Thread: Flaking skin

The last few shaves have been good but I've noticed that when I'm done, I get a lot of flaking skin. It almost looks as if the razor has taken some skin off. I know it does but this seems excessive. It causes some degree of discomfort although I wouldn't describe it as razor burn.

I wonder if there's something I need to be doing different or if this is common in colder weather as skin tends to dry out more with the dry house heat.

Edit: This is all on the underside of the chin and a little on the upper lip, nowhere else

The dry cold weather could be a contributing factor and in the winter I get a flake or two, but no discomfort. How many passes do you do? Do you buff after you remove the lather?

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

The dry cold weather could be a contributing factor and in the winter I get a flake or two, but no discomfort. How many passes do you do? Do you buff after you remove the lather?

I do 3 passes. WTG, XTG on chin and ATG on the underside. I stretch the skin but not too much as it gives me ingrown hairs.

I'm not sure what you mean by buffing. After I'm done the 3 passes, I might do a water pass in some patches to clean up whatever I missed but if you mean do I run the razor back and forth, no I don't.

I might have misused the word.. I meant going over the area you already shaved without re-lathering.
In any case, give your face a day of rest and go down to 2 passes per shave. Report after a week.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

I might have misused the word.. I meant going over the area you already shaved without re-lathering.
In any case, give your face a day of rest and go down to 2 passes per shave. Report after a week.

Aye, aye, Captain.

And I was trying to pull off a doctor act.. So much for my acting skills

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

And I was trying to pull off a doctor act.. So much for my acting skills

Sorry about that, bones.

Steve,

I do think the winter dryness could be a factor here. I'm finding lately that a lot of the discomfort that I've been suffering may actually have been due to dry skin rather than bad technique. I've been moisturizing my face with the same stuff I use on my hands and it seems to be helping. (My hands get painfully dry in the winter; not sure why, exactly. I have to moisturize them twice a day just to keep them from cracking and bleeding. )

Good luck,
Josh

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

Steve,

I do think the winter dryness could be a factor here. I'm finding lately that a lot of the discomfort that I've been suffering may actually have been due to dry skin rather than bad technique. I've been moisturizing my face with the same stuff I use on my hands and it seems to be helping. (My hands get painfully dry in the winter; not sure why, exactly. I have to moisturize them twice a day just to keep them from cracking and bleeding. )

Good luck,
Josh

Josh,

What do you use?

If you want to go ULTRA, use Glysomed (available at any Wally's). That stuff is greasy as hell but it will recondition your skin like nothing else.