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Hey guys,
My last shave was Tuesday evening with a DE and today, Friday, I'm getting a rash in few spots.
Is there a way to prevent this? Anyone else has the same problem?
I have a party tomorrow and was planning on shaving. Maybe a bad idea?
According to me, my hairs don't al grow straight out of my skin which gives this irritation.
Any input is welcome.
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Less Pressure. When trying to reduce pressure imagine that you are trying to remove just the lather without touching your skin.
In the areas that tend to get irritated try for just a good shave not BBS, until you are a bit more experienced. Or if you really need BBS touchup with a DE.
To get an easier pass try stretching the skin to a flatter area. A smiling round point razor helps get into the hollow areas.
Jonathan
Plus all that. It is pressure and angles. Do not get frustrated. All of a sudden it comes and you will really enjoy the entire processes.
Those are razor bumps and they are almost always caused by shaving ATG. I had the same problem in the exact same spot (bottom of the beard line). Sometimes we can be shaving ATG and not even realize it.
The best remedy is to not shave ATG. That's what I did back when I started using a straight and it hasn't really been a problem since. Yes, you might not get a super close shave in that area but at least you won't have painful irritation on your neck. A worthwhile trade-off IMO.
In the meantime let the bumps heal and don't shave over that area. It will only make it worse.
What Ryan said. And avoid multiple strokes over the bumps.
Before str8s, I had bumps. A cartridge could only mow off the tops and leave me to clean up the blood. First, the str8 allowed more articulation over the bumps and I bled less - quite a bit less. Then, I tried a single pass - for other reasons - and the bumps went away and haven't returned.
I'm sure there are comparable moves w/ a DE.
Another thing to consider is to put a little extra effort into your preshave routine, such as a nice preshave cream or oil, hot towel, or, at least, shaving after you shower.
All of the above You can try using only cold water to shave, it did wonders for my skin.
All of the above, but I am surprised that none asked what soap/cream and pre-shave (if any) you use.
For example: Proraso green may be popular, but there are several reports of people having had skin reactions afterwards.
Try switching to a well lubricating soap that is known to agree with skin types.
(e.g. Nivea mild - in the US apparently available now in Safeway, in Canada in Shopper's and London Drugs).
If possible give your face a rest for a few days.
...and there's also, in addition to everything said above, a chance that your face doesn't like your soap/cream/pre-shave lotion/aftershave or the blade brand you're using.
I've found that using a pre shave oil can really help cut down on the irritation from shaving with a straight razor. I use both Art of Shaving pre shave oil, which is very thick and expensive and Shave Secret from Walmart, which is thinner, cheaper and smells better!!
Good Luck with the shaving...
So it's 3 day shadow in the picture, Not a day after rash.
I would let your bear grow for a few weeks. It would seem to me that you are shaving over already ingrowing hairs. Leaving the beard for a few weeks and just using trimmers will let the skin heal, and the hairs expose themselves.
Do a daily scrub with witch hazel, And just let them come out on there own. Once the skin clears fully give it a few more days so you know your skin is 100% ready to take a shave again.
I was having a similar problem and it's the reason I made the switch to a straight from multiblade. I had to grow the beard (much to works dissatisfaction). And once the area was clear of problems then I started to shave again. The problem has not returned since for me.
Ives,
Don't shave against the grain on the neck, as some gentlemen have suggested, and spend more time on your preparation. I have resigned myself that my neck will never have a perfect shave lest I use four or five passes, by which time my skin is fried. Do the best you can on the neck and let it go. Remember comfort over perfect. Also, perhaps you should use soaps and creams designed for sensitive skin.
After spending a great deal of $ on lotions and creams, I found that the best solution is simple.
A pre shave routine.
For me this is just lathering my face before a hot shower.
And
Post Shave
For me it's Witch Hazel. Nothing fancy. Just the stuff from a grocery store. After rinsing my face with cold water and drying off, I splash that stuff on my face until it is soaked. I then allow it to air dry.
You should see my den. Filled with all kinds of expensive specialized pre and post shave items. A complete waste.
This simple routine, and some better technique, really helped the quality of my skin.
Take care,
Jason
In my opinion, after spending a lot of money in different "post Shave Treatment", I found out that the best (for me) is to pass my brush with the rest of lather at the end of my shaving sessions on my face, and wash it with water as cold as possible. Using the rest of lather is not only working, it's also a really cheap alternative ;)
Hey Yves (OP)....any update to your situation? Hopefully things have improved so much that you've no need to post!
Yves, get some magnification and check the edge as shown in this
YouTube video.
Unfortunately you have to learn to strop, to maintain your edge. Just one missed stroke can wipe out an edge and give you razor burn like you are experiencing.
This is also a good skill to learn to watch your edges and see when you do need a touch-up. New shavers will need edges touched up more frequently, mostly because of stropping or until the stropping skill is acquired.
A straight razor edge is a very fragile thing.
Sorry did not see you were using a DE. But the same applies about the edge.
Are you using a new blade?
As said possibly too much pressure, wet shaving requires a light touch, let the edge do the work.
You will find your skin does seem to get tougher as you exfoliate your face each time you shave.
I'm not entirely sure, but I experience the same phenomenon with DEs, SEs and cartridges. As soon as I switch over to the SR, all that goes away. It's not as bad as in the pic, but can be if I aggravate areas with poor passes or passes in directions my beard doesn't seem to like...
I've just come back to the SR after about a month long experiment with DE shaving. Glad I'm back.
