Thread: Shaving hairs that grow very close to skin

Hi, Not sure where this thread should go - shaving or general.

Basically, the lower hairs around my neck grow extremely close to my skin, almost parallel to it. Consequently this area is the only patch I still suffer from ingrowns and irritation since switching to straights.

Is there any shaving tips, or treatments people can suggest to help me avoid or (lo and behold) cure this problem?

I simply cannot go ATG on this area as although it looks magical to see no shadow I pay the price with intense itchiness and lots of ingrowns as the hairs grow back. Unfortunately, when I go wtg it looks as if I haven't even shaved there. TBH I've kinda given up on getting a close shave on this patch, but I'd love to hear tips for minimizing ingrowns/irritation etc.

I have not yet shaved with a straight so this may not pertain to you... hopefully it does though. I have the same problem with the hair on the right side of my neck in this one little area. I shave across the grain (XTG) at a 90 degree angle to the direction my hair grows with my DE shaver. This has helped A LOT!

The only way I see out of it is to get the against the grain technique down for the neck area. If you will not go ATG then try a thick, almost dry lathering on the neck area and do this for 2 or 3 passes with the grain. The lightest of pressure is of importance here. Let just the weight of the razor work on your neck area. AND stretch the skin!! raise your chin up and stretch that neck to make those rascally whiskers stand up!
Ernest

Originally Posted by welshwarrior

I simply cannot go ATG on this area as although it looks magical to see no shadow I pay the price with intense itchiness and lots of ingrowns as the hairs grow back. Unfortunately, when I go wtg it looks as if I haven't even shaved there. TBH I've kinda given up on getting a close shave on this patch, but I'd love to hear tips for minimizing ingrowns/irritation etc.

Sigh..... welcome to the *real* world. Like you, I've resigned myself to not getting perfectly smooth in some spots... it's just not going to happen and if I try, it's ingrown city! I go with the grain, and cross grain 2 ways but the atg is out. It doesn't really matter what type of razor you use, you either can or you can't. It sounds like you and me can't.

Cheer up.... it's not the end of the world. Do the best you can, and enjoy the process.

Regards

Christian

Try shaving ATG then using an alum block on the area immediately afterward. That has allowed me to shave areas of my chin that will get badly ingrown hairs otherwise.

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

Sigh..... welcome to the *real* world. Like you, I've resigned myself to not getting perfectly smooth in some spots... it's just not going to happen and if I try, it's ingrown city! I go with the grain, and cross grain 2 ways but the atg is out. It doesn't really matter what type of razor you use, you either can or you can't. It sounds like you and me can't.

Cheer up.... it's not the end of the world. Do the best you can, and enjoy the process.

Regards

Christian

Cappen, have you tried an alum block?

Lots of conflicting advice here - some atg some never atg. In my experience atg is wonderfully smooth but within a few hours of shaving the itching starts and a day or so later I get an unsightly rash.

+1 on the Alum block.

Finally an answer i know!! i've been lurking here for 2 weeks reading and learning but i’ve got this one covered.

before you shave wash your face (or beard) with shampoo. the alkaline in it not only opens your pours but more importantly it plumps up your whiskers making them stand at attention. the only trick here is that you absolutely have to use an aftershave when you're done!!!! it's a must to close your pours and reset your skin. if you don't like aftershave plain alcohol works fine too, but you have to close those pours and it will also keep the hair from growing in a circle.

good luck and hope this helps.

Originally Posted by speed_pigeon

Finally an answer i know!! i've been lurking here for 2 weeks reading and learning but i’ve got this one covered.

before you shave wash your face (or beard) with shampoo. the alkaline in it not only opens your pours but more importantly it plumps up your whiskers making them stand at attention. the only trick here is that you absolutely have to use an aftershave when you're done!!!! it's a must to close your pours and reset your skin. if you don't like aftershave plain alcohol works fine too, but you have to close those pours and it will also keep the hair from growing in a circle.

good luck and hope this helps.

I use shampoo and conditioner on my beard whilst I shower.

Reset your skin? What does this mean? Cold water closes pores, but i find alcohol dehydrates my skin.

It's a sad fact but when your beard grows parallel to the skin and sort of has a groove that it lies in, if you shave it so close that you can't feel it afterwards (as in ATG) it really is below the skin surface and with that now sharply angled tip (shaped like the tip of a hypodermic needle) the hair can catch the skin as it grows and pierce it with the greatest of ease, and thus become an ingrown hair. The only way to avoid it is to either have the hair permanently removed or not shave it so close that it gets cut off below the surface of the skin. Well, either that or teach yourself to enjoy ingrown hairs! Personally, I'll skip the ingrowns and focus on neat and tidy, BBS be damned in those spots. Oh, and having my beard permanently removed would be a cruel way to curb my RAD.

Christian