Can't avoid the irritation

I love wet shaving, whether it be with a SE, DE, or a straight razor.

But for the life of me I can't escape the horrible ordeal of the hair growing back a few days later. What usually follows is the next two days after a shave, as the hair grows back, it pierces the skin which causes a multitude of small, red bumps that are INCREDIBLY uncomfortable and make it seem that I have some sort of skin disorder. :cry:

This does not subside until the hair has grown past the skin and pretty much doesn't allow me to shave for at least four days.

Razor burn and areas where I went too hard definitely make it worse and if I take great care to shave slowly it helps. Shaving only with the grain also helps but there are always areas that cause me significant irritation, most specifically the neck and areas around my mouth.

I've accepted the fact that I must have sensitive skin on my face as well as thick facial hair but surely there must be something I can do to help? Shaving every four - five days isn't exactly ideal but it's what I've had to live with.

Any thoughts/recommendations are welcome.

I would say that maybe your razor isn’t sharp enough, but it happens no matter if you use a straight or a de. Just to be on the safe side try to use a fresher blade or touch up your razor if you do notice it happens less when your using a sharp edge.

My other thought is that perhaps your lather isn’t softening up your beard properly, so a preshave soak to soften your beard or a preshave oil might help.

The only other thing I could suggest is using an different after shave or maybe witchhazel. The witch hazel helped me with some irritated skin I used to get after shaves.

No, the hair does not pierce the skin. The follicles are there and the hair grows through them out onto the skin. No matter what method you use the hair is cut level with the skin or barely beneath it.

You are either having an issue with the blade on the skin or your technique giving you irritation. Of course it's possible you have a skin issue and in that case you probably need to see an M.D however that would be a very rare condition.

My guess is you have sensitive skin and you need to watch you technique in shaving as well as your preshave routine.

I have to shave WTG or I get serious AS burn and/or irritation. Reducing pressure helped, but I still have to shave WTG to avoid redness or the tiny nicks where you don't see blood for a bit. If I ever pursue a baby butt smooth shave I always pay for it.
I'm planning to try some different blades and maybe some preshave products to see if they are of any help. I can relate to your problem though. I love the traditional shave process, but I have trouble getting the results I want.

I have a tough beard and sensitive skin, like a lot of us who got into wet shaving. I've found that I get a different kind of irritation depending on what my technique problem was. If it's normal irritation (red, super sensitive and sometimes painful skin), it's usually because I used too much pressure. I also get an irritation like what you described, when I've used the wrong angle (usually when trying out a new safety razor). So I would recommend paying very close attention to your shaving angle, no matter what kind of blade you're using.

In both situations, I found that a very thorough preshave routine significantly reduces any potential irritation. It adds to the total shaving time, for sure, but is well worth it. I also use witch hazel as an aftershave, which helps a lot. If I know I've had a rough shave, I also use alum.

You might want to google razor bumps to see if that is what you are suffering through. That is all I can think of.

Bbo

Does it happen with all soaps or after shave treatments. It might be a reaction to something you are using. Stick with one soap for a week and finish with witch hazel. If you still get rash use a different soap for the week. Really don't have a definite answer for you.

Well, I occasionally experience the same thing and have always assumed it was from too much pressure and/or a not sharp enough blade. There is such a thing as a ingrown hair where a hair grows back into the skin. I would try watching the grain direction, and less pressure plus making sure your blade is as sharp as can be (or a different DE blade if you haven't tried that. ( Maybe you'll have to settle for a CCS or DFS instead of BBS)

Are you going against the grain? Once I stopped trying for a bbs shave most my problems cleared up.

Now, if it’s ingrown hairs that’s a totally different animal. You need to “train” the hairs to grow more perpendicular to the skin. I had a terrible problem with my neck and in grown hairs. The only solution I found was to pick them with a tooth pick and then try and fold the hair the opposite direction I wanted it to grow. It took a month or two and one of those mirrors with the one magnified side to spot them but ever since it’s been almost a non issue. Every once in a while one tries to burrow itself in but it’s much more manageable as it’s only one at a time when it does happen. My technique is to kind of flick the bump until the hair starts coming through the skin, it’s painful and gross but the pay off worth it.

