Shaving advice!

Hello all.

I feel faintly embarrassed to be a grown man having to ask this on an Internet forum, but here goes!

I get **terrible** redness and rawness on my neck after shaving, such that in the last 15 years you could count on two hands the number of shaves I have had - i usually just use a stubble-clipper thing to give myself a perpetual 5 o'clock shadow (or longer) - I do this to avoid the pain and burning.

Anyway, I want to be clean shaven for a change and need advice on how to avoid the terrible redness and itchiness, the latter of which goes on for 2 days. I have had 2 shaves this week and it's been awful, culminating in me applying a steroid ointment to my neck!

I have good equipment I think (mach3 with fresh blades and an electric Braun 7000 foil razor with a new blade and the auto cleaning base station).

What am I doing wrong, or what product exists to help?

Sorry to be a numpty! No actual grown up to ask in real life!

Have you tried rinsing with cold water after shave. Dry face and apply witch hazel?

Sounds as if your pre-shave prep and post shave treatment may be the culprits.

Try a pre-shave treatment like Proraso after you have had a hot shower and softened your beard with a hot water soaked towel.

Use a non-irritating Shaving cream - Baume.be has been specially formulated for folks who have easily irritated skin. Let it sit on your beard for a few minutes to further soften the beard and lubricate the skin.

Do not use an alcohol based after shave. Try witch hazel as an astringent and something like organic Shea butter as an after shave skin treatment.

Ditch the Mach 3 and use a good double edge razor with a good blade. Those multi-blade razors can pull the beard hairs out of the follicles rather than slice them off. That often leads to irritation and ingrown hairs.

When you are confident with wet shaving using the DE, ask us about shaving with a straight razor. Surprisingly, when done properly, that is actually easier on your face.

Couldn't agree more with the two replies, so far.

I remember those days of pain very well. Those three blade jobs were more commonly referred to as...grab, yank, and pull, the three baddest dudes I knew.

A DE razor helped, but I still wasn't free from it all. But I did find relief, and still do to this day 30 some years later, with a straight razor.

Prep is a very important subject for wet shaving, as much is post skin care. Some have very sensitive skin, while others could shave with spit, and a broken beer bottle.

Finding the balance may take some time for you, but a straight razor should be warranted, in your case. A single shave, with the grain, is how I started. Once I became more proficient, I moved to more intricate passes, on my face. It just takes a bit of time to learn to shave with a straight, but its worth it in the long run.

Lots n lots of guys here to help you along, and willing to do so. Your problem, is why the majority of us here took up the old ways of, wet shaving.

Great advice so far. I shaved with a Gillette Trac II for over 30 years and hated every shave, just the thought of shaving made me cringe. One day when I needed new cartridges and saw the price of $16 for 8 cartridges I decided there had to be a cheaper way being I was disabled and unemployed. First I went with a Gillette DE, $9.99 shipped off eBay and a 10 pack of blades from CVS for $1.50 which lasted a month. Noticed that after a little bit of a learning curve to get use to the razor shaving wasn't so bad after all.

Roughly 6 months later someone dared me to try a straight razor, that was 12 years ago and now I shave strictly with a straight razor. I actually look forward to shaving now. I will on occasion use a DE like if I'm in a hurry or traveling but while traveling I still take a straight with me.

Hope you have a very successful transition. Enjoy the journey and Happy Shaving!

I think the very first thing I'd do is lay off the pressure on the razor while shaving. It's a major culprit in creating irritation. Post shave try witch hazel to calm your skin and a good balm, like Nivea, also helps.

Bob

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Originally Posted by BobH

I think the very first thing I'd do is lay off the pressure on the razor while shaving. It's a major culprit in creating irritation. Post shave try witch hazel to calm your skin and a good balm, like Nivea, also helps.

Bob

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Absolutely!

We tell new wet shavers to shave the lather, not the skin. With a sharp blade, you need only the lightest of touches to remove facial hair. It takes some concentration when you first start out, but speed and technique improve with practice.

From my experience, if shaving isn’t enjoyable, you aren’t doing it right.

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Originally Posted by DZEC

Absolutely!

We tell new wet shavers to shave the lather, not the skin. With a sharp blade, you need only the lightest of touches to remove facial hair. It takes some concentration when you first start out, but speed and technique improve with practice.

From my experience, if shaving isn’t enjoyable, you aren’t doing it right.

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Amen,brother.!

....while others could shave with spit, and a broken beer bottle.

