way too many razor bumps-itching and open wounds. need help please.

Ive been using the gillette gel series for many years but the last year switched to edge but the razor bumps heavy redness never went away. I dont have a big selection at the supermarket. I recently tried a tube of nivea gel and all hell broke loose. constant reopening of the razor bumps. I look like a walking connect the dots. it itches like hell all day. I shave in the shower and leave the foam for a minute on before removing. I use aloe vera after shaving.I may go back to using antibacterial soap to shave since that helped for a while but never truly brought it down to a reasonable amount. at least till I can stop bleeding like crazy.

I am considering the single razor/dowl/soap/brush method but not until I find something to get this issue down to a minimum.

there's a guy on ebay(UK) who sells various items and i'd like to get an order going for some stuff and see what works for me. proraso/erasmic/vitos/wool fat/Col.conk/valobra.
can someone recommend 2-3 of the above to try?
Just dont like minty/musky smells. something like talc powder or very lightly scented is good.

any help appreciated.
cheers!

Proraso usually have a fresh menthol or eucalyptus scent, nice stuff, Vitos comes in almond and cocoa scents, both are great Italian soaps/creams. Mitchell's Wool Fat is very nice for your skin, very moisturizing.
Valobra is a classic Italian as well, similar to Vitos.
Now your problem might be you razor of choice though, you should try a DE! A Merkur 38C is a popular and great DE.

+1 to Blix.

Once you master a DE or Straight razor, you will most likely find that your shaving irritation will significantly decrease. It may even disappear altogether.

I have very sensitive skin, and I get no irritation or rashes whatsoever, and have not since I switched.

If you don't like Menthol, then the Proraso also comes in a "White tub" which is a Green Tea scent. If you're on ebay or in the UK, I also recommend you try a Palmolive cream or stick, or an Arko stick. Both have clean smells (although some find the Arko too strong), and they are tallow based. They are also inexpensive....I believe the Arko is around 1 euro.

Good luck.

thanks for the replies fellas!

the ebay guy has palmolive. just wondering if its the kind that leaves a rubber squeegee clean or a nice moisturizing clean. I dont like menthol smell. I have paul mitchells tee tree shampoo and thats a bit too strong for me. but I think I'll invest in a shaving cup and brush and try it that way. if that goes ok then will go to the single razor system after I get my redness/bumps/cuts in control. maybe will go for the fat wool.

my brother recommended this maca root cream..:
For Men Maca Root Shave Cream | The Body Shop ®
he does the soap/brush/single razor tradition and has been trying to convince me. but sometimes I just dont have the time to invest 10+ minutes for shaving.

which would you guys get between the above and the mitchell fat wool soap?

how long does something like this last compared to a gillette propellant series gel can? I know I dont need much so if it lasts something like twice as much then the price isnt an issue. but damn shaving is an expensive chore! $200+ brushes, $30 creams..pfew..

Hello Pepper125,

I'm very new to the straight razor shaving world myself. I've always hated shaving and always had razor burn and bumps, especially around my neck. I never knew why I'd get these. I had always used multi-bladed cartridge razors. From what I've read, having multi-blade razors is bad for two reasons. First, each pass on your skin is multiplied by the number of blades you have, so you're really kind of abusing it. Secondly, and I know Gillette brags about this, the whole pull and cut thing where one blade pulls up the hair and the second cuts it so it retreats below the skin (for a smooth, close shave, right?) is a recipe for disaster.

Ever since I've gone to straight razor shaving, the bumps have been disappearing and now they're almost gone. Now, I treat my face a bit nicer, too. I use a cream for my lather; I do much more prep, and I use Skin Food as an aftershave treatment. Even so, I don't think any of that will reduce ingrown hairs and razor bumps nearly as much as using a single blade that won't cause ingrown hairs.

I think this is something you can get out of a DE blade, I just decided to make the leap straight to the straight. The learning curve is steep; it's nice to link up with someone who knows his stuff; I got to know Pinklather and I purchased two shave ready straights from him and he and I have emailed quite a bit back and forth. He set me along a very good path. I didn't start buying razors on eBay and I didn't start honing razors myself. I trusted a good member to give me a shave ready blade. It's paid off handsomely so far for me.

The forums and the wiki have also been invaluable to me here. If you don't go to the straight right away, or ever, you can still get plenty of information on prepping and aftershave treatments, and the members here will answer all your questions with great information from their own experiences.

Good luck to you, and welcome to SRP.

-Mark

+1 on what markdfhr said. I had been shaving for 23 years every day (I'm in the military) and I always had red burning bumps on my neck. I tried electric, and every disposable known to man with no improvement. I finally went to straights and within 2 weeks my neck problems were gone. I use a preshave oil and good quality glycerine soap follow up with Thayer's witchhazel and the Clubman aftershave. I now look forward to shaving instead of dreading it!

Keep in mind that if you switch over to a DE you can't be quick and careless with it like so many people are with a cartridge razor.
You'll need to shave in front of a mirror so you can see how you're using the razor and stretching the skin. At least put one of those little shaving mirrors in the shower.
Make sure you check out the wikis here on using a DE, making lather, etc. They are new skills. You can't just pick up a DE or straight and shave the same way as before.

And if you are going to use a straight, get out of the shower and put some underwear on! If you drop the razor while you are naked...

I've always battled razor bumps and irritation. A good after shave balm will really help no matter what your method of shaving. Using that in combination with a straight has eliminated all the bumps and irritation I used to battle. If you are looking for something with very little smell you may want to try Anthony after shave balm, it's fragrance free and has a very mild smell which won't interfere with your choice of cologne if you use any.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pepper125

how long does something like this last compared to a gillette propellant series gel can? I know I dont need much so if it lasts something like twice as much then the price isnt an issue. but damn shaving is an expensive chore! $200+ brushes, $30 creams..pfew..

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nah. Vanderhagen kit at supermarket: bowl/brush/nice soap in a little kit for 10 bucks. Lots of us started there. Mix that with a 5 dollar DE from antique store and maybe some Wilkinson Sword blades from Walmart for another couple bucks and you're set. Sure there are better items out there, but to find out if you wanna start DE shaving, you start there. Then add in a Tweezerman brush to step up to lowend badger for 15-20 bucks, then you begin the slide into the "I gotta haves", switching this activity from a chore into a hobby ;)

Bumps were my constant friend for years and years. I bled less with a str8, but they persisted until I tried doing a 1-pass shave with touch-ups. They just disappeared. 'Maybe coincidence, maybe not. When starting w/ a str8, I'd try hard to bet the BBS holy grail. That meant at least 3 passes.

With the 1 pass, I found I adapted by trying to make that one pass the best I could do. Shaves got better, bumps went away.