How long have you been traditional shaving.

Your skin may not be tempered, yet.

Your problem, is what I went through with cartridges, in my beginning years if shaving.

Once I went to using a straight, it got less and less, to the point it doesn't happen anymore. Now I do get a prickly beard from time to time, but that's usually from using the wrong angle, for me.

That sounds like my cartridge experience.
Some skin likes a hot shave, others a cold shave.
I find Noxema as a preshave cream is very good.
Skin stretching and holding is a big one for me as is a feather light touch. Shave the lather not the whiskers, was what helped me with the pressure.
Different soaps can be problems for many. Perhaps you should try only tallow, or only glycerin or only vegan.

I have the same problem with one particular area of my neck. To minimize the bumps,
I do the following:

1) Shave immediately after a shower or a good wash (don't even towel off your face)
2) apply a pre-shave lotion (I use Proraso for Sensitive Skin...White Label),
3) Use a really sharp blade (a well-honed, well-stropped straight or a new DE blade)
4) Shave WTG or XTG...never ATG!
5) Use a low angle of attack and as little pressure as possible.
6) If one WTG and one XTG pass doesn't get it, then forget it and leave it alone!
6) Rinse your face thoroughly with cold water and apply witch hazel.
7) Apply antibiotic ointment to the sensitive area, whether you think you need it or not!
8) Avoid alcohol based aftershaves.
9) Don't rub your face...it only makes it worse.

The whole idea is to avoid irritation as much as possible. And as Bouschie says,
make sure that you're not allergic to your shave soap/cream. I prefer tallow based
soaps/creams with shea butter in the mix.

All that is a lot of trouble, but it works for me. Just go lightly and don't rush your shave.

Good luck!

You all are awesome, thank you so much for the great advice :rock:

It's definitely razor bumps that are plaguing my skin (upon googling as BobH recommended), and they are very painful, unsightly, and keep me from shaving for days. I also do suffer from copious ingrown hairs as a result of said bumps.

I don't think it's a reaction to something in the soap as it happens with no matter what I use but soaps that are on the drier side only make things worse. I'll look in to improving my preshave routine as well as trying some shave oil in my lather.

Attempts at getting a BBS shave is probably when it happens the worst so I think that will be out of the question for me as some of you have eluded to. I'll stick WTG and XTG from now on and limit the passes in general.

My technique could also probably use some work, I shall keep an eye on this as well as the pressure and angle of attack.

@outback, this is something I've been thinking about. Does skin get tougher the more one shaves? I shave about once a week because of this issue but I'm curious if shaving more often (and with correct technique of course) will somehow make skin more robust and less likely to suffer from razor bumps and such.

Not sure if it toughens the skin, but maybe it learns to regenerate quicker, from the constant micro abrasions.

I too, started with only doing a WTG pass, and it helped tremendously.

Once I learned to hone a proper edge, and get my technique dialed in, along with pressure, its been a total bliss.

Mapping my beard was a big key to shaving ATG. But now with over 30 years with a straight, its like breathing air, or riding a bike.

As your edges and technique improves BBS will come.

Always shave for comfort first, a comfortable shave with some stubble left and a good skin feel is much better than a BBS shave with painful skin that takes a while to heal.


I can't stand a DE shave tbh, I strongly dislike the blades.


What helped for me was not to lather up my entire face and proceed to shave. I would lather up half my face and take my time shaving that, taking my time to stretch well adjust my shaving angle and shaving stroke. Take the time to feel how it shaves and adjust the angle and pressure where needed, try different thing see what works best, I like a very shallow shaving angle.
Don't apply too much pressure.
I like focusing on shaving smaller patches per time. I also lather up in "areas", first the right side of my face, then the left, then the middle. It's also convenient for skin stretching to not be all lathered up (although alum rocks for this)


I have a small part on my neck that gets razor bumps if I don't shave it right. It's very peculiar about how I shave it, but sadly there's only one way to find out what will and will not cause them: shave it in a few different ways. Stretch up or down, shave from N-S or S-N or E-W, W-E, etc; it can all matter.