Good one Mike!
If you want to learn and grow, get a DE or just right to a straight. At first you wont see much difference in irritation, but after a few shaves it will start to become better. Its said that after 100 shaves you really start to understand. A quality soap is important so you get the cushion and slickness needed.to help you. Along with what others are saying. Preasure is your enemy! A blade should be so sharp is goes thru whiskers like a hot knife and butter.

Good luck and be sure to let us know what your plan is. The cartrage razors are never going to get you much comfort. But as you know, they will do the job but there is no fun in it.

....while others could shave with spit, and a broken beer bottle.

Good one Mike!
If you want to learn and grow, get a DE or just right to a straight. At first you wont see much difference in irritation, but after a few shaves it will start to become better. Its said that after 100 shaves you really start to understand. A quality soap is important so you get the cushion and slickness needed.to help you. Along with what others are saying. Preasure is your enemy! A blade should be so sharp is goes thru whiskers like a hot knife and butter.

Good luck and be sure to let us know what your plan is. The cartrage razors are never going to get you much comfort. But as you know, they will do the job but there is no fun in it.

I shaved from 17 to 57 with a Gillette and spray goop.

I hated shaving so much and got it done in like 3 minutes.

Then I discovered straights, bought one and cut myself good.

It was so terrifying that i actually lost sleep knowing I was going to shave the next morning.

I even made youtube vids for the guys here so they could advise me.

Coming up on a year now, and shaving is so great, it relaxes me and gives me time to slow down and smell the roses (you just cannot rush a straight shave).

Anyway, I love shaving with a staight so much now that I spend a lot of time faceturbating to see if I can find any bristles that would give me an excuse for another shave.

I am lucky, I'm one of those people that could shave with a broken bottle because i have hide like a rhino but I fully agree with the others here.

Bite the bullet and bin the throw away cartridges. Get a decent DE or better yet an inexpensive straight razor fom here, some soap to die for, a cheap brush and go for it for a month. Your face is going to thank you and the guys here will give you all the help they can.

This forum taught me to shave, to strop and now to hone, get that straight and start enjoying your shave.

....while others could shave with spit, and a broken beer bottle.

Good one Mike!
If you want to learn and grow, get a DE or just right to a straight. At first you wont see much difference in irritation, but after a few shaves it will start to become better. Its said that after 100 shaves you really start to understand. A quality soap is important so you get the cushion and slickness needed.to help you. Along with what others are saying. Preasure is your enemy! A blade should be so sharp is goes thru whiskers like a hot knife and butter.

Good luck and be sure to let us know what your plan is. The cartrage razors are never going to get you much comfort. But as you know, they will do the job but there is no fun in it.

It’s a little complex, mostly because we all have different skin and whiskers, and the direction of growth combined with the direction of the shave all have some bearing on the subject. Every stroke of a three blade razor is like three strokes with a single blade razor. Minimizing your shaving and making every stroke count helps too. I had a beard for many years because I could not keep up a clean shave for very long. Wet shaving with either a straight, DE or single edge razor, combined with good products and technique is all you need. You will have to do some experimenting to dial it in.
Sorry for the long post.
Mapping out your hair growth direction can help you figure out some of your problem areas. There are many preshave products out there. The two that made a big difference for me is Proraso and Noxema. I can honestly say I have been shaving regularly without irritation for quite a while. The above advice has been rock solid. Irritation culprits are typically too much pressure, dull razors poor prep and poor shave products. Also after shave is not just to make you smell pretty. They are to help cleanse and fortify the skin.
My final point, you don’t have to post all your questions online, you do have the option to private message any mentor with questions.

Skin irritation was one of the reasons I switched to straights. Recently I found out that my after shave balm (alcohol-free) was to blame for considerable irritation as well. Nowadays I am using unfragrenced Aveeno hand cream as an A/S and have virtually no more skin irritation

I had gotten a fair bit of irritation from alum blocks.

You probably should see a dermatologist but what I’m about to say will be much cheaper if not actually useful or accurate.

Irritation/inflammation may be caused by:

Mechanical abrasion: Your razor, washcloth, preshave scrub, or some combo of each is removing too much skin and causing an inflammatory reaction. Solution: Ditch the cloths and scrubs and only use the razor with the lightest touch possible. Since you’re going to be using a zero pressure/drag approach with the razor, only sharp blades will be useful. A dull razor does not cause “burn” but encourages one to use too much pressure which most certainly will.

I would characterize a light touch as being able to hear the whiskers being cut but barely able to feel the pressure, drag, or tug of the razor on the skin.

Chemical: Some chemical in your peri-shave routine is causing an inflammatory response. Solution: Simplify! Eliminate all chemicals except a light, neutral lather. Or perhaps baby oil. Shower after you shave to remove all lather. Put nothing else on your face.

