In fact, there are a huge number of them in honey!)

Hmmm....getting scary in here! Anthrax infection on the face? (mortality about 100%) Where does anthrax come from? Why, the very cowhide and horsehide we make strops out of! ( source of information: I once worked in a biowarfare lab in Maryland where antrax was being studied) Fortunately it is extremely rare, except in places like Anthrax Island, just off the coast of England. A WW2 experiment gone far awry, and it is still under military quarantine)
Cheers!