Thread: Preventing Razor Burn

So I just got into SR shaving and have only shaved twice. Both times though I've had some moderate razor burn on my neck afterwards, everywhere else was fine. Now my question was, my neck hair is very random and I've always just shaved with disposable razors from the bottom to top (lower neck to chin) and now when I switched I heard most people just go down the neck, so that's what I tried. Could the razor burn be attributed to the fact that I switched which direction I shave the neck, or is it solely because of blade angle, pressure, etc... Thanks!

Micah, neck hair grows, generally in every which direction. You need to map the different directions and adjust your shaving patterns on your neck. As you do that you can, as many shavers have done, finish off the neck with a DE, SE or disposable as they learn the neck area. And pressure is of utmost need since, again, in general, neck skin seems to be more sensitive than the rest of the face. Stretching the neck skin so you can use lighter pressure is also very good. A little irritation can occur even for the experienced shaver. All in the learning process.

Richard

Probably a combination of the two. Try less pressure and when more confident go back to your natural direction. Balms seem to sooth alot better than after shaves, that may help too.

Razor burn can usually be attributed to a heavy hand and incorrect angle while you're learning, so try focusing on and adjusting those two.
As Grazor said, a good balm will help soothe the burn after the shave and you can find decent ones on the cheap. Unless you're like me and want to use a Bay Rum or something of the sort to give a true indicator of how the shave went...lol.

I burned myself with my first DE shave. Learned right then, lighten up, AND don't go over any spot twice without a re-lather.

And learning to "get light" and having to learn about angles is why i still recommend the DE as a stepping stone to SR shaving.

As noted above definitely as a beginner it is usually to much pressure, angle of approach, not stretching the skin and the fact that our necks are tender and just more prone to irritation at first I think.
So lighten the touch, flatten your angles out a bit more with plenty of lather you will come around I copped the neck irritation many times in the first month or so learning this with the against the grain.
It is a lot of minor hand manipulation to learn at first just take your time you will appreciate it all in the end

I remember the first time I used a straight. When I was done I thought I needed to call the Fire Department.

Like everyone has said it's a matter of learning to finesse the razor with angle and pressure. I wouldn't worry about mapping and how to approach growth patterns. When you start out just worry about how to manipulate the razor properly and what angles to use where and how much pressure to exert. After you have all that down then you can go beyond the simple strokes and worry about the nitty gritty.

I've been shaving with a Muhle R89, and at first I had to get used to the angle and pressure. It took me a few tries to begin getting a comfortable shave. As I'm traveling, I'm now using a Parker Travel DE, and the first time I used it I definitely had the wrong angle and pressure. Different razor, different technique. I noticed that the angle I was using was wrong as this razor is more aggressive. Therefore needed to adjust it. Razor burn is an inevitable part of the learning process. Light touch and small strokes held a lot.

Originally Posted by mathnerdm

So I just got into SR shaving and have only shaved twice. Both times though I've had some moderate razor burn on my neck afterwards, everywhere else was fine. Now my question was, my neck hair is very random and I've always just shaved with disposable razors from the bottom to top (lower neck to chin) and now when I switched I heard most people just go down the neck, so that's what I tried. Could the razor burn be attributed to the fact that I switched which direction I shave the neck, or is it solely because of blade angle, pressure, etc... Thanks!

Yes. All of the above. The neck flumes out at the bottom so when you come to your lower neck from the top you have to adjust the angle and follow the neck out thereby adjusting the pressure. If you just continue down at same angle and pressure you will be at a high angle and increasingly high pressure. This got me for a long time. I noticed a consistent pattern of irritation on my lower neck and figured out that I have to adjust to all the contours. Stretching and trying to get the skin as flat as possible really helps with all this too. A cartridge razor has everything built in to prevent this which is why you are just now noticing.

By shaving from the bottom up you are doing just the opposite on the neck and it is much easier but due to the direction of your hair growth you may HAVE to go north to south or top to bottom.

Hope this helps

I've been straight shaving for a couple months now and while I haven't gotten to BBS on my neck but every shave is better and has less irritation. Figure what works for you, trial and error takes a while but you'll be happier in the long run!