Thread: Tough Beard

Ok, so I've read a very large number of posts where the writer complains of having a very thick/tough beard and is having dificulty shaving with a straight. I know the responces by heart at this point...angle, preasure, properly honed/stroped razor, pre-shave treatment...etc. Here's my story...

I have a very rare genetic abnormality. It's called Pili Multigemini. Basically it means that you have multiple hairs growing from a single hair folicle. It only effects approximately 400,000 people worldwide, so I'm not expecting anyone to be able to relate (but you never know). Couple this with the fact that I already have a very thick beard that grows extremely fast and is very course and...well, you get the picture.

When I used to shave with Mach 3's I could only use a cartidge once before it was dull and began to pull hair vs. cut it. My straight is much MUCH better but still not what I was expecting completely. I have 20-25 shaves under my belt and they have been pretty good. But I do find that I need to use more than what I would assume to be the just the gentlest of preasure to cut. I know my razor is/was sharp as I bought it from SRD and therefore had the master himself hone it. I also am VERY conscious of the angle of my razor. My pre-shave is pretty thorough; Hot shower, face wash, hot rinse, conditioner for 5 min +/-, hot rinse, pre-shave oil while stropping/making lather, another hot rinse and then lather and shave.

I can get pretty darn close to BBS but I do have some razor burn/discomfort after. And within a day to two I my chin starts to break out mostly due to the hair growing back in. I can't reshave for at least two days.

My post-shave consists of styptic (only if necessary - not very often), a cold water rinse, Thayers lemon-scented witch hazel and a Nivea face lotion. I wash my face and reapply face lotion twice a day on non-shaving days.

Whew...that's a lot of information. Sorry for babbeling. Can anyone give me any pointers/advice/things to try? Thanks in advance gentlemen.

avilam,

I'm not coming at this like an expert, but as a fellow experimenter and student. I have been shaving with a straight since September.

I cannot get my beard hairs to shave xtg right now. The razor I'm currently using is in great shape and I think is sharp enough for the job. I'm just learning new things every time I shave, and I think one day things will work out for me.

However, each pass you do is about beard reduction, not elimination. When I've been going atg in my chin area, the blade just stops. I've been experimenting with angles and direction. I've been using the guillotine method where the travel of the blade is not quite perpendicular to the blade itself in an effort to increase the blade's slicing ability (as opposed to just chopping through hairs).

I've come to the conclusion, for me, that I still need to reduce the hairs more, so I've been buffing both wtg and atg and getting a DFS out of it. I've a feeling that when I get fair at this, I may be able to finally go xtg, should I ever need to.

However, and others have posted about this before, you can go too far. Your hairs may shrink or retreat a bit after your shave, so you don't necessarily have to get that so-called BBS feel during your shave. It could be that BBS is just too much to expect, anyway. Don't seek perfection, just seek satisfaction.

If you don't have a block of alum, get one. Using that after your shave will give you an idea of where you're trying too hard, because you'll feel razor burn that otherwise you would have missed. That's great feedback.

Also, I've seen others post about using Barbasol, having that soak on your beard during your shower. I've yet to try this, but it's supposed to really soften your beard. You should consider giving that a try, as should I.

Good luck to you, sir.

-Mark

Your prep sounds great, my only suggestion would be using Proraso preshave. It isn't very oily but gets the job done nicely.

Originally Posted by avilam

I can get pretty darn close to BBS but I do have some razor burn/discomfort after. And within a day to two I my chin starts to break out mostly due to the hair growing back in. I can't reshave for at least two days.

avilam, is this what your real problem is? It's not really cutting the hairs down so much as what happens when they grow back?

markdfhr, yeah, I think that's what I was trying to get at in all those words...lol. I can get as close as I like during the shave. And the minor irritation isn't so much a factor either. It's the aftermath (growing back) that is anoying. I'd love to be able to shave every or every-other day. It's enjoyable. But my face would be a mess if I did.

avilam,

I've been reading about this. I don't know, some people seem to treat it with electrolysis. If this is only on your chin, I think you have ample excuse for growing a goatee.

I can see how this condition would make you susceptible to ingrown hairs. It looks like a lot of dermatologists are at a loss for how to treat this, which is why I'm sure you're posting about it here.

Maybe you should go for that George Michael look. I'm not trying to be facetious or funny. I really feel for you. I hope someone else who has this condition or is a medical expert here can give you some great ideas. My post shave treatment consists of a cold splash, alum and skin food, so maybe some post-shave affecianado has some good ideas. You definitely would be a candidate for using a topical antibiotic after your shave.

Meanwhile, my slow subconscious will munch on this. Who knows, maybe it'll come up with something. Some of my best ideas hit me out of the blue after putting them on the back-burner, so to speak.

-Mark

avilam,

I found this interesting thread http://straightrazorpalace.com/post-...-tendskin.html where nycexit2 recommends Tend Skin Liquid.

Castel33 has other things to add in that same thread.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/post-...own-hairs.html is another interesting thread. niftyshaving has a real cool posted response in there.

The search tool in SRP is wonderful. Go advanced, you might find someone else has conquered what you're fighting now.

-Mark

I'd consider going without the Witch Hazel and concentrating your post shave treatment on healing balms to moisturize the skin. It's worth a try.

Originally Posted by avilam

I have a very rare genetic abnormality. It's called Pili Multigemini. Basically it means that you have multiple hairs growing from a single hair folicle.

Pics! (don't forget close-ups)

Originally Posted by avilam

My pre-shave is pretty thorough; Hot shower, face wash, hot rinse, conditioner for 5 min +/-, hot rinse, pre-shave oil while stropping/making lather, another hot rinse and then lather and shave.

Hot shower, does this include soap on your face? Face wash, washing your face, with soap of some sort? Hot rinse... conditioner? Hot rinse.. pre-shave oil, stropping/lathering another hot rinse (removing pre-shave oil?) then shaving lather...

Okay, you're going WAY too far in prepping your face. Firstly, showering is fine, I think my own face does best by sheer exposure to water but it isn't magical: you remove your own skin oil to allow the water to seep into the hairs first, the rest takes care of itself. That's it. You don't need conditioner or all of these rinses. There are products with pH levels that speed up keratin softening, but they aren't necessary. I'd prefer a soap other than harsh hand soaps, but whatever works. When you're rinsing are you scrubbing your face? That is a lot of stress on the skin. I really don't think you need to go that far.

But do you want to know what is so great about hydrating your skin and getting it really, really soft? You can more easily scrape off even more of it with a straight razor!

Originally Posted by avilam

I can get pretty darn close to BBS but I do have some razor burn/discomfort after. And within a day to two I my chin starts to break out mostly due to the hair growing back in. I can't reshave for at least two days.

My post-shave consists of styptic (only if necessary - not very often), a cold water rinse, Thayers lemon-scented witch hazel and a Nivea face lotion. I wash my face and reapply face lotion twice a day on non-shaving days.

I don't know about your genetic abnormality. But I know your pre-shave prep is out of control and most likely isn't helping. I don't know your skin, but some people don't do well with all the face washing, either. The lotion, twice a day on non-shaving days? What does that do for you? I'd suggest letting your face take care of itself for awhile.

I'm not sure you can ever prep too much. It's like stropping too much, what's the harm?