Thread: Razor burn on neck

Originally Posted by JohnMajor

Hi Ryan,
No red bumps or rash, but I did get a few dots of blood. Maybe a half dozen.

If there are no visible marks it's likely minor irritation. Easing up on the pressure should do the trick.

BTW - those tiny drops of blood are known in the wetshaving community as "weepers". They can be caused by excessive pressure, dull blades and shaving over tiny skin bumps (like zits, razor bumps etc).

Originally Posted by JohnMajor

Hey Gents,
I just switched from a Derby, to a Feather blade to try out a new pack I just bought and see if I like them better. The shave felt great! It seemed much smoother then the Derby and less tugging then I seemed to get with the Derby blades.
However, shortly after I was done, my neck was burning like crazy. Even after using a alum block after the shave.
Is this sometimes normal when switching to a new blade or do I just need to work on my technique more?
Any advise is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
John

Hi John,

Feathers are very very sharp and are very unforgiving. Even a little too much pressure with the feathers and they will get you.

The neck tends to be a tricky area because the hair doesn't always follow a logical growth patten. Try a few different blades you'll find the right one(s) for you, it took me a long time to find my right set of blades and I've been DE shaving over 10 years. If you are in the UK I can send you a few blades to try.

Hi Gents,
I really appreciate all the info and advice. I hope in time I'll be able to help others as well.

So far, I'm trying to use less pressure and it seems to be helping.

Thanks again!

For some people, like me... feathers are something that I don't know if I'll ever get used to. You may have sensitive skin like myself and need a pre-shave oil to help the neck area. It helps me alot. I use straight grapeseed oil from the grocery store and let that sit on my face / neck for a minute or so while I am building my lather. It really does make a difference for me. I notice when I don't do it. If you don't like grapeseed oil, then another cheap option is noxema although the smell turns alot of people off. It does ok in a pinch as I believe it has eucalyptus oil. Just remember.. everyone's skin is different and people with sensitive skin will not be able to do the same things for shaving as someone else. Learn what your skin can do and enjoy.

Just thought I'd give a quick update.
So far, things are going much better once I started using less pressure. Coming from shaving cream in a can and cheap triple blade razors for many years, the difference is night and day! I feel like I'm hardly pressing at all.

Thanks again everyone for the great advice and encouragement. Before I found this forum (and a few helpful videos on YouTube) I was hacking my face apart trying to shave like I was still using one of the cheap disposables! I was totally clueless and becoming a mess! I guess I'm still mostly clueless overall, but at least I'm going in the right direction and the shaves are going well.

-John

I recently used my Merkur slant bar as a "quick scrape" as I call it instead of using my straight.I hadn't used it in a while so I put in a new feather.I expected to get the usual burn and weepers with a new feather but no.Not a bit of burn or a weeper.
What I did differently was simply use lots of little light strokes instead of my usual long strokes.I've since had a few shaves that way and it is persistently comfy and weeper free.Flippin' marvelous!
I've seen it done that way but when I first started shaving I assumed it was an over carefull way not realising there was a good reason for little strokes.I'm glad I stumbled on this at long last.Just shows how we never stop learning.

I'm a firm believer that with DE you'll find a perfect blade. Just don't be surprised if its not a Feather. If you were using Derby prior to switching, I suggest moving up the sharpness scale a little slower. Try Shark. Then try Wilhinson Sword. Maybe give Treet a try. Next, maybe Kai. Save Feather fo last. There is a natural desire to feed manly ego with Feather blades. But at the feast of ego, everyone leaves hungry.....and razor burned. Maybe Feather will be your go to blade. But leave open the possibility that something else might be. And as others have stated, zero pressure. Also, be sure to have the proper angle as well. The blade should be attacking the stubble as close to a 90degree angle as possible. If its too steep, it'll scape along giving you that famous burn. Combine that with a Feathwr blade and a good splash of bay rum and it'll light you up like never before. Try to avoid all of that. Good luck.

Thanks for the info OCD.
Your post is actually quite timely. I just returned from a business trip to Los Angeles and forgot to pack blades in my checked luggage. When I arrived, I was only able to find Wilkinson Swords (black label) at a late night pharmacy. They were on my list of blades to try but I hadn't got to them yet. Mainly because I was dismissing them as a cheaper blade and thus, lower quality. Perhaps they are.
After a good three pass BBS shave, I had absolutely no burn whatsoever! I was amazed!!
Three shaves since and all is still great.
I can now see how people get stuck on a certain blade. The difference was remarkable.
I'm still going to look at other blades to see if I can get even better, but a least I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere.

Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions! I've really appreciated it!!

-John

Well if you are trying new blades one of my favorites is Persona Red.

Happy hunting! Try picking up a sample pack and take notes! You'll forget quickly lol.

Exactly what I'm doing.

Thanks!

-John