Prone to ingrowns

I have been enjoying my first partial shaves with the straight, and while I have no strop, I am finding the newspaper is doing the trick for now.

Because I have bumps from ingrowns, I have had to avoid those areas with the SE and just use the M-3 around those areas while they heal.

I'm wondering if anyone else out there who is prone to ingrowns has used anything that has worked at preventing them?? I have seen many types of salves and balms advertised, but because I am presently trying something called "bump eraser" to no avail, I am suspicious of trying something else that probably won't work.

I've heard it's these multi blade cartridge razors that gave me the bumps in the first place, but is it solely the fault of those razors? Or is a combination of my skin type, my technique AND the multiblade?

Is there actually something out there that can heal and prevent them from coming back? It's quite irritating, especially when I have a few on the chin growing at once.

I'm wondering if investing in a DE would be a good idea to hit those areas I can't get to with the straight because of the bumps. Because I figure contiuning to shave around those bumps with a multi, might just make me go into a perpetual ingrown hair bump cycle? I can't remember the last time I had a completely clear face without ingrown hair damage. It's been at least two years. I actually got a syringe that I use solely for "freeing" the hair from under the skin. Beats the old method of scratching the layers of skin off until the hair popped up.:medvl:

I hear you! I had the same problem, and whilst I still get the occasional bump now, they are much much better than they used to be.

I found that the modern multi blade razors made my bumps much worse, as does shaving against the grain.

I got a DE Merkur initially and started shaving only WTG and that all but got rid of them. They come back occasionally now, usually towards the end of the week as I shave every day for work.

Now I shave with a mix of WTG and XTG strokes daily and I hardly ever have a problem now.

The situation improved again when I got my first straight.

I've found the excellent soaps and creams straight users habitually use, combined with the single blade only have drastically improved my bumps.

So yes, I think a DE would be better than a Mach 3 for your problem areas so try one and see what you think!

I terms of products to treat bumps you could try this stuff:

Ingrown hair treatment, ingrowing hair advice - ingrown hair solutions UK

I found that Trumpers skin food helps as well.

Let us know how you get on!

Ingrown hairs are a byproduct of and caused by the modern day multiblade safety razor and some electrics.

The engineering behind these new multibladed razors is a great example of one size fits all. They are engineered with the assumption that if all faces, and legs, aren't the same, then we must produce a product that makes them that way.

The blade holder is made so that its frame, when pushed down on the skin, forms a flat and relatively tight surface for the blades to work on. Thus, no matter how your face is configured, thier blade will work.

The next thing are those multiple blades. All of them are not designed to cut. Just the last one cuts. The rest are in place, and at an angle designed to grab and pull the hair out, until the last one cuts it. What happens next is what causes the ingrown hair!

After the last blade cuts the hair, the hair is released and allowed to pop back into the hole it came out of. In some cases the hole tries to grow shut and the hair keeps trying to grow. Thus the ingrown hair.

Some electrics do the same thing but in a different way.

If you are getting ingrown hairs after using a SE razor, you can almost be assured it is not caused by the razor. If anything, you are shaving to close, and you might be prone to ingrowns. I would think after a while it should clear up considerably and you should see this stop.

Ray

I have found not shaving every day helps a great deal. I really wish i could shave every day, but my skin and hair just dont allow it. Try an every other day if possible.

Contrary to popular opinion, some people just have sensitive skin no matter what they use to shave. My own skin problems are better from using a straight (I'd like to think, but honestly I can't prove it), but not gone completely. I was trying lots of aftershave balms and facial care products but to little avail. Eventually I stopped using anything but soap (for the shave) and a facial cleanser like Cetaphil for washing my face in the morning/night and the problem again got even better. I now shave as infrequently as I care to and my face likes me for it.

You might want to try this product: http://straightrazorpalace.com/misce...e-dermo-k.html. As with any skin product, "works for me" does not mean it will work for anyone else. But for me, it works very, very well.

There's this product that Rodin reviewed. That looks worth a try, & i intend to.

Apart from that you just have to take what steps you can to prevent them.
The M-3 & the like are awful for it. Really awful, & the straight will help right off the bat.

I get far fewer now, but am still prone, as my stubble grows in absolutely every direction below my mouth & that area. I simply never go for as close as i can there. I shave in the evening, & each morning after a shave, i scrub with Elemis Time for Men. It really is a fantastic scrub & it may work for you.

I have a Merkur DE, & find i'm far more likely to get an ingrown from it than a straight.

I'm also prone to ingrowns, and find that one thing that helps is to "brush" my face with a toothbrush or similar stiff bristle brush before and after a shave.. this helps to dislodge any stubble that gets stuck under the skin...

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Originally Posted by rayman

Ingrown hairs are a byproduct of and caused by the modern day multiblade safety razor and some electrics.

The engineering behind these new multibladed razors is a great example of one size fits all. They are engineered with the assumption that if all faces, and legs, aren't the same, then we must produce a product that makes them that way.

The blade holder is made so that its frame, when pushed down on the skin, forms a flat and relatively tight surface for the blades to work on. Thus, no matter how your face is configured, thier blade will work.

