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Anyone still get ingrowns or razor bumps since switching to a straight? I still have one spot on my neck where I still get not really ingrowns and not bumpy but just red around the whiskers. I am doing a WTG and ATG pass in this area. The razor doesn't tug or pull either. I get a pretty smooth pass ATG but the redness around the whiskers doesn't go away. I look closely and the whiskers don't look ingrown. Does anyone have any recommendations to make this go away? :confused:
I used to have that problem in the past and it just eventually went away but that may be because I just got better at shaving. Go a little lighter on the ATG. Do you use an alum block? The block does two things. It breaks down any soap that is still on your face so that when you do your final rinse your face is clean. Secondly it kills bacteria on your face including around your hairs.
It does take a little time for your skin to get used to shaving with a straight. I believe it took about six months for all the issues to calm down. Don't worry you will get to the bottom of it. Oh! Don't forget a good moisturizing aftershave balm.
Take Care,
Richard
Agree with the above recommendations. Remember that with shaving you're not only losing hair but your also exfoliating your skin. Alum is a great 1st after step(remember to rinse off), you then need to Tone with a pleasant Aftershave, and then Moisturize with a good Balm.
Yes, I use an alum block after every shave and then rinse it off. I follow with some Bay Rum and then some Jack Black balm. I even use an face scrub before I shave. Maybe I'll try not stretching the skin as much on the ATG.
I would try dropping the facial scrub around the sensitive area, providing you're already using an ultra light touch in your shaving practises. As has been said, shaving is also exfoliating the shaved area. You may be removing more than you should by doubling the exfoliation.
Mick
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jetmech
I get a similar problem on my neck area. The hair here actually grows outwards but so close to the skin, if there is any cuts or anything, the hair easily starts to try and grow under the skin. In my case, the correct prep is necessary as I cannot be overly aggressive on my skin before a shave. Also, some of us, myself included, just cannot shave AGT in all areas (If I try it only results in lots of burn, bumps and lots of redness plus more ingrown hairs on my neck. This could be any number of technique/lather/razor issues though. I still try here and there too see if its maybe just a technique thing though :p), and so I would probably recommend, on top of all of this advice to drop the ATG pass in this area.
Maybe try a slight XTG pass if you can with a scything or guillotine stroke to do an angled WTG pass in these areas. Shaving Passes. On my neck area, this is all I do. I tend to limit myself to only two passes, WTG and XTG, with the neck being a modified WTG (frankenpass?) as a third pass, whether its a 2nd WTG or an ATG usually results in a lot of burn and red bumps. A good 'frankenpass' can leave you just about as smooth as an ATG pass.
Limiting yourself to two passes, if done correctly, will teach you to use better technique as well as reduce the irritation to help minimize the redness. If this doesn't solve the problem, you know that it is not the ATG pass and keep using it and focus on other aspects and experiment with different prep and post shave treatments. If nothing else, it will allow your face some time to heal.
:gl:
Nick.
YMMV of course, but I find that less stretching means the razor doesn't cut so well, and I unconsciously apply more pressure to compensate, which irritates the skin more. This is especially true on my neck, where the skin is slacker anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jetmech
At the base of my neck, I do 2 WTG passes, stretching my neck in all directions possible before I do an ATG pass. Works great for me.
I'm starting my third week of using nothing but a str8 with one lapse back to a cart last Friday (I was super short on time.) Even though I only do a single N-S pass during the week I've had a dramatic reduction in ingrown hairs. Try just doing WTG using scything strokes for a few days and see if that helps.
Sometimes whiskers don't grow in a standard direction. I have a patch on my neck that grows in a circle. I adjust my shaving in this area specifically for the circle. Next time your whiskers grow out a bit, take a good look and make sure your ATG and WTG are actually correct.