Thread: Last resort.

I was thinking the same thing. I use the cheap single and double blade disposables, and I'm gonna put off shaving until I can get some soap and a brush, cause I think the shaving cream is a large part of the problem.

I live in Teton Valley Driggs.

Right under neath the Tetons.

well i was thinking glen is by sandpoint, but that's the other end of the state....

one of the advantages of straight razor is that you strop the blade so the edge is very consistent between shaves. anything else the blade deteriorates over few shaves. the other thing is that you have full control over the angle of the blade, which is pretty fixed with a disposable.

see if you can find soap and brush locally and your results should improve even with your current razor. one thing about the williams soap (haven't tried the other) is that it may be a bit too drying on the skin. there are plenty of good aftershaves if you need it - like nivea for example and they're not very expensive at all iirc less than $5. or many guys make their own - check in the aftershaves/colognes section.

oh and do check with your local barber.

FWIW, I had better luck with the VDH soap over the Williams. Williams irritated the hell out of my face and smelled terrible to me. But, some people swear by it...at 99 cents, I guess it's not much of a loss to try it out. The little VDH kit that Wal-Mart sells is a decent starting point too. The brush is a coarse badger hair, but all it takes is a boiling cup of water from the microwave to soften it up.

Since you're saving money anyway though, you might consider getting just the brush from Wal-Mart and grabbing some CO Bigelow shaving creme from Bath and Body. It'll cost about the same as the VDH kit, but the CO Bigelow stuff is high quality for sure.

Check out this option from one our SRP members...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/vendo...rs-strops.html

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Check out this option from one our SRP members...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/vendo...rs-strops.html

That looks like a great option also.

I'll see if Orange has anything to say about it. I might need to learn with a shavette first anyways.

May have to see if it's still available in a couple months.

Good to know Kenrup restocked again!

When you're shaving with a straight, do you generally learn to use both hands?

I was just wondering, cause I would feel a lot more comfortable just using my right hand.

Originally Posted by JokiJo

That looks like a great option also.

I'll see if Orange has anything to say about it. I might need to learn with a shavette first anyways.

May have to see if it's still available in a couple months.

You certainly don't need to learn with a Shavette first and you probably don't want to. They are not at all forgiving of budding technique. When I first started with a straight, it felt so awkward anyway I decided to try shaving with either hand and learned to do it from the start. Now having the option, I am glad I learned to use either hand

That set kenrup sells is a great deal, by the way!

Josh, let me start with issuing a warning: You'll likely start with a worse result using a straight. No, it doesn't fit the straight shaving praising on the forum, but you'll likely start with some nicks, cuts and razor burn.

Now that we've got that out of the way, if you PM me your address, I'll send you a brand spanking new block of alum (Italian) and a brand new still in plastic puck of our own Olivia's soap (the ambra one). The soap is great for sensitive skin, will last you a long time, but I found it less pleasant in building the lather. It nevertheless works and I wouldn't be surprised if just about everybody else gets a better result than me.

It will take some time, as it has to come from Europe, but about a week and you'll have a puck of soap and a block of alumm, that you can even use as an aftershave alternative.

Originally Posted by JokiJo

I'm aware, but it can't be a ot worse then what's going on now.

First I shave, then I get razor bumps and acne, then I shave again and cut the tips off said shaving bumps and acne!

Hi JokiJo

Without a proper physical exam, neither me nor anyone else on this forum can say for sure whether what you have going on is acne or razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis) or a combination of the two. But to be safe its good to address both problems.

For acne, if its mild, then over the counter benzyl peroxide washes are a good treatment. These can range from inexpensive drugstore brand benzoyl peroxide wash twice a day to more highly packaged and expensive benzoyl peroxide products like Proactive. Also, its really important that you do not use any oil containing products on your skin. They will make the acne worse. If it says non-comedigenic, don't believe it. Only the term "oil-free' should reassure you that this will not worsen your acne.

If this does not stop the acne now, or later as you get older, then you would need to use some prescription meds, like antibiotics, or as a last resort accutane, which of course you should see a dermatologist for. The thing is, you want to make sure the acne does not get out of control, because it could lead to scarring that you will carry on your face the rest of your life, even after your acne finally goes away (which is it often but not always does when you get into your twenties).

For razor bumps/pseudofolliculitis, I hate to say it because I love straight razor shaving, but straight razors might not be for you. I know I might get flamed here for saying this, but I am not going to give you bad advice just to be popular on this forum. Anyway, pseudofolliculitis is caused by cut hairs looping back into the skin. The sharper the edge of the hair after it is cut, the easier it is for the hair to poke back into the skin. Unfortunately, a straight razor, a disposable razor, a double edge razor, all of these will produce a very sharp edged hair and all have similar likelihood of producing pseudofolliculitis.

It sounds like you are going to try straight razors, and really I hope they work for you, because there is nothing like shaving with one. But I worry that they might not work for you in stopping the razor bumps. It this happens, then the next alternative would be to try electric razors. They produce a much more blunt edge after cutting hairs, and many people who get razor bumps with blade shaving can get away with shaving with electric razors, the less close shaves being a compromise for at least not getting the bumps.

Some people with really curly hair find that even electric shavers do not prevent razor bumps. In this case its worthwhile to try chemical depillatories such as Magic Shave. Its kind of like Nair that women use for their legs, but marketed more for guys beards, and you can get it in most drug stores. The one problem with chemical depillatories is that, even used as directed, they can cause some irritation, so to counteract that you can use something to soothe your skin (that is oil free, remember), and if you want to use an old school shaving remedy like folks on this forum, you can try witch hazel to reduce the irritation.

Finally, if none of this works, then the only other alternative is to grow a beard. It does not have to be a long beard, a close trimmed one is fine. If while you are growing out your beard, you encounter some hairs trying to ingrow, you can gently try to remove them from ingrowing carefully, with a pin.

Working as a medic in the army, and then as a dermatologist and full time instructor both at the local university derm residency program and VA hopsital for many years has given me experience which I am glad to pass along in the hope of trying to help, not only you, but others on the forum with these problems.

Good luck and if you have further questions, let me know.

Pete