Thread: Breakouts with safety razors?

Welp 24 hours after my first shave with a DE. Bumps galore and probably ingrown hairs to come. Once I heal up I'll give it another go just to be sure. Bit of a disappointment. It was such a smooth shave.

Now that is very disappointing to see. I don't know what to say except that I have never had that with a DE or SE shave. It may help if there is a forum member near you that could give some in person instruction on how to use a DE.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Now that is very disappointing to see. I don't know what to say except that I have never had that with a DE or SE shave. It may help if there is a forum member near you that could give some in person instruction on how to use a DE.

Bob

Tell me about it. I was bummed. Like I said, I'll give it another go when I heal up. The pic is 24 hours post shave to boot!

Before switching to safety razors, breakouts. With a safety razor or straight, nope. None.

Originally Posted by dewey81

Tell me about it. I was bummed. Like I said, I'll give it another go when I heal up. The pic is 24 hours post shave to boot!

Unless you change something in your shaving routine, doing it again the same way will get you the same end result unfortunately. I suspect the angle on the blade you are using is off but can't really say for sure if that may be it or not.

Bob

For me it is all about angle and pressure. Too much pressure and that is exactly what happens to my neck. Feather soft with good skin stretching and holding, and of course, as Bob said, the angle.

Regarding the right angle, you can place the top cap against you skin with the blade parallel to the floor and rotate the handle downward till you can just feel the blade on your skin. That should be about right. If you were to lower the handle more you start to scrape the whisker off instead of cutting them off. Add pressure to the wrong angle and you really will have some grief. Now the trick is to maintain the angle while following the contours of your face. Good luck.

Bob

Which DE are you using and what blades are you using in it?

You wouldn’t think it, but different DE razors are more or less aggressive than others as are the blades you can choose to use in them. Combine that with the large number of razor/blade combinations and skin types and beard coarseness, you can see that finding the right combo for you might be a challenge.

My first modern DE was a Merkur 34C. I still use it a lot and through experimentation I have found that Gillette Silver Blue and Wilkinson Stainless blades work well for me in that razor. It took a while for me to find that combination. I also have a Rockwell with interchangeable heads for which I am still searching the best blade.

Many online vendors have blade sample packs that allow you to try out 5 blades each from different manufacturers. That may be an option you might want to try.

In the meantime, if you are using a good slick shaving soap or cream, remember that you shave the lather, not the whiskers. It’s a light touch and adjust the angle so that you can just feel the blade slicing the whiskers. GO SLOW AND GO LIGHT. If you don’t get it as close as you want, shave in another direction.

I'm of the school pressure is the key. Too much (and it doesn't take much) and you'll have grief. If your angle is right and you're using a quality soap or cream then pressure is probably the culprit. If it were a skin issue any shave appliance would cause issues.

I think given your most recent experience with a DE that I would agree with what's been said so far. Definitely check the pressure, likely you're pressing harder than you think. Also check your blade angle; coming from a straight you'll no doubt be aware of how important the angle is, but the angle also isn't the same as with a straight. As DZEC pointed out, finding the right combination of blade and razor is essential; if anything, the blade you're using is too aggressive, maybe try a milder one.

Finally, check your lather. This might be an area where coming from a straight is doing you a slight disservice. For a DE, you generally want your lather thicking than you would have for straight shaving. If your lather is already super thick, give using a thinner lather a go to see if that affects things.