Thread: Irritation below the jaw and on the neck

Hello. I shave daily with 3 passes(WTG, XTG AND ATG). I get irritation below the jaw and on the neck. I use D'amaris shave cream or Palmolive shave cream, a Whipped Dog 22 mm knot silvertip badger brush, a Wilkinson Sword Classic(the one you get from the supermarket), a D'amaris aftershave https://www.emag.ro/after-shave-loti.../pd/D65X0LBBM/ and a Gillete blue or red blade. No matter how smooth of a touch I use with the razor I get irritated. I also have problems with creating a lather. I apply the cream on he brush and then to my face, but by the 3'rd pass the lather is very thin. Any solutions?

There are so many things that can produce irritation.
Soap and brush is what got my first big improvement.
You may want to try a preshave such as Noxema. Skin stretching/holding is crazy important. Cold water helps for some. Fewer passes. It is rarely one thing. Change one thing at a time and look for improvement. There are a lot of people that have DE experience and they can talk about blades and razors, because they could be a factor too.

Well the first thing I would change are the shave creams. Check out our long running thread on soaps and creams. There are also better razors than that. Unless you have super sensitive skin and you are using more pressure than you think you are using those are the two factors I would play with.

It could be that you are using more pressure than you think or need. Finding and keeping the right angle on the blade could also be a part of the problem. DEs do not have pivoting heads so the operator must maintain the right angle through all the curves on your face. You may be having trouble making a good lather or not using enough cream in the first place to last 3 passes. If it is too thin you can always add more cream.

Palmolive is a very decent shave cream as this vid shows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvV0W1Wv7C8

Bob

I am very prone to irritation below the jaw line.
One pass is less irritation than 2 passes. If the razor is sharp enough one pass should suffice for a close shave.
Lynn Abrams, founder of this forum once wrote: what is a better shave: BBS with irritation or slightly less smooth without irritation?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well the first thing I would change are the shave creams. Check out our long running thread on soaps and creams. There are also better razors than that. Unless you have super sensitive skin and you are using more pressure than you think you are using those are the two factors I would play with.

Leaving alone mechanical reasons like technique, blade and razor used; I would try after a different shave cream to use a different aftershave for a while.

There are too many variables to be able to pinpoint at a distance the root cause of your skin irritation and I suggest to change one component at a time until you have figured out what causes your problem.

I have not had many issues over the years, but found early on that my skin did not like one particular make of preshave (I no longer use any) and one kind of (Italian made) aftershave while my skin was perfectly in tune with the Spanish version of that same product.


Good luck.


B.

Thanks everybody for the advice.

Originally Posted by Alex7

I also have problems with creating a lather. I apply the cream on he brush and then to my face, but by the 3'rd pass the lather is very thin. Any solutions?

Making a good lather may be the problem. It sounds like your lather may be underdeveloped or too wet.

Check out this video on two methods for face lathering. He also gives some good descriptions of the characteristics of a properly developed lather.
https://youtu.be/_4zESTQWDuw

I have a very tough beard and very sensitive skin, so getting a close shave without irritation is always a challenge. Here are a few of my tips. Hopefully, one or more of them will work for you.

1. Always do a great job of beard preparation to clean and soften your beard. I try to shower before I shave, using shampoo and conditioner on both my hair and my face.

2. Use an excellent shave soap or cream. I have never used Palmolive, but I am pretty sure there are better soaps available. I could list some top soaps, but the shave soap forum already has that covered quite well. You need a soap that is super slick and also one that provides a cushion between your face and the blade to minimize irritation.

3, Use the right razor and the right blade for your beard and your face. The Wilkinson Sword razor is fairly mild. That is fine if you have a thin, fine beard. If your beard is heavy or coarse, the razor might still work if you use a super sharp blade in the razor. The Gillette Super Blue is a nice mid-sharp blade that works well for many people. If the razor and blade combination you use is too mild for your beard, you will be tempted to apply more pressure to get close enough. Do NOT shave with pressure. If you do, irritation is a given. Also, do not try to extend the life of the blade once it starts to tug or feel rough on your face.

4. If your blade angle is too steep, you will be scraping off skin cells along with your hair follicles. Your angle might be perfect when you shave your cheeks, but as you go around the contours of your jaw line and down your neck, maintaining the correct angle can be difficult.

5. I like using shave soaps that provide excellent skin oisturizing, nourishing, and conditioning. However, you might want to use some type of post-shave balm if your soap does not provide those properties. If your skin is already irritated, applying an aftershave containing alcohol or menthol will just enhance the irritation.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

I have to go against the grain on parts of my neck, irritation was a problem until I lowered the blade angle to where the spine is almost or is touching my skin with Atg pass. It helps lighten the stroke and doesn’t allow the razor to “pull” the hair at all. On the rest of my face I gave up on a atg pass, the overall comfort far out weigh being able to skip an extra day of shaving. If shaving isn’t enjoyable I wouldn’t want to do it, that and I don’t care for having a beard.

Like others have said, assuming your edge is good, try a different cream or soap. Change one thing at a time, often I find that there are multiple issues going on if I’m having issues shaving, eliminating one variable at a time will help pinpoint the real issues.