The next thing are those multiple blades. All of them are not designed to cut. Just the last one cuts. The rest are in place, and at an angle designed to grab and pull the hair out, until the last one cuts it. What happens next is what causes the ingrown hair!

After the last blade cuts the hair, the hair is released and allowed to pop back into the hole it came out of. In some cases the hole tries to grow shut and the hair keeps trying to grow. Thus the ingrown hair.


Ray

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That's what I had heard as well. And we've probably all seen the graphic adverts that show the first or second blades doing the lifting while the last does the cutting, but I wish there was an actual video (instead of company propaganda) that actually shows the blades doing this to the hair, because I find the mechanics of it all, hard to believe. (ie, the 1st and 2nd blades "lifting the hair")
I'm a skeptic, what can I say? I just think those blades damage the skin so much, because I am not only prone to ingrowns, but those multi blades cut me frequently. I have had a styptic pen long before I even started reading about straight razors. What I'm not a skeptic about: multi blades are crap! Period.

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Originally Posted by IsaacRN

I have found not shaving every day helps a great deal. I really wish i could shave every day, but my skin and hair just dont allow it. Try an every other day if possible.

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I was afraid someone was gonna say that! lol. But, it's most likely true. Sad, but true. I need to lay off the daily shaving. Which was fine by me when I was using multi blades, but it's funny how a tedious daily routine, becomes "fun" with a new and let's face it (haha, "let's face it") a gorgeously made tool, like a SE.

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Originally Posted by bbshriver

I'm also prone to ingrowns, and find that one thing that helps is to "brush" my face with a toothbrush or similar stiff bristle brush before and after a shave.. this helps to dislodge any stubble that gets stuck under the skin...

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Now, that's something I haven't tried! Thanks for the tip, I will try that.

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Originally Posted by New2CutThroats

That's what I had heard as well. And we've probably all seen the graphic adverts that show the first or second blades doing the lifting while the last does the cutting, but I wish there was an actual video (instead of company propaganda) that actually shows the blades doing this to the hair, because I find the mechanics of it all, hard to believe. (ie, the 1st and 2nd blades "lifting the hair")
I'm a skeptic, what can I say? I just think those blades damage the skin so much, because I am not only prone to ingrowns, but those multi blades cut me frequently. I have had a styptic pen long before I even started reading about straight razors. What I'm not a skeptic about: multi blades are crap! Period.

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I know this sounds crazy, but here is an experiment I did a long time ago.

I took one of the 3 blade safety razors and towards the end of its life removed the last blade. Then I ran the razor over my arm hair to see what would happen. It cut hair but I could feel it pull and stubbles were left. Then I did the same thing with just the first blade in. It, of course, cut hair higher up and pulled at the same time.

Now, if you take your straight and lay it flat on your arm, raise the edge up 1/8 to 1/4" and pull the blade across your hair, you will feel it pull the hair when it cuts. If you put the blade flat again and pull it across the hair, you will not feel it pull but it will cut the hair smoothly.

I don't know if this proved a darn thing, but all I can say is it convinced me to get away from the safety's and go to the straights.

I haven't had a problem with ingrowns since, so I have to believe it works. JMHO

Ray

There are a couple of useful posts on this topic in the Razors forum. I'm an absolute novice with this SR stuff so take anything I say in that context.

My ingrown problem has been a lot better since starting to use a straight a few weeks ago. I've always had a problem with ingrown hairs. On the couple of occasions that I've used a cartridge to shave ATG my face has broken out in a sheet of ingrowns that caused pain for a week or two. As a firefighter I have to shave so I just went exclusively WTG with a cartridge which left me with frequent bumps.

Since starting with straights I've had only the occasional ingrown. Because I'm enjoying shaving so much I've begen to shave every day instead of only on my work days. At first there was some irritation, but whether it be due to adaptation of the skin or improved skill I'm not suffering any irritation these days.

Here's what I do--
I do not use brushes or other abrasives to free the entrapped hair. It is my highly unqualified opinion that such irritation only makes the problem worse. My understanding of ingrowns is that they result from the hair being cut so short that its end sits below the rim of the follicle. When the hair grows it grows into the side of the follicle instead of through the opening. Though not a doctor, I do have some basic understanding of physiology. One of the body's stock responses to to abrasions (brushes, exfoliating scrubs) is the inflammatory response. This includes swelling of the affected area. This would, I propose, raise the rim of the follicle higher relative to the hair, putting one at risk for more entrapments. I trust that the razor will exfoliate enough.

I do remove entrapped hairs. I found very pointy tweezers at a local health food store. I use the tweezers to gently pull the entrapped hairs free.

I follow the standard beard prep advice (wiki ect...). I use AOS shave cream (unnecessarily expensive, see other postings for alternatives).

I use two passes. One WTG and one XTG. Though I'll probably never get a BBS shave this way I've found that after only a few weeks in I'm getting a closer shave than the mach 3, with fewer ingrowns. I use a buffing motion on the second pass with careful attention being paid to coming at the hair from 90 degree no matter what the random direction.

