Thread: Ingrown hairs

So I hear everyone stating that they get the 'closest shave ever' using a straight, without the irritation, razor burn, ingrown hairs etc...

Now I love my str8 and wont go back to a cartridge or any multiblade ever again. But I had an ingrown hair recently and it got me thinking


Closer shave = smoother face = less hair protruding above your skin.


But ingrown hairs are caused by hairs being cut below the skin and then taking a detour under the skin instead of popping/growing back out.


So technically: closer shave = more ingrown hairs

and since: str8 = closest shave

then: straight = bad


So what gives?

There must be some variable that is missing.

Anyone else think about it?


Ivan

I've thought about this also ---- people say that cartridge razors cause hairs to be cut below the skin (lifting and cutting) and this causes ingrown hairs ---it also seems that hair cut below the skin would give you the closest shave. Straights don't give as much ingrown hairs because they don't cut below the skin.


Justin

Originally Posted by jaegerhund

I've thought about this also ---- people say that cartridge razors cause hairs to be cut below the skin (lifting and cutting) and this causes ingrown hairs ---it also seems that hair cut below the skin would give you the closest shave. Straights don't give as much ingrown hairs because they don't cut below the skin.


Justin

Sounds good to me - and also straights don't have 4 of their little mates following behind to inflict even more damage on an already cut hair...

James.

It's because that the hair is cut at an angle, which instead of letting the hair go out through the follicle opening, it sticks into the durmus. the end of the hair looks like a spear, and is deflected back inward. It then starts to wrap around itself, causing the "Bump", which is really a cyst. Watch Gillette's own commercials.

Depilation from a straight razor also clears away the top layer of dermis which the hairs would otherwise get caught on. I think this is the greatest inhibiting factor to ingrowns.

X

I never suffered ingrown hairs using the Muck 3. A few weeks ago I suffered my first ingrown hairs on my chin after shaving with a str8. Now I know it was much criticised, but a recent Youtube video claimed that too much stretching of the skin could in theory result in ingrown hairs since the severe stretching would make the hairs protrude to their max and then, once shaved, you let go of the skin and the hairs retract going under the skin. Thus ingrown hairs. In theory.

Well I thought I'd engage with the theory so since then I've stretched the skin a little less agressively and, would you believe it, no ingrown hairs? And still a BBS shave.

Anyone else suspect that although stretching is a vital part of the shave, like all things you can overdo it?

With the cartridge razor i would have 2-3 ingrown hairs every week. Straight shaving has cleared that up completely, still not getting the BBS shaves yet, but i have a Tony setup on it's way.

Originally Posted by majurey

I never suffered ingrown hairs using the Muck 3. A few weeks ago I suffered my first ingrown hairs on my chin after shaving with a str8. Now I know it was much criticised, but a recent Youtube video claimed that too much stretching of the skin could in theory result in ingrown hairs since the severe stretching would make the hairs protrude to their max and then, once shaved, you let go of the skin and the hairs retract going under the skin. Thus ingrown hairs. In theory.

Well I thought I'd engage with the theory so since then I've stretched the skin a little less agressively and, would you believe it, no ingrown hairs? And still a BBS shave.

Anyone else suspect that although stretching is a vital part of the shave, like all things you can overdo it?

I get a similar experience and while I do stretch my skin around my chin and underneath, if I stretch too much, I've gotten ingrown hairs. Reducing the stretching results in a more comfortable shave with no ingrowns.

Stretching can definitely be overdone, in my experience. I find that too much stretching makes the razor want to stick and skip and requires more pressure. That's what is so much fun about this whole thing; there are a bunch of things you have to do, but you can't do too much of any of them. Except maybe stropping. Hard to overdo that.

My theory about straights is in line with what someone else said: A cartridge pulls hairs up and then cuts them at an angle. Then they retract below the skin level, and a second pass can't get at them.

A straight cuts them at an angle on the first pass, but above the skin level, then the second pass comes the other way and cuts them off level with the skin, but flat. Straight-shaved stubble is less pointy.

My straight shaves last a lot longer than my Mock 3 shaves ever did. After 24 hours I look like I used to around 3:30.

Josh

The straight is superior to cartridge razors there is no question about that. I believe it also depends on a few other things. The direction your hair grows, how close you shave, how much you streach your skin, razor angle/shaving technique all play a part. Personally I like a super close BBS shave. I also have a spot on my neck that gets ingrown hairs quite a bit. If I do not shave that spot as close I do not get them. It comes down to which one I dislike the most, the ingrown hair or a stubbly spot on my perfect shave. Back when I used to use the dreaded cartridge razors I got ingrown hairs all over the place at random.