Thread: New Guy needs help

Hello all. I'm 48 and am using a DE for the first time. I showered and prep'ed my face. The last 2 times I have used my DE my face comes out all bloody. I have used 2 different blades and am trying different angles. It's not like I am cutting myself as much as hitting high spots on my skin. The shave is smooth and I am trying to use a light hand. Any suggestions?

You may be "trying to use a light hand" but pressure, too much of it, is likely your problem. Let the razor glide on your face. No pressure at all is required. Added pressure will cause the problems you are experiencing.

It sounds like a problem of pressure. Try to take it slow, and don't put any pressure on the razor at all.

Once you've gotten the knack for that, worry about the angle.

Good luck!

flteng,

Gentle stretching of the skin can do wonders as well; try and avoid doing against-the-grain (ATG) passes until your shaves are comfortable.

It seems that most irritation arises from the ATG pass, particularly on the neck, where the whisker growth direction can be most odd !

The ideal is to have the cutting edge of the blade at right angles to the whiskers - with 'most' safety razors, this is with the handle ca 30 degrees from the horizontal. As razors can vary so much, you will have to experiment to find what is correct for your razor.

As has been said above, you don't need any pressure the weight of the razor should be enough.

Good luck

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Depending on the razor and blade you are using the technique can vary quite a bit. First you need to determine the best blade-razor combination to suit you. Once you have that then as the others have said it's a technique issue of getting the angle and pressure and stretching down. Like with a straight start with the easy strokes until you have good facility with the razor. I wouldn't bee messing with ATG strokes at first or places that are more challenging.

I have 7 DE's I don't have any trouble with them, 2 of them EJ and Stainless Feather are just sublime, I can't cut myself if I try. I recently bought a Lord (Not the L6, the one with the older head), just because I saw it and thought why not? It cut my face to buggery, I put it in the bin in case I'm stupid enough to try it again, it may just be your razor.

I would agree with several of the previous posts. I think you are applying too much pressure to the razor to shave your face. A few nicks? Yes. A bloody face? Never.

As previously noted, let the weight of the razor do the job. You shouldn't be applying much pressure at all. If your first pass doesn't get all of the whiskers, wet your beard and attack it from another angle, such as across the grain.

I hope that this advice helps.

I had a he'll of a time with my first DE. It still cuts me no matter what blade is in it. I finally fixed the problem by acquiring a vintage Gillette adjustable. Now every thing is smooth as silk. Being able to drop the edge down for across the grain shaving is brilliant! The soap makes a huge difference too. So far I have found that the Kiss My Face brand shaving creams are the best low cost solution for nick free wet shaving.

I showered and prep'ed my face.

What face prep are you doing?

[Like everyone else, my first thought was "too much pressure". "Face prep" is my second thought.]

And what razor are you using? Some are more aggressive than others -- but with a bumpy face, any razor may be problematic.

Charles

I've had the problem with the DE and a STR8 when my lather was to thin and not providing enough lubrication,and when lather was drying on face making for a sticky ride. I Don't cut off those chicken pock scars anymore...much...funny how they keep popping back up when they heal...i second the no pressure .