Immediately after the final stroke I hold a cold washcloth to my face in hope of shrinking the size of the follicles before the hairs can slip inside.

I finish with an AOS shave balm (again, you can certainly find cheaper high quality alternatives).

So far it's great. The main downside has been a negative impact on my wallet as I have started pursuing ever more razors.

BTW, the best thing I've done is read this forum compulsively. It's been a great help, so thanks to all the posters.

I wet shave mayb 2 or 3 times in my life before giving up entirely and using electric razors until 8 months ago when I learn all about straight razors.

Here has been my experience: the closer the shave, the more likely I'll get ingrowns, usually around my mouth and on my throat just above my Adam's Apple. My hair is different on the right side of my chin, thicker, but I wouldn't consider it barbed wire.

I recently tried two things simultaneously that have resulted in the occurrence of ingrown hairs greatly diminishing. Further experimentation will be needed to determine which but I have my hunch...

I've been using a jojoba based preshave oil (homemade and commercial, both work just as well) to soften the skin before I shave, not so much to soften hair. Then I go through the prep, shave routine, the same after shave stuff I've been using. Then when it's all said and done I splash just a bit more jojoba oil on the trouble areas, sometimes the whole beard area. I'm talking a drop or two, no big fuss here. I do this every time after I was my face as well, usually instead of a 'moisturizer'.

My hunch is, MMM is correct about the formation of ingrowns. What the jojoba does is moisturize and lubricate the skin without irritating it. Scrubs and exfoliants and salicylic acids make (my) skin go into over time and produce more oil, more white heads. The jojoba gives the skin a break and keeps the oil levels normal. So when the hair grows back out of the follicle, the skin is soft and pliable, more likely to 'slide' the hair up and out the way it's supposed to go.

Jojoba is nice because it most closely mimics human sebum, absorbs quickly and is relatively thin. Other oils might work just as well for your chemistry.

MMM-

Also good advice... as I think has been mentioned a few times each face/beard is different, the brush thing seems to help me a lot... but for some it could make things worse.. just something to try.

Also, I'm trying this stuff... was highly recommended by a style guy on another website.. just got it yesterday so not enough to say if it works or not
Barc Bump Down

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MMM

Here's what I do--
I do not use brushes or other abrasives to free the entrapped hair. It is my highly unqualified opinion that such irritation only makes the problem worse. My understanding of ingrowns is that they result from the hair being cut so short that its end sits below the rim of the follicle. When the hair grows it grows into the side of the follicle instead of through the opening. Though not a doctor, I do have some basic understanding of physiology. One of the body's stock responses to to abrasions (brushes, exfoliating scrubs) is the inflammatory response. This includes swelling of the affected area. This would, I propose, raise the rim of the follicle higher relative to the hair, putting one at risk for more entrapments. I trust that the razor will exfoliate enough.

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Honestly, I am prone to ingrowns as well and I find that a Straight razor and good skin care following the shave is the best thing for it. Recently I had to resharpen my razors and I got lazy and decided to just use the DE Safety razor for the week, big mistake! Ingrown hairs X3. Sharpened up the Straights and am ingrown free again. So remember, Straights, then GOOD skin maintenance afterwards.

Billy

+1 on keeping the razor sharp. When playing with my disposable straight blades, I use the blade directly without the holder to see how it takes care of one or two hairs that care to stick themselves out 24 hours after a BBS shave. The blade just cuts the hair off at skin level. Sometimes if the skin has a little extra around the pore opening, you get a little weeper, but a cold water rise always closes them up and they are a non factor. A small weepers or two seem to happen to me on every shave and since I go for great BBS shave everytime out, it comes with the territory. Again, a simple rise and they close up and are not noticable anymore.

Therefore, the M3 design is to pull hair up, cut, then drop the hair back into the pore. Some pores will not like this as they close up very easily, thus you create an ingrown hair situation or razor bumps. When first shaving with a straight, I would easily get 3-4 weepers. Most of this was a few pores with a little extra on top that got cut along with the hair. Although I looked a little ugly with the weepers, the cold water rise closed them up quickly and I was amazed at how fast this worked.

So my conclusion is that the straight razors cuts very close to the skin, but avoids cutting below the skin. Much of your success relies on face preperation, technique, and having a sharp blade. Since I shave and get great BBS results every time out (WTG, XTG, ATG), once in a long while an ingrown hair develops, but they work themselves quickly since they were not cut so far below the skin and they don't create an ugly spot. This never happend with the M3 as the ingrown hairs were deeper and got ugly and took a long time to run their course.

The investment in straight shaving was well worth the effort and cost.

I hope all newbies keep with it and gain the success that I have gained. SRP is great and there are so many good people to help you.

Pabster

I'll just throw this in here quickly- some causes can include viral and/or bacterial infections. Pores can become blocked by simple things such as shaving oils or the wrong aftershave/moisturizer. Also, using an exfoliating scrub daily, as good as it sounds, can often aggravate the situation. Cetaphil facial cleanser is gentle and GREAT for sensitive skin. Check out these links for more info:

Ingrown hair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pseudofolliculitis barbae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Folliculitis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia