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Most of the time I go into my gentlemen’s toiletry cave and towel and splash to prep.
Today I thought I would mix it up and shave right after my shower...and for the first time gave myself about four nicks, with some razor burn to boot.
Using C&E Sandalwood with a Merkur 33c and Precision SS blades. I have used this same setup for quite awhile.
The only explanation I can think of is that the shower stripped off the oils from your face. They need to be replenished.
This thread might be better placed in the Shaving forum.
You don't tell us what kind of prep you did in the shower, just taking a shower is not enough IMHO
Try the following, when in the shower, the very first thing you wash is your face, then rinse it off with HOT water and apply hair conditioner to your whiskers and let it sit while you wash the rest of you/wash hair, once you are done with that rinse off the conditioner and let HOT water run over your beard areas for a few minutes (I find this extremely soothing) try to get the water as hot as you can stand it without burning/scalding yourself.
Then when you get out of the shower, do not dry your face, just towel off the rest of you and commence to shaving, splash more HOT water on the face before applying lather and inbetween passes and you should be good to go.
Hope this helps
I do not shave immediately after showering.
shower, open the shower door so the steam can disappear.
Dry my body, but not my face, in the meantime, most fluid/steam disappeared from the shower.
Lather up and shave, make sure your hands are dry so your razor can not glide out of your hands.
works for me, just ensure that the bathroom is not so wet.
have fun
I have been shaving in or immediately after a shower (some cases steam room) for more than 20 years. Taking a hot shower will soften your beard without much effort. Just the act of washing and such will accomplish this task. I do use some shave cream on my whiskers at the end of the shower just to soften the whiskers as much as possible, but I assure you it is not required.
I think the warm water expanded your skin and made it softer, the whiskers also. I think you then applied the same pressure as you always do which would not be required since the skin and whiskers were much softer than normal. The extra pressure on the softened and supple skin caused the rash.
Next time you shower and then shave lighten up on the razor and stretch your skin very well since the warmth will make it expand and soft. Don't forget your skin swells when it absorbs water so angles may change a bit also which can cause you to nick yourself.
Hopefully next time you'll get a really nice shave.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mvcrash
Yeah, I think this is whats happening.
I found it frustrating because logically it seems to me one would get the closest shave coming fresh out of the shower. Not to mention I’ve read that on here.
mcgyver74 I use this Facial Buffer | The Body Shop ® to scrub my face with Body Shop Tea Tree Face Wash. I will try your conditioner tip.
Thanks for all your help.
Interesting. Although I always shower prep--for decades--I'm fairly new to "wet" shaving. I believe that the steamy shower softens up the hair like nothing else, and logically the above responses all make sense. What I takeaway from your question is a new found curiosity to try a towel and splash away from the shower to prep for a shave. I guess this would be more of a barber's prep... I've just never tried it. Seems like the hair wouldn't have enough time to soften up completely. Interesting...
New to straight razors, but have used a DE for the longest time. Personally after I shower or sauna I find I get the very best shaves of my life. I agree above though, your skin absorbs water, and can swell. Being 'extra' gentle is your best bet.
I seem to be the same way. I tend to have fairly sensitive skin and will get occasional irritation even when I am careful and limit the number of passes that I do. I always shaved after a hot shower until the last month or so. Now I shave with cold water and shave before the shower and I haven't had any irritations since I started doing it.
Funny you mentioned that. Always the contrarian (well, often enough that I wear the appellation of iconoclast as a badge of honor when invoked among friends and foes alike), I tried shaving BEFORE I showed the other morning. Just splashed my face with warm water, rubbed in some Irish Moos, applied a little badger force and began the ritual. Several more nicks than usual later, I find myself yielding to the wisdom of the ancients and I won't be trying this again any time again soon. Shower first.
I think there's plenty of good advice here, and have nothing else to add other than the fact that I have moved the thread to the Shaving forum. As you were!
There are so many variables. What leads you to believe that the lack of showering led to more nicks? It seems like cuts would be more likely after a shower.
This is an interesting thread. I was just having this conversation with a friend who has been shaving with a straight razor for 45 years. His observation was that we are "touching up" our edges far more often than seems necessary and he came to the conclusion, after reading a bunch of threads, that we are not performing a proper beard prep thus we are shaving with our whiskers not fully softened and putting undue stress on the edge of the blade. He was taught to prep by washing the face, apply lather, apply hot towel and hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat 3 times. Then lather a 4th time and shave.
If he showers first then the lather/hot towel treatments are 2 in number, not 3.
His edges last him at least a year.
Also, at one time I was speaking with a barber in St. Paul, Mn who had such a tough beard that it was necessary for him to use 5 hot towel treatments.
I will be trying out the multiple hot towel treatments for myself, starting today. But I will be careful to use a lite pressure when shaving and a shallow angle. I will also make sure to not exfoliate when in the shower. That would make no sense since the act of using a straight razor is exfoliating there is no sense in doing it twice, which would irritate the skin.
Just my $.02, :)