Thread: It's getting better, but feels like I'm getting too close

I just wanted to update my journey with a straight razor as I need some advice/tips. I'm still only shaving my cheeks until I get comfortable with that. The first few shaves were pretty rough, definitely not comfortable. The last few have been a lot better comfort-wise, but it feels like I am getting irritation hours later after the shave. Skin feels pretty good after the shave, slightly dry (I do use a toner and balm afterwards), and than it feels like razor burn slowly sets in. I have pretty sensitive skin, the kind where ATG is not really possible. Maybe I need to have a lighter touch, but it feels like I'm getting a closer shave than with a DE, which makes my skin dry out even more. I keep thinking to myself "maybe my skin is too sensitive for a straight razor". Any tips/suggestions appreciated. BTW I appreciate all the advice I've gotten, I've really focused on my angle lately and it has definitely made the shave smoother.

Pressure could definitely be the culprit. The hardest part about learning a straight for me was remain light.

It also may take your skin some time to get used to the edge of a straight. Although a DE can be just as harsh.

Pups is probably right.

Tell us how you prep yor beard and what soaps you are using, type of brush, after shave, razor, etc.

Do you get any razor burn when you use your DE? If not, then you should still be a good candidate for SR shaving. If you have dry skin after your DE shave, perhaps you need to change your soap. With naturally dry skin, you may need a soap with additional oils or fats to help you out. A light touch on the razor is exactly that; no more than the weight of the blade, I try to use less than that. It takes some time and practice to develop that touch. You will be shaving a hollow under your jaw, and just not getting close enough, so you press harder to flatten the skin. It's a natural reaction, but probably the one that is leading to your razor burn. You will come to recognize such situations, and if you are to be successful, you will have to find another way to deal with them. Better skin stretching, different direction of attack, adding a little more lather... It will come. You don't need luck, just time with your blade in hand.

Someone once mentioned... try to think about shaving off the lather, to get a lighter touch. Seems to help me some.

Others' more experienced with a variety of soaps, creams, pre-shave, and aftershave lotions, and brushes may be able to provide some suggestions. Three things I found out though, which you can consider...

One, I found that applying pre-shave cream (I use Poraso for sensitive skin), before lathering, for each pass, helps reduce irritation. Two, when I tried a synthetic brush (I wanted to use it for travel), I had more irritation that my softer/fuller Badger brush. Three, I had a harder time getting a consistent lather with soap, than I did with cream (Taylor of Bond Street).

Just curious, how many strokes do you do in one area, during a pass? IOW, once you apply latter, how many times does the razor cover an area, before you reapply lather? I probably hit the same spot about 2-3 times (the third, due to overlap) on the early passes when the beard growth is longer, before I rinse and reapply pre-shave and lather for the next pass. Usually, I only do one stroke in an area, on the subsequent passes (maybe two with some overlap). Wondering if you are maybe doing too many strokes without the lather to lubricate? Something to consider.