Thermal: The water you use can be too hot or cold and start an inflammatory response even before your razor meets your face. Solution: use room – body temperature water.

Bacterial/Fungal: Not a diagnosis but there could be some funky microbial thing going on. See you doctor.

Innate Hypersensitivity: I’m not diagnosing anything here (especially lupus) but again see your doctor.

And remember that irritation sets you up for more irritation. Don’t try to shave already injured or insulted areas.

Hi and welcome aboard. I am another that switched due to irritation. My neck was like a pimpley ingrown disaster. As said decent products, keep it simple, reduse pressure and go slow.

Less variables makes it easier to find the faults. Only add or change one variable at a time and you should be able to figure it out quick enough.

I have been shaving for around 55 years. For the first 50 of those years, my shaves were not good, I am sorry to admit. I have a tough, fast-growing beard and very sensitive skin. I never could shave with a foil shaver like the Braun; it caused terrible irritation. I could use a Norelco rotary shaver without irritation, but the shave was never close enough, so I had to shave again in the evening if I was going out.

Multi-blade cartridge razors shaved close enough, but they irritated my skin.

For the post five years, I have been shaving with either straight razors, double edge or single edge safety razors. I now get very close shaves without irritation. However, it took me a while to find right combination of razors and blades, shaving soap, beard preparation, and shaving technique to get me to where I am today. It did not happen overnight.

If you are interested, I will be glad to help you diagnose your current shaving situation and suggest ways to improve each aspect of your shave. However, that is too complex to do on the open forum. If you are interested, send me a private message.

You first need to find out the reason. it could be:
- Improper use of the razor (pressing too hard).
- The presence of acne, lesions, acne on the skin (in the process of shaving they are cut off, irritation occurs, the infection moves to other areas of the skin).
- Use of alcohol-based toners and lotions, which dry out and irritate the skin even more.
- Allergy to shaving foam or lotions.
- Improper storage of shaving accessories.

You really should see a good dermatologist and check your shaving products.

Electric razors caused my face to glow like a light bulb. Switching to a straight has been the best thing for me. Its a bit intimidating at first, but its not at all difficult. I tell everyone that great grandpa did it this way and he wasnt uniquely gifted, he just took off his whiskers. Like most of the replies so far, I would also recommend witch hazel as an aftershave. Multi blades are a scam. If the first blade cuts the whiskers, the other four are either scraping skin or are merely there in a supervisory role.

I was the same way. Every cartridge razor I tried irritated my face. I learned shaving with williams soap and a Walmart brush. I tried canned goo which just made it worse so back to williams. Yes my 9 years in service having to shave every day was fun.

Then 13 years ago I decided to try a straight razor just for the bad ass effect and found this site (then called straight razor place). I learned actual proper lather, proper prep how to use a straight, proper aftershave and better soaps and creams.

A few years ago I started also using safety razors, although I can get close to straight razor shave with one of safety razors it isn't quite there.

Now I fluctuate between straight and safety, guess what no more irritation.

My advice would be to learn safety razor (unless you want to go straight to straight, full pun intended). Get a good brush and soap/cream and jump into the wetshaver rabbit hole. I recommend safety because though it has a learning curve the curve isn't much.

Try an intime gel, you will see the difference for sure

First, make sure you are shaving WTG, With The Grain, or as close to it as practical within the limitations of your facial topography. You don't have to get it perfect on the first pass. Lather, shave, then lather again and do a cleanup pass. The first pass should be thought of as reducing the beard, not totally eliminating it. It is the setup for the final pass. Try two WTG passes for now. That should give you a SAS (Socially Acceptable Shave) without torturing yourself.

