Thread: 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

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

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.

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.

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.