Thread: I'm starting to get it it...

[FONT=georgia]Pre: Shower, Burts Bee's shave lotion.
Cream: Proraso green
Blade: Dorco - second use
After: Udderly Smooth, home-made aftershave

I managed to avoid cutting my scalp up this morning. Shaving my head is way trickier than shaving my face with it. I didn't cut myself at all this time though. Last time I think I wasn't paying enough attention to my angle of attack on the rear crown area, really have to concentrate on holding it at the right angle. Helped to choke my grip up and rest a finger and my thumb on the bottom plate of the head. I only do one XTG pass on my head, has always seemed to be enough and the skin seems tight enough that it doesn't irritate it too much.



My face on the other hand, I'm still having some trouble with. I've got, I think, a lot of in-grown and infected hairs. Red spots that don't seem like razor burn. At one point a few years ago, I let my lady pluck my beard at her insistance it would take a long time to grow back if I did. She was wrong about that, and I got a terrible rash from it, but she did find out that I do have a LOT of ingrown hairs, especially in spots that are double or tripple hairs growing out of the same spot. I'm not sure what to do about in-grown and infected hairs, I'm going to look into it today. I'm afraid to try to go for a really close shave, like I did last time, cause it really pisses off all those red spots.

Multiple hairs from the same spot is fairly rare, but does cause ingrowns, all the more so with curly beard hair like you have. Some guys can't go ATG w/o getting razor burn/bumps galore, and you may be one of them. They often find that a second xtg ( in the other direction) works pretty well for them. I'm not especially prone to razor bumps ( except when using an injector as it turns out...), but I do know that starting by washing your face to cleanse the pores can help, and that you might try a splash aftershave, as well as making sure to disinfect your razor/blade in rubbing alcohol between uses.

Looks like you are doing well. Once you get the lack of pressure thing down, the most important thing to remember is to maintain a constant angle. We get so used to those bloody pivoting head cartridge razors that it can be a hard habit to break.

You didn't say if you are shaving ATG, as that's usually the culprit behind razor bumps. As Sargon said, XTG (even a couple passes XTG) should take care of the irritation and provide a very close shave as well.

Originally Posted by Nonstickron

[FONT=georgia]

I have the same exact issue with in grown hair on my neck, and have done for years! I will try shaving WTG only today to see what happens, but I normally only get a very close shave (can still see some in grown hair), when I shave ATG which as mentioned does give some razor burn/bumps.

Well, I've got to say, I'm making progress. A few days of using the DE every morning with the proper pre and post shave and care taken not to aggrivate my skin with the razor...and I've achieved good results. This morning, first time I used my new (to me) 1937 Gillette Sharaton, I had the best shave of my life.



I must say I'm very very pleased. The Sharaton gives me a lot more control with its tiny little handle. I love it.



No razor burn, no bumps, no stubble afterwards, no pain while removing the hair. Closest, most effortless shave I've had. Figures that it was with a 75ish year old solid metal shaver with the plating wearing off...instead of some 5 bladed, moisture stripped, vibrating, rubberized affront to manhood.

What are your pre and post shave steps? As i'm still having issue with razor burn and razor bumps.

I always start with a shower, in which I wash my face with a gentle moisturizing home made cp/hp soap.

I refrain from drying my face, as I towel off everything else.

Begin soaking shaving brush.

I apply Udderly Smooth to my wet face/scalp/elbows. (Ive a tendancy toward dry cracked elbows.) Take your time, rub it in. Use it liberally, it's dirt cheap.

I use about a peanut sized dollop of Proraso, work up a nice lather. Add 4 drops of glycerine, work that in to the lather. It seems to make the lather extra creamy.

Work the lather on to your face. You don't have to take all morning, but really scrub away at your face with the brush, especially the throat. This is your chance to work away any dry skin covering infected or in grown hairs, a stiff boar brush is probably ideal, really go to town on it. From my experience, in-growns are from your skin being so dry that the hair can't break through the surface, so it stays trapped, growing in a spiral or a bunch under a crown of dry skin.

My hair on my cheeks grows down but on my throat it grows in several overlapping directions. The toughest hairs to get grow sideways. So I shave top to bottom, bottom to top, then last I shave each side toward the center.

Be careful, don't use too much pressure. I find I have to use more than just the weight of the razor with a DE but not a lot more. Its a very fine line between too much and not enough. And be constantly mindful of your angle. I find the large handle one I have has more room for error in that regard. What I mean is that the geometry of the Sharaton didn't seem like it would let the razor touch my skin if I came in at grossly the wrong angle, whereas I could easily botch it on the other one.

Anyway, after done shaving, I rinse my brush out good and use that to rinse my face off. More to keep from making a huge mess trying to splash my face...but it's also quite nice.

I then dry my face with a fresh paper towel. If you are not using a clean towel, you are putting bacteria directly into the aggravated pores of your face. In my house Im lucky to have a towel at all, nevermind a clean one. It's easier to just have a roll of paper towels handy. Viva are quite nice, they are single ply but very thick and cottony. About as luxurious as a paper towel can get.

Then I splash my face with home-made aftershave. It uses witch hazel as a base, with aloe and glycerine and alchohol. If you get infected hairs, an aftershave does more than close your pores, it sterilizes your face.

Once my face has air dryed, I then follow up with either Udderly smooth or wait till I get to work and put some home-made lotion on that a friend of mine makes. It's is important to keep your face moisturized.

It seems to be working so far. The biggest changes I've made since posting about the problem I had are the paper towels and how much pressure I use with the razor. You can see the results.

Bravo Ron. 'No surprise that you'd crack the nut, but its worth savoring. Nicely done!