A single blade will generally be much easier on your face than multiple blades. There are some decent single blade disposables and cartridge razors out there. Most of them will shave about as well as a DE, TBH. It takes a while to learn to really get the best out of a DE. Personally I think learning to use a straight razor is a lot easier than learning to properly use a DE. It is simple, elemental, and intuitive. But CHOOSE one, and stick with it for a month or two at least. Don't be constantly changing stuff. If you change just two variables, you won't know which is helping and which is hurting. So go single blade stick razor, or DE, or straight. If you go with a stick razor, whether cartridge or disposable, go with one that does NOT have a swively head, so you can control the shave angle. The swivel heads do not "automatically follow the contours of your face", at least not while maintaining the optimum shave angle, which changes anyway. If you go DE, I suggest an adjustable, but DO NOT FIDDLE WITH THE ADJUSTMENT. Leave it on a setting just on the mild side and never change it until you really have a handle on DE shaving. It's a variable. Leave it where it will likely be in the ballpark and don't mess with it. If you go with a straight razor, make sure it is verified shave ready. Many promise shave ready. Few deliver. Most sellers on fleabay or etsy don't have a clue, they just say shave ready cause it sounds good. The best way to get a decent beginner straight razor is to buy from a member on this or any other straight razor forum. If a member says it is shave ready, his reputation is vulnerable and will take a hard hit if it is not. Everybody has off days, but buying from a forum member, especially one with a long posting history and a good reputation, is about as foolproof as it gets. If you buy on fleabay first look and see what all he sells and what his feedback score is. If he sells a lot of shave ready razors and his score is near perfect, obviously nobody is pissed off at getting a razor that won't do the job. Such a seller ought to be good for your to buy from. You can also ask about a particular seller on a forum. The seller might even be a member. Just don't post links to active AUCTIONS. I don't know about here, but on most forums that would be a no-no because it drives up the bids, and someone might be bidding on it and hoping to get it for a reasonable proce. Usually a "Buy It Now" listing is okay to post the link. You will also need a strop, if you go with straight shaving. Don't just get the cheapest thing you can find. It will end badly. Again, you can ask for advice on this or any other straight shaving forum. So choose your weapon, and pick a good one, and ask for help if you need it.

No matter what type razor you want to use, a good lather will help a lot. Good lather does not squirt out of a can. You need a soap or cream, (remember, no cans!) and a decent brush. Basically you got synthetic, horse, boar, and badger. They all have their pros and cons. I suggest a medium to large size silvertip grade badger. This can be expensive or it can be pretty reasonable. My favorite brush currently is my 30mm Silvertip from Larry at www.whippeddog.com. I actually have three of them. You as a beginner with no set preference yet would probably be just fine with a 26mm brush. You can get the same size silvertip cheaper from China but there are not many Chinese brushmakers making a decent quality product, and you have to wait on it to get to you on the slow boat from China. Larry's brushes are only a few bucks more, and you get it in days instead of weeks, and you are buying from an American with a good track record. If you want something "nicer", post your question. I won't get into brushes too expensive to attract my interest. They mostly all do the same job, you just pay for a little extra cosmetic gloss and artisanal materials and workmanship when you buy a premium brush. A boar is cheaper but kind of prickly, not good for sensitive skin, and it doesn't hold soap and water like a badger. Black badger is almost as prickly. Boar will eventually soften up a bit, but still won't hold product like a badger. Horse can be a bit floppy, synthetic isn't really ready for the big time yet. Proraso makes some pretty good soaps, with one for sensitive skin. C.O. Bigelow is just rebranded Proraso. My favorite cream is Godrej Rich Lather. It is dirt cheap and very good. Look for it at your local Indian or Middle Eastern grocery.

Get your gear, and do your homework. Learn how to make a good lather. Let it stand on your face and soften your whiskers. The hot towel routine is totally optional and you cn do without that, but remember to shave WTG. Also STRETCH your skin good. Tight skin resists cuts and irritation. Loose flappy skin attracts trauma. Keep your pressure light. Don't try to dig the whiskers out of their follicles. Think removing the lather. Whiskers will come away with it. Keep your shave angle as low as possible while still being able to cut whiskers efficiently. Too high a shave angle is SCRAPING, not shaving. Not what you want. Right? This is especially true with a straight razor, where you have pretty much totall freedom, but it applies to other razors, too. This is why you don't want a swiveling head. You have no control.

I like to shave right out of the shower, without drying my face. Try it. I lather, then strop my razor while the lather sits on my face, then shave.

Once you decide on a razor, like I said, don't change it for a while. That includes DE blades. Avoid the super cheap ones. There are threads here and there on DE blade preference, I won't get into it, except that my favorite DE blade is the Feather. These are about the sharpest DE blade in the world. That doesn't mean they will irritate you or cut you, necessarily, but you do have to be a bit more careful and use a shallower shave angle with them. Personna red packs or med preps are okay, Gillette 7 Oclock greens are okay. You may have to order online except I do know that Sallys Beauty Supply has Personna blue packs. The Wilkinsons in the drugstores and groceries are meh. Okay but underwhelming.

Anyway do your two passes. wash your face in cold water, and apply your aftershave. You probably would not do well with an alcohol based AS. A witch hazel AS like Lucky Tiger would probably be better. Or a shave balm like Nivea.

