An estimated 20 million African American men reportedly suffer from or at some point in their lives have been plagued by razor bumps.
For those whose faces are hit the hardest, life can be a roller coaster of pure agony.
According to Doctor Michelle Henry, “Razor bumps, also called pseudofollicultis barbae, can occur in any area that hair is temporarily removed by shaving, waxing or tweezing. These painful bumps and pustules occur when hairs curl back into the skin causing your body to perceive them as “foreign†(like a splinter) and produce an inflammatory response. The inflammation can cause bumps, pus, discoloration and keloidal scars.
The fight to rid faces of these unsightly blemishes has contributed to making the male grooming market a $3.6 billion industry. It’s a booming untapped market and a sweet spot for companies looking to capitalize and a goldmine for companies with products that actually work.
A Houston-based startup is offering cutting edge solutions to help clients shave without irritation. Shavewise soft launched in December after two years of pitches, development, and research, and in March embarked on a marketing blitz to scale up the firm.
It was started by Greg Ward, a Harvard grad and a veteran in the corporate environment after working for fortune 500 companies for almost 20 years.
Ward says he suffered from razor bumps for more than two decades. His condition was so unbearable at times that he says he found it difficult to sleep on the sides of his face.
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BlackEnterprise.com spoke to Ward about his new venture and his plans to not only tap into the market but also provide a desperately needed service that could potentially change lives.
According to him, “Most of the solutions on the market today are band-aids. They try to address issues associated with the razor or the moisture in products, after shave or oils. Ours is the only system that looked at the anatomical nature of shaving hair and the medicinal pharmaceutical perspective of what it will take to get the inflammation down to keep the bumps away.”
Ward says there is a fundamental flaw about the way big companies tackle shaving bumps. He says, “Every guy’s face is different in the way their hair grows and this is where the big companies are missing the mark. What creates an opportunity for us is we developed a process where we teach clients how to discover the growth pattern of their face and the right way to use our products.”
“The men who use our system and see instant results are guys who tried everything. Within 48 hours most of the issues are cleared up. That’s unheard of.”
Ward says black men and women are spending thousands of dollars on dermatologists and solutions that simply don’t work.
“From a medical perspective, after 30 years shaving, most dermatologists give prescriptions for steroids or antibiotics. I had one tell me to shave every Thursday. I got into this business because of personal frustration at wanting a solution for myself. You want to look your best, especially high level senior executives in the public eye frequently. You want to look your best.”
incontent-ad3">He had one senior executive tell him he got his Mojo back. “This guy is 52-years-old and we solved his issue over a weekend.”
Shavewise manufactures here in the U.S. It owns all intellectual property associated with the formulation and development of products and a center capable of shipping anywhere in the world. The company also ships products to parts of Europe.
Shavewise’s three step solution includes a pre-shave scrub, smooth shave cream and soothing after shave balm.
Ward also says his company developed a winning formula to drive sales. “Like other startups, we drive people to our website through digital marketing and public relations. But here’s where we differ. I actually went to barber college and one of the things I worked to understand was the biological and chemical reactions associated with inflammation. I tried to study just how the mechanical removal of hair from the face impacted this issue.”
Ward discovered a neglect of focus in this area and created a curriculum to teach student barbers and instructors the fundamentals. He’s applying what he gleaned from barber school to his startup.
“From a sales perspective, we soon realized there was a huge market associated with service for guys who wanted to come in and be taught how to shave properly and receive treatment. Guys who had bumps so bad, you had to cut them just to remove the tip of the hair from the skin. So in Houston we opened the first of its kind barbering and dermatology practice under one roof.”
What this means is Ward now has a facility, affectionately called their “Shave Cave,” where clients can walk in and address various forms of skin care issues. It’s a service model that appears to work. The company now has an alternate market driven by the business of professional services.
Shavewise plans to open another shop in Atlanta and then Los Angeles and DC. Ward and his team also plan to be in New York in August.