Face is on FIRE, help

I started off with a straight edge, but I think i rolled the edge and went into DE. I have been shaving for 6 months and every darn time my face is HOT, Burning and every darn else word i can throw at it. I always get some sort of razor burn. If i shave with a cartridge and then a DE 3 days later nothing bad happens. I have to shave at night only to shower the next day to wash my face off of the razor burn. I put on after shave lotion every time out of the shower. so what am i doing wrong? help me out pleaaassseeeee. I might rehone my SE and go back to that.

stop whatever is making your face hurt. life is too short.

go back to Mach 3 if that helps, or straights if that helps. But don't torture yourself! What was the last "technology" you used that didn't burn your face?

what was the last shaving method you used that didn't burn your face?

I am no expert.
If that DE is adjustable try lowering the setting some.
I have learned that I can not shave against the grain. I will get serious razor burn and my face will break out if I do.
If the blade is dull it will pull and irritate your skin. It should be effortless with very little pressure.
Hope this helps.
Rick

how many passes do you do? make sure your angle is correct too - if its too steep you are basically scraping the skin off. Try a different blade, too.

pressure with a DE is equally important as with a straight. NO Pressure.
I find that 2 passes - XTG keep my face feeling good. If I do three passes, I get red and hot.

Soap? what do you use? It could be irritation from soap?

do you use an aftershave? I use Thayer's witch hazel, followed by an alcohol splash - aqua velva etc.

keep at it - it will get better.

The ususal suspects in no particular order:

• Bad preparation (hot water, hot towel, pre shave, etc.)
• Bad lather (too wet/dry, canned foam, etc.)
• Bad blades. Feather blades do not work for me, Personna do. Horses for courses.
• Too much pressure, too many passes.
• Alcohl based after shave.
• Bad karma.

In a nutshell, if a cartridge razor works for you, a DE should, too. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by mypearl

I started off with a straight edge, but I think i rolled the edge and went into DE. I have been shaving for 6 months and every darn time my face is HOT, Burning and every darn else word i can throw at it. I always get some sort of razor burn. If i shave with a cartridge and then a DE 3 days later nothing bad happens. I have to shave at night only to shower the next day to wash my face off of the razor burn. I put on after shave lotion every time out of the shower. so what am i doing wrong? help me out pleaaassseeeee. I might rehone my SE and go back to that.

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What kind of blades were you using in your DE? Try a different one, it may feel remarkably different!

Merkur blades irritate the heck out of my face, Feathers are as smooth as glass....

What kind of blades are you using?

My first thoughts are, what blade are you using and check the angle at which you holding the razor.

I'm not following your problem very well, but first, toss the aftershave. Your implying your either shaving first, shaving in the shower, or apply aftershave before you shave, none of those options make sense or work.

Yes, get the straigth edge honed. They are smoother.

Razor burn usually suggests you've got your angle wrong. The blade is scraping your skin, rather than slicing your beard. (You're not having this problem with cartridges, as they control their own angle.) Blade choice and prep can also play a part, but I'd bet it's an angle issue.

Check out Mantic59's channel on YouTube for some great video tutorials to help improve your technique.

sorry to start with a question, but what kind of beard prep are you doing, and what kind of pressure are you using to shave?

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Originally Posted by BeBerlin

The ususal suspects in no particular order:

• Bad karma.

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Sounds like a good name for a line of products. I can't decide if they should be really good, or really bad, though.

+1 on mantic59's vids. they're a great tool.

+1 on experimenting with different blades. Merkur, Personna (Israeli, not US made), Derby, Feather, and Gillette Swedish are all worth experimenting with to find the one that works best with your skin. However, be advised: Feathers are some of the sharpest blades out there.

wow i hate Mozilla had a response that took me 20 minutes to create.

This happens when using soap or cream. I use a feather DE on my Merkur Vision. I have a Plisson Badger brush. My pre-shave routine is to soak my face in warm water for 30 seconds followed up with my shaving cream that i had already mixed for 2 minutes. I do a wtg xtg and xtg. rarely do i do a atg. After words ill use a balm gel or splash. after every shower i use lotion without drying my face prior to applying. this is pretty much everything i hope. maybe im pushing to hard. i have to shave today and will skip the wtg. And not push, cant say i remember pushing. in fact i always try to go light. it could be my angle of attach? Thank you so much this far for helping me. im sorry i was gone and couldnt wb as fast.

Maybe some more prep work is in order. I find that using some kind of lotion or moisturizer before I lather to add an extra layer of protection. If I apply it right after I get out of the shower, my skin soaks it up some and usually thanks me later because the weather has been really dry where I'm at. That might help you to find the right pressure and gain some consistency and then when you have it figured out you could move on to shaving without the pre lotion. Adding glycerin to your lather adds some cushion/protection, too. Maybe you can find a way to smooth out the blade some. I've considered trying it, but I'm experimenting with other stuff first as I don't really use a DE all that often anymore. I also preferred the dorcos when I was starting out because they were better for my face and not as 'finnicky' as the feathers were when it came to cutting my face up and irritation.

feather blades have zero tolerance for bad/poor tequnice. try a milder blade and see if that helps. feathers also don't work well in every razor.

if i go fast/get sloppy with my feathers they will eat my ass up. go slow and watch your angles. stay away from alcahol after shaves and use 1 or 2 passes for awhile.

I would definately not try skipping the wtg...thats your money pass...if your razor is adjustable turn it down to less agressive...and if you can try a new blade...feathers are hell if your technique is not perfect...i like crystals or red pack personnas...try west coast shaving for blades and sample packs...or even the classifieds for help...

dont give up...once you get it you will love the shave and will have less irritations...