Man Alive! Did you guys read the post above mine? Crescent City used the phrase "Facial Topography"!!!! As a school teacher, I have to say that I could not be more proud of his for using that phrase. Never let it be said that we arent an educated bunch over her on SRP!

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Originally Posted by MrZ

Man Alive! Did you guys read the post above mine? Crescent City used the phrase "Facial Topography"!!!! As a school teacher, I have to say that I could not be more proud of his for using that phrase. Never let it be said that we arent an educated bunch over her on SRP!

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I dropped out of high school. I'm not educated, just smart.

I just noticed all of the typographical errors in my post! Holy Smokes.

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Originally Posted by MrZ

I just noticed all of the typographical errors in my post! Holy Smokes.

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You mean the one bragging about how educated we are?

I’d like to add my $0.02 as well.
Like the OP my quest for shaving improvement has always been due to unsightly red marks on my neck. Here’s a few of my observations:
1) my red marks on neck weren’t due to a dirty blade. Mine were immediate and appeared even with a brand new blade. Probably some type of mini-trauma to the area.
2) cartridge razor > electric shave > DE shave > straight razor (most to least irritation)
3) I shave every day now and don’t take rest days. IMO my skin has improved by doing this
4) I shave in the morning and apply a splash after shaving or a balm if I feel I need a bit extra attention on my neck.
5) at night before bed I apply vitamin E oil to my neck. Really helps regeneration of the skin
6) using a straight razor I now shave from north to south on my face and this results in an against the grain shave on my neck. Initially I thought this would make my neck worse, but it’s actually improved it.

Take it slow and good luck.

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Originally Posted by Socalandrew

6) using a straight razor I now shave from north to south on my face and this results in an against the grain shave on my neck. Initially I thought this would make my neck worse, but it’s actually improved it.

Take it slow and good luck.

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Funny. For me when I started with a straight razor I found that one side of my neck grows in an odd direction so I attack it with the grain on the first pass to ease irritation.

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Originally Posted by planeden

Funny. For me when I started with a straight razor I found that one side of my neck grows in an odd direction so I attack it with the grain on the first pass to ease irritation.

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I struggled reversing the straight razor and doing an upwards pass on my neck, so it was more a case of shaving down my neck due to necessity. Glad I did though, although I still get some red marking on my neck it’s a huge improvement over the methods of shaving.

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Originally Posted by Socalandrew

I struggled reversing the straight razor and doing an upwards pass on my neck, so it was more a case of shaving down my neck due to necessity. Glad I did though, although I still get some red marking on my neck it’s a huge improvement over the methods of shaving.

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Ah, that makes sense. When I am feeling lazy and don't want to try the contortion mine takes, I have also found that I can do a down stroke with just 1/2" or so of the razor. Doing multiple narrow passes significantly reduces the irritation and I just live with it not being as close as the rest of it.

On my neck I go against the grain first, the with the grain on second pass. It works better for me, smoother easier shave and less irritation. I seem to be in the minority with that method.

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Originally Posted by Ganyngegi

Hello all.

I feel faintly embarrassed to be a grown man having to ask this on an Internet forum, but here goes!

I get **terrible** redness and rawness on my neck after shaving, such that in the last 15 years you could count on two hands the number of shaves I have had - i usually just use a stubble-clipper thing to give myself a perpetual 5 o'clock shadow (or longer) - I do this to avoid the pain and burning.

Anyway, I want to be clean shaven for a change and need advice on how to avoid the terrible redness and itchiness, the latter of which goes on for 2 days. I have had 2 shaves this week and it's been awful, culminating in me applying a steroid ointment to my neck!

I have good equipment I think (mach3 with fresh blades and an electric Braun 7000 foil razor with a new blade and the auto cleaning base station).

What am I doing wrong, or what product exists to help?

Sorry to be a numpty! No actual grown up to ask in real life!

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Aloha OP;

You posted this question about THREE (3) months ago and have not responded nor thanked nor liked any of the posts since then, plentiful and helpful as the responses have been. In fact, your original post was your one and only post as a member. Odd. I'll thank them for you. Thanks to all the excellent help and opinions offered here, gentlemen.

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Originally Posted by ZipZop

Aloha OP;

You posted this question about THREE (3) months ago and have not responded nor thanked nor liked any of the posts since then, plentiful and helpful as the responses have been. In fact, your original post was your one and only post as a member. Odd. I'll thank them for you. Thanks to all the excellent help and opinions offered here, gentlemen.

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HAHAHA well I guess now we have a "what to do if my neck is raw from shaving" wiki. OP probably forgot how to log in. Or he gave up and grew a beard.