A certainly honed edge can also limit razor bumps IME, but it's mostly about technique and figuring out how to shave your face best

and don't shave with dried out lather (:

Now that's some golden advice, all of the above.
I like getting the reminders of the things that I often forget.
Great replies!

A post shave toner spray feels quite nice and helps soothe and restore skin. I like it because I can spray it on and not touch my face, and do that several times over the next 48hrs.
Skin definitely toughens up.
I'm up to twice a week, so my skin is getting "conditioned" to more frequent shaving after a long term beard.

I think the face gets used to the feel of a straight. Not really toughen up. JMO. I used to get an odd feeling after a shave and my skin felt sensitive after a shave. I found it was my edge not being sharp enough. The idea that the hairs were cut off at an angle. Not straight across the hairs. After learning to put a keener edge on my razors ive not had this happen again.

Glad you are figuring out what is going on. One step in the right direction at a time and soon the DE will find a dusty drawer to sit in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by outback

Not sure if it toughens the skin, but maybe it learns to regenerate quicker, from the constant micro abrasions.

I too, started with only doing a WTG pass, and it helped tremendously.

Once I learned to hone a proper edge, and get my technique dialed in, along with pressure, its been a total bliss.

Mapping my beard was a big key to shaving ATG. But now with over 30 years with a straight, its like breathing air, or riding a bike.

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I definitely need to map my beard. For the most part my face is easy, it's the neck that's horrible and is the source of most irritation as the hair grows in different directions.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TristanLudlow

As your edges and technique improves BBS will come.

Always shave for comfort first, a comfortable shave with some stubble left and a good skin feel is much better than a BBS shave with painful skin that takes a while to heal.

I can't stand a DE shave tbh, I strongly dislike the blades.

What helped for me was not to lather up my entire face and proceed to shave. I would lather up half my face and take my time shaving that, taking my time to stretch well adjust my shaving angle and shaving stroke. Take the time to feel how it shaves and adjust the angle and pressure where needed, try different thing see what works best, I like a very shallow shaving angle.
Don't apply too much pressure.

I like focusing on shaving smaller patches per time. I also lather up in "areas", first the right side of my face, then the left, then the middle. It's also convenient for skin stretching to not be all lathered up (although alum rocks for this)

I have a small part on my neck that gets razor bumps if I don't shave it right. It's very peculiar about how I shave it, but sadly there's only one way to find out what will and will not cause them: shave it in a few different ways. Stretch up or down, shave from N-S or S-N or E-W, W-E, etc; it can all matter.

A certainly honed edge can also limit razor bumps IME, but it's mostly about technique and figuring out how to shave your face best

and don't shave with dried out lather (:

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This is some excellent stuff, thanks Tristan. What you said about shaving for comfort and what RezDog said above about shaving the lather and not the whiskers is something that I had never really thought about, BBS shave was always the primary focus, much to the detriment of my skin.

Also shaving a portion/area of my face at a time, definitely something I will try as I focus on improving technique rather than attacking the whole face at once.

As you learn to shave more efficiently, your speed in shaving will increase. At the start, slow it down and make sure the lather is still wet and slick on the part of your face you are shaving.

That’s why shaving your face in sections is a great suggestion: lather the section you are about to shave after you have lathered your whole face. If you do that, the lather on that section will be fresh and will provide better lubrication. Don’t be afraid to lather several times if necessary. Soap is cheap compared to skin!

It sounds like you getting razor bumps or in-grown hairs from shaving your face to closely. If you shave such that the hair folicules are cut off below skin level, they can turn and start burrowing into your skin with painful results. Due to the bumps, let your beard row out for four days before the next shave. Because you anticipate it will be four days before you shave again, you once again shave too closely.

