Thread: Last hope of a Desperate Man!!

I have very sensitive skin. I read on here somewhere to always do a final rinse of cold water after done. That has helped alot for me in reducing any irritation i weas getting from a shave.

Sometimes (which is rare these days) when I've overdone things for whatever reason, I'll cut back on shave frequency if possible. Also I'll have cold water shaves and use a product from a store in the UK called Lush which is mainly shea butter ( the name escapes me ). On these occassions to hell with closeness, I just go for comfort. The shave is good enough for every day but better than you might expect.
Gives the old chops time to heal, also I'll use shavette very lightly if there's any doubt about my staights sharpness.

Hi.
I am a complete rookie at this myself, so I cannot say anything that hasn't already been said in this great thread of advice, except for what did help me getting a BBS for the first time yesterday
I went out and bought myself a Barber miror, you know the one that magnifyes 2,5 times.
I see just fine, but with that mirrors extreme close-up I actually got better angle and less pressure for some reason.
Hope you are still hanging in there and finally achieve a problem free shave real soon.

Most of this may have been said before. For what it's worth, here's my advice:

1. If you suspect that the razor is the problem, send it to Lynn or Don at Straight Razor Designs for rehoning. In general, people seem to be very happy with the results when they try this.

2. If the after shave treatment is the problem, I would suggest trying Trumper's Skin Food. It is very soothing, and feels great!

3. Be gentle when stropping. Try less pressure, but more strokes on the strop.

I think Deckard's suggestion of trying a shavette is a great idea to figure out whether it's your technique or the blade that needs work.

It's easy to dull a straight by not stropping properly. If the shavette seems to work like magic, you've solved the problem... likewise if you're still having the same issues you'll know it's a technique flaw.

You can do this Dude, and it looks like the whole team's got your back

I have only been at it since the beginning of December but I will tell you of some of the adjustments I have made to my ritual.

HAIR CONDITIONER in the beard. I do this in the shower after washing my face with sudsy soap. I let it sit on my beard 3 or 4 min while I start to make my lather. After I rinse the conditioner off I use conditioner again. THIS TIME leaving it on my face as I exit the shower and dry.

Prior to even entering the shower I have heated up about a quart and a half of water in a kettle. Part of this water goes in the bowl I use to make my lather....adds a nice warming effect to the lather. BUT the remainder of the hot water I use on plain white washcloths to soak my face which STILL has the second round of conditioner on it from the shower. I usually apply the hot towels until the water is gone. THEN I am ready to apply the lather...

SKIN STRETCHING: I have found this to be key to not only getting a close shave but also to avoid those annoying nicks...soon a I would feel one I would be like Dammit forgot to stretch the area...9 times out of ten anyways. Its just habit now.

COLD WATER after the shave is refreshing to me. I do it alot (like for 3 or 4 min if I have the time lol) because I enjoy the refreshing feeling. I am thinking of ice water even lol. Just to see. But yes, cool/cold water def stopped alot of irritation I noticed on my first couple shaves.

Originally Posted by Zee

Thanks everybody. THats some great advice guys.
With previous razors, like a Mach 3 with barbasol, i never had any bad irritation, but i also didnt go up or across.

If you've gone from a Mach3 (and only ever shaved WTG) to a straight, I think the learning curve would be very steep indeed.

You could be applying way more pressure than you think. Cartridges force you to bear down hard, in order to get them to pivot on your face.

I spent 6 months with a DE, and with all I learnt about blade angle and pressure, I simply couldn't complete my first straight shave, nor on any other subsequent attempts.

So I've sent mine to be re-honed, even though the seller honed all his own razors and re-did this one before sending it.

I'd definitely send one of your razors to a well respected honer - then at least you remove one variable from the process.

Originally Posted by Zee

I am utterly discouraged. Ive been shaving with a straight razor for 2 months now and still havent gotten a close comfortable shave. I have tried everything to get a comfortable shave but i still sit here typing with a red, bumpy face and general discomfort. My shave:

We hope you are letting your face heal adequately before the next straight-razor shave. I have keratosis pilarus, perpetually bumpy skin. I get mild sycosis from practically every shave.. until I started shaving everyday since the previous week's experiment began. I remember the one time I did two shaves in a row with a str8, I left the more difficult areas so burned it lasted two days. Wasn't painful but looked awful. I didn't try that again until little over a week ago (got my first straight on Christmas Eve of 2007).

