Thread: My Story - An allergic persons way of shaving.

Hi All,

I don't really know if anyone has ever discussed about allergies on the forum. But if not, I will start right now.

I have been diagnosed with 86 different allergies, including couple different urticarias. The worst when it comes to shaving, Dermatographic urticaria. Actually it's a "skin condition" with 5% of the earths population. Mine's really bad.

The problem really was, that when ever I shaved, how ever I shaved, my face kept bright red at least 6-8 hours after shave. Not only that. It had really bad burning. So bad that you hardly could touch it. I always did the shaving in the evening.

Im only in my mid twenties, so the problem hasn't been for that long. But let's say for almost ten years. About last year/year before that I became so annoyed about it and started searching for help. I can tell you. There's not much help available. But somehow I started reading about different shaving techniques. My that time shaving technique was a Gilette Mach 3 Turbo after shower with the worst available "shaving gel" available. At least that's my opinion about them now.

I was doing wet shaving, even not knowing about it. But there was much to learn. Soon I searched for some reasonable shaving creme. And I can say, it's really hard to get here in Finland. I thought those tiny Palmolive bit's we're easy to get. Nowhere to be found! I found the creme I'm still using, from a junk market, by change. It's some no-name german creme (in a tube) that says "Rasiermesser Creme" on it. Then I bought a cheapo brush from Bodyshop (definetly not badger) and went with that. It actually helped a bit. But still the pulling from Gillette drove my skin nut's. Again I had to google. There was much fuzz about straights but I thought it would be worse with it. Until I got onto this forum.

After that, about a year ago I got my first Straight. It was Solingen Nippes, a brand new one! I got a Dovo Prima Rindleder strop with leather on the other and canvas on the other side. Razor really wasn't shave ready, like you wrote here, and it really wasn't that nice. But workable. I have always been good with my hand's so I searched for a method to put the razor to better shape. I got it to better shape with numerous sheets of newspaper and a thick glass. The shaving wasn't still that confortable. Even after 10-30 on canvas and 50-100 on leather. But in time I have discovered that the problem was mostly on my stropping technique. I have been nowadays looking always for better products for my skin (really hard because of the allergies) but Im pretty good already.

After that I have made my shaving procedure to this;
-10-20 on canvas
-50-80 on leather, ready to go.
-Hot Shower
-Good Facial Wash
-Hair Balsam (mistresses) to whiskers
-After shower I put the hottest water available to fill the sink and wet my face good with it
-Make a good lather from creme to my face
-Shave WTG
-Shave XTG
-Shave ATG (mostly on the moustache and chin)
-Wash the lather away with the hot water
-Apply cool, wet aluna
-Get dressed while aluna makes it's magic
-Gently rinse with cold water
-Apply Nivea Sensitive After Shave Balm.

And I got to tell you. I just got my face shaven. Like 5-15 minutes ago. The redness has gone already (the very little that comes) and the skin really doesn't feel burning or anything. Just a very smooth skin. I really feel a winner after this. Well worth the effort.

I work on an Office enviroment and It really makes a difference on appearance, when having this close shave.

I just got to hand it to you. You guys here at the SRP made my life much better. Especially the guys that have worked with the Wiki section.

And for the newcomers. Please be patient. The shaving and especially stropping will get better in time.

Im not actually not that of an amateur, that i should post this here. But I did because I feel I have a mountain to clime still. Next I will try a shaving soap with a real badger hair brush. And I got my second razor already. A Swedish Edv. Neiström from Eskiltuna. Propably from fourties or fifties. It was in pretty bad shape when it comes to honing. The razor is REALLY overhoned, by some machine I guess. I still want to make it a shaver. Now I have the razor really well cleaned, polished and Im honing it on a double sided stone. I got it from a friend but I don't really know what grit it is. The problem is that there was pretty much spotting on the edge of the razor and I still havent got all of them out. Got most of them though. Propably done thousands of passes this weekend

Welcome. Awesome first post.

Now THAT is an awesome success story! Congrats!

Two thoughts come to mind.
First, you might want to try shaving with cold water. There is a thread about this topic and it may help you.
Second, from your description, I wonder if you have ever shaved with a properly honed razor? You might get a better shave with a better edge and I have my doubts about your ability to achieve that with your mystery hone that is probably too coarse for razors.

Awesome post. Thanks for sharing. I don't have near the kind of skin problems that you're dealing with, but I too have searched several alternatives trying to find a shave that was better for my skin. My wife has laughed that a "tough guy" like me would struggle with sensitive skin. I've had drill bits run through my fingers, broken toes, played college football (american), had bits of metal in my eyes, and all without skipping a beat, but my neck would turn red and irritated when I shaved...even with an electric. Over the course of about 10+ years I've found ways to take care of most of my issues, but have turned to straights for the last persistent problem...ingrown hairs.

It's great to hear the story of a guy whose dealt with less-than-perfect skin issues and found some success with straights.