I would suggest you shave more frequent, perhaps even daily, but do not try to get a BBS shave. Perhaps only shave a single pass WTG and leave it at that. Do not be concerned with getting a close shave, for now a socially acceptable shave will do. Use the least aggressive razor equipped with the least aggressive blade that will achieve that result. If doing a single pass WTG eliminates the issue, after a few weeks, you might try adding a second XTG to see if you can get a little closer. Avoid ATG passes and buffing as that is likely to be the trigger for your problems.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RayClem

It sounds like you getting razor bumps or in-grown hairs from shaving your face to closely. If you shave such that the hair folicules are cut off below skin level, they can turn and start burrowing into your skin with painful results. Due to the bumps, let your beard row out for four days before the next shave. Because you anticipate it will be four days before you shave again, you once again shave too closely.

I would suggest you shave more frequent, perhaps even daily, but do not try to get a BBS shave. Perhaps only shave a single pass WTG and leave it at that. Do not be concerned with getting a close shave, for now a socially acceptable shave will do. Use the least aggressive razor equipped with the least aggressive blade that will achieve that result. If doing a single pass WTG eliminates the issue, after a few weeks, you might try adding a second XTG to see if you can get a little closer. Avoid ATG passes and buffing as that is likely to be the trigger for your problems.

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This is a great strategy, thanks Ray. I will most definitely give this a try. I see no reason why I can't shave more frequently, provided I'm doing it correctly and not getting razor bumps.

I'll stick to shaving one area of my face at a time and only WTG.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by animalwithin

I love wet shaving, whether it be with a SE, DE, or a straight razor.

But for the life of me I can't escape the horrible ordeal of the hair growing back a few days later. What usually follows is the next two days after a shave, as the hair grows back, it pierces the skin which causes a multitude of small, red bumps that are INCREDIBLY uncomfortable and make it seem that I have some sort of skin disorder. :cry:

This does not subside until the hair has grown past the skin and pretty much doesn't allow me to shave for at least four days.

Razor burn and areas where I went too hard definitely make it worse and if I take great care to shave slowly it helps. Shaving only with the grain also helps but there are always areas that cause me significant irritation, most specifically the neck and areas around my mouth.

I've accepted the fact that I must have sensitive skin on my face as well as thick facial hair but surely there must be something I can do to help? Shaving every four - five days isn't exactly ideal but it's what I've had to live with.

Any thoughts/recommendations are welcome.

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I know exactly what you mean. It can happen on my chin just below the angles of the mouth. If I puff my lower lip it really exposes the whiskers which are sticking straight out, clean cut them and it seems like they are growing/pushing through the skin. I stopped doing the puffing and no problems since then.

Mr Animal,

Sorry to be late to the game. It sounds like you are experiencing trapped hairs, a very common and misunderstood phenomenon.

The hairs in question are not trapped under the entire skin but the outer layer or stratum corneum. If you were to look at your skin with bright light and a magnifying glass, you would see these hairs just sitting there looking (and feeling like) splinters. Given a day or two without shaving, these hairs will emerge on their own or in some cases become inflamed or infected.

Shaving releases the trapped hairs but at the cost of nicks. The trick is to release the hairs prior to shaving. But how, Library Guy?

In the evening, wash your face gently with a mild exfoliant scrub. The operative word here is gently. We’re trying to avoid irritation not cause it. Apply whatever moisturizer you have on hand and go to bed.

In the morning, shave with your established best practices. This will help reduce trapped hairs, bumps, and the burn.

Good luck,

I remain &c
LG Roy

Indeed, I find this to happen more in the cooler, dryer climes.
I like about 6 drops of thin vitamin E oil the night before, rubbed-in good.
Makes for a nicer shave in the morning.

AND, were I to shave more often, it would be a non-issue! ;)

Seeing as this thread has been resurrected from the dead, I shall provide you all with an update!

Following the advice on this thread, my shaving has become immeasurably better and nearly completely free from irritation. While I'm not getting a BBS shave, I am getting fairly close and I'm shaving multiple times a week. Thank you to everyone who offered advice and tips, it definitely was helpful and I'm consistently reminded of the approaches to technique I was made aware of through this thread whilst shaving.

THANK YOU!!! :D

Hell yeah, happy shaving.