Worried about ingrown hairs

[themachine313]

Hi,
I've been looking into this straight razor thing for a little bit now and am thinking about getting one but I was wondering about a few things. I havent actually be clean shaven for about 4 years now. I would get in grown hairs and acne all the time, especially on my jaw line, when I used to shave with a safety razor but my dermatologist said i couldnt shave with a razor anymore. Now I just use a beard trimmer and have a permanent 5 o'clock shadow. From what I've read it seems a straight razor doesnt give you the skin problems that safety razors do...I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and can vouche for the clear skin. Also, I have some scarring leftover as well as the occasional pimple which im worried will get all cut up if I use a straight razor, should I be worried about that at all?

thanks for the help

[poona]

Exfoliate x2 a week and you will reap the rewards. Also maintain a strict cleansing & moisturizing regime.

Dermalogica products are fantastic but it depends where you're located.

[holli4pirating]

I quit shaving because I have sensitive skin and used to have breakouts and ingrown hair and razor burn from a Mach 3. I found those problems vanished when I moved to a straight, even after about three or four years of not shaving.

Make sure you only go with the grain when you start, and wait a week at least before you start across and another week before going against. You may find that across and/or against causes issues, and you can always "back off" and go down one step.

I also find that shaving with a straight does exfoliate, and I typically don't wash my face in the shower if I know I'm going to be shaving after so I don't overdo it.

[keljian]

I used to suffer ingrowns also, then moved to a straight and provided I shave at least once every second day now I don't get them, if I miss 3 days in a row I end up with a small chance of getting an ingrown (very small) and I just shave over as normal which exfoliates the area anyhow, which makes it disappear over the course of 2-3 days.. without pain.

The more I shave, the better the situation is.

[ChrisL]

I was no stranger to ingrowns from a safety, DE and also an electric; pretty much any shaving method. I would have to bring a healthy number of them to the surface with a pointed tweezer as a regular part of my grooming regimen. Now I honestly can count the number of ingrowns on my entire face and neck at around 5-10 per month if that. I do not shave ATG. I find no real need for it as I can get hands down smoother and longer lasting shaves than any of the other shaving methods I've previously mentioned while using my straight razors.

Chris L

[PA23-250]

Pretty much a repeat of what Crisl just said. Actually, this past week when I was doing fireworks shows almost every night (I'm a pyrotechnician), I'd shower & shave when I got in (I reeked of sulfur!). Since I wanted to get to sleep in a hurry (averaging 4 hours/night if that), I used my old DE--and got 1 or 2 ingrowns if I got careless going XTG.

Now that I'm back on str8s: Not a single one--and a closer, longer lasting shave to boot!

[Weeeeee]

I had problems with ingrown hairs when using a regular razor too. If I went over an area more than once, I knew I was in trouble. I have had no problems since I switched to a straight. I have never even had any razor burn from a straight. I can go over an area multiple times, and no problems. I would bet that you could find a fairly cheap razor here. Try it for a few weeks, or maybe a month, and if it doesn't work out, you could probably sell your razor for close to what you paid for it.

[psdarby]

I also suffered from severe adult acne and ingrown hairs prior to switching to straight. Straight razors completely fixed the problem for me. I'd also say try it for a month. If you don't like it put your stuff up for sale on this site. Should be able to recap most of your money.



Good Luck, hope it works out well for you.

Patrick

[AverageJoe]

Sounds like me. I've got quite a few bumps, scars etc. and have been shaving with a straight for about a month with no problem----just be aware or where they are so you can "lighten up" a little when you hit them. I'm sure everyone's different, but with my Dovo Tortoise 5/8 I've had great success and am very happy I started using a straight. I guess you could always use a DE to go over a spot if it wasn't "shavable" with a straight, but I think you'll be surprised at what you can shave over without much of a problem. Good Luck!

[Whiggamore]

I do not shave with a cutthroat, yet. I use a Gillette Fusion, with the five blades.

I do not have serious acne. I do get pimples though, especially in the t-zone.

A few months ago I dropped the canned shaving creams and took up some wet-shaving practices, really focused on my pre-shave routine, and used an alum block every shave. I really can't praise the alum block enough. It'll kill the acne causing bacteria. I also started to wash my face at night, before bed, something I had never done before. I soon noticed my face had cleared up, ingrown hairs had stopped appearing, and there was no more razor burn or bumps.

My wife has more serious acne and has experienced some success with an olive oil and rose soap, so look at what you're putting on your face. Natural products are usually better. Some of them can be trouble also, though. I wouldn't suggest West Indian lime products, for example, because actual West Indian limes are highly acidic. Here in the West Indies we pull them out for cleaning, long before we'll reach for vinegar or Clorox. The same goes for alcohol based products. Be careful if you have sensitive skin.

The humidity here helps, too. It makes you sweat. Maybe you could dry a face steam before your shave. I just use a steel mixing bowl with boiled water and some select herbs. Put your face above the bowl and put a towel over the whole thing. Be careful not to burn your throat or the inside of your nostrils, though.