I'd echo Utopian's thoughts too. You may discover a whole new world of shaving perfection if you were to get your razors honed by one of the honemiesters here.

Best of luck!

This is a great story. I am glad to hear your poor face is much happier now!

Originally Posted by Utopian

Two thoughts come to mind.
First, you might want to try shaving with cold water. There is a thread about this topic and it may help you.
Second, from your description, I wonder if you have ever shaved with a properly honed razor? You might get a better shave with a better edge and I have my doubts about your ability to achieve that with your mystery hone that is probably too coarse for razors.

Okay. Now that is new info about the water temperature. Got to try that out on my next shave.

And to the honing. No, I really haven't shaved with a Honemeister's honed razor. But as I said, my current (in use) straight is a brand new Solingen Nippes (I know, they mostly make scissors). Which I bought new and got it to "comfortable shave state" with just newspaper on glass + canvas + leather. It never touched my mystique hone. It does pass the hanging hair test and shaves pretty good (in my experience).

I get my share of doubt in different thing's. But I usually succeed to surprice people

I haven't thought about the honing, because the blade has a flaw in the stem. It is poorly grinded. The edge is dull the first 2-3mm from the stem. I figured, if I got a better razor, I would get it honed by a honemeister. But the Eskiltuna razor is so much overhoned that I don't want to waste my money on it. But I just want to see how good I can archieve from it. I can post pictures of it when I get it ready.

Originally Posted by Urran

Okay. Now that is new info about the water temperature. Got to try that out on my next shave.

And to the honing. No, I really haven't shaved with a Honemeister's honed razor. But as I said, my current (in use) straight is a brand new Solingen Nippes (I know, they mostly make scissors). Which I bought new and got it to "comfortable shave state" with just newspaper on glass + canvas + leather. It never touched my mystique hone. It does pass the hanging hair test and shaves pretty good (in my experience).

I get my share of doubt in different thing's. But I usually succeed to surprice people

I haven't thought about the honing, because the blade has a flaw in the stem. It is poorly grinded. The edge is dull the first 2-3mm from the stem. I figured, if I got a better razor, I would get it honed by a honemeister. But the Eskiltuna razor is so much overhoned that I don't want to waste my money on it. But I just want to see how good I can archieve from it. I can post pictures of it when I get it ready.

Okay, I had a go with the cold water yesterday. And I must say it was different. Not better, just different. And it made no way the shave, or feeling after better. Actually I had nasty burn on my mustache after the shave. And while wondering how that turned out, I somehow dropped the razor, and got a nick to the blade!



I should have known that cold water shave doesn't work on my face. I have cold urticaria to begin with. My skin got a little more sensitive from the cold water I guess (because of the urticaria).

Now I have one more razor for restoration. The chip is maybe ½ mm wide and ½mm deep. In the middle of the blade! Gotta figure out whether to try get the Eskiltuna razor quickly to shaving state, or buy a new one or start growing beard.

I could buy a cheapo razor from classifieds, then I could get a Honemeister's honed razor too.

But I must say, yesterday was a failure. When it comes to str8 shaving!

Bummer on both accounts!

Still, there are plenty of variables to play around with when it comes to Str8 shaving. Don't give up yet! And I second the idea of getting your razors honed by a honemiester so they're up to snuff and you only have to be concerned with technique and routine, and not honing skills as well.

Best of luck.

BigJim: Thanks for the cheers! I can never give up on str8 shaving. My allergies force me to shave my face on str8 And like I said on the other post today, I am a man of patience. If the learning curve is long, well then it is, i just live by it

Posted this post just a minute ago. So I finished my already badly overhoned Edv. Neiström yesterday. And had good experience from the shave that followed it.

I am truly amazed, how good a shape I got the razor. Next I just have to finnish it to mirror finish and maybe do new scales (they have been propably replaced at some point. They're ugly plastic)

For the info, yesterday (and couple weeks before) I did the following;
-*thousands* on the Mysterious Hone
-~100 on AutoSol coated DIY demin strop
-~50 on Newspaper, with Pencil led applied.
-~200 on canvas
-~100 on leather, ready to go.
-Hot Shower while brush on hottest water from tap.
-Good Facial Wash
-Hair Balsam (mistresses) to whiskers
-Make a good lather from creme to my face
-Shave WTG
-Shave XTG
-Shave ATG (mostly on the moustache and chin)
-Wash the lather away with the hot water
-Apply cool, wet aluna
-Get dressed while aluna makes it's magic
-Gently rinse with cold water
-Dry
-Apply Nivea Sensitive After Shave Balm.

I really felt like a winner when going to sleep after that. Great feeling. Today I just cant stop touching my baby smooth face

Next thing is to buy a new Straight that is in good shape. Send that to Honemeister -> compare my results to that

Im so DIY that Im propably going to start getting the real honing stuff and start becoming a honer. Maybe a honemeister some day