Thread: How to Resist the Urge to Shave

Being a barber for 15 years I have seen bumps on the back of peoples necks from irritation pretty commonly,. Usually from work uniforms etc, seems like police officers have them pretty often so I assume its the starch in their uniforms that causes the irritation as the lower back of your head and neck is pretty sensitive skin area. Shaving with the grain rather than against it is the better option as well if its a highly sensitive area.

Originally Posted by DennisBarberShop

Being a barber for 15 years I have seen bumps on the back of peoples necks from irritation pretty commonly,. Usually from work uniforms etc, seems like police officers have them pretty often so I assume its the starch in their uniforms that causes the irritation as the lower back of your head and neck is pretty sensitive skin area. Shaving with the grain rather than against it is the better option as well if its a highly sensitive area.

I think the picture is under the chin, head tilted back..... Ouch!

Ya that is the front of my neck under my chin sorry for the bad quality of the picture and lighting.

Originally Posted by Casey1991

Ya that is the front of my neck under my chin sorry for the bad quality of the picture and lighting.

I wish I could help but I've never had an irritation problem. I do know the fine folks here love to share info, so I'll let them step in.
Good Luck.

Originally Posted by rplunk43

I think the picture is under the chin, head tilted back..... Ouch!

Haha oops, yeah could be youre getting ingrown hairs from too close of a shave, generally most peoples hair grows forward closer to the back of the neck, youre probably shaving from the chin back in the same direction, try shaving from the bottom up till you feel more resistance which should be where you start shaving against the grain. I cant shave atg under my neck though or it irritates and I get ingrown hairs.

Ok first thing as has been mentioned, make sure your razor is sharp, if unsure, send it out to be honed.

Another suggestion is to go back to your old razor for a few days. if your old razor is not doing this is will be because it is sharp and not a skin issue.

once you have ascertained if your razor is blunt or sharp we can take the next steps.

Exfoliating sensitive skin is a bad idea, rubbing it with anything will cause it irritation as our barber friend said, however a good shave oil will help with glide but again not if your razor is dull. If your razor just pulls no matter the angle the chances are it's blunt.

Sometime we have to take a step back to move forwards and this is possibly the case. Don't be discouraged, it's important to get the start right, the rest will fall into place once you have a sharp straight razor and your skin has healed completely.

Good luck with it my friend.

Yeah, I guess I don't recall you saying what your shave prep is, but if you don't use a pre-shave product (i.e. oils, creams, moisturizers) you could just have dry skin and too little glide. Recipe for pain.

I personally use Prosoro "Green" pre-shave cream. I enjoy this product and noticed much smoother shaves after trying it. Some people don't like it from what I've heard because it uses menthol and eucalyptus and causes a tingling, cooling feeling, but that's one of the reasons I like it.

Also, make sure you are adding moisture and heat to your face and beard before shaving (either by a hot towel wrap for 15 to 20 min., or hot shower just before the shave). This is important cause it adds needed moisture to your hair and softens it up so the blade can glide through it with less pull.

Good luck, keep at it.

Originally Posted by jayb11175

Yeah, I guess I don't recall you saying what your shave prep is, but if you don't use a pre-shave product (i.e. oils, creams, moisturizers) you could just have dry skin and too little glide. Recipe for pain.

I personally use Prosoro "Green" pre-shave cream. I enjoy this product and noticed much smoother shaves after trying it. Some people don't like it from what I've heard because it uses menthol and eucalyptus and causes a tingling, cooling feeling, but that's one of the reasons I like it.

Also, make sure you are adding moisture and heat to your face and beard before shaving (either by a hot towel wrap for 15 to 20 min., or hot shower just before the shave). This is important cause it adds needed moisture to your hair and softens it up so the blade can glide through it with less pull.

Good luck, keep at it.

Yes I shower before I shave and use the Proraso Pre Shave with the green top. I use TOBS Sandalwood cream and a Dovo Best Quality 6/8. I get a good lather and don't think thats the issue. I then use Nivea Post Shave Balm for sensitive skin. Maybe my neck isn't meant to be shaved.

Originally Posted by jayb11175

Also, make sure you are adding moisture and heat to your face and beard before shaving (either by a hot towel wrap for 15 to 20 min., or hot shower just before the shave). This is important cause it adds needed moisture to your hair and softens it up so the blade can glide through it with less pull.

Good luck, keep at it.

Heat isn't necessary, nor is a shower before you shave. Cold shaving works just as well as long as you wash and your products and your application is good. Many people cold shave including my self. All this softening and opening and closing of pores stuff is an old wives tale. Wash your face to remove grease from hair and skin, in or out of the shower, hydrate with water (water and lather) shave. Heat can actually irritate sensitive skin so its best avoided if your skin is irritated already.

A shave stick is always good to add a bit more slip directly to your face. Arko is particularly good. Give it a try.

Enjoy

Try a cold shave as mentioned, I tried cold shaving, switched and haven't looked back.

When your healed up a bit, rinse your face well with very cold water. Then apply a first layer of lather. Once the lather is on, take your fingers and work the lather into your face and beard thoroughly. When you've done that, apply another good layer of lather. Now you're ready to shave.

Make sure you properly stretch your face, if you're not doing that now, look up the proper ways to stretch each part of your face as you shave. Stretching the skin is vital to getting solid contact between the blade and your face. It's a fundamental to a good shave.

Take your time, and your first pass should be WTG all over. For now, only do the one WTG pass on your neck, with very light pressure in the neck area.

Then, apply lather again, and do a XTG pass on your cheek area only. If your neck area is still fairly rough, use your old blade to tidy it up. You may want to use this for your first 20 or so shaves.

When I started, I got terrible redness and irritation on the right side of my neck, I backed way off on the pressure, and backed off even further on the pressure in my "danger" area, after awhile, I learned how not to get that.

And the cold water also went a long way to help reduce the irritation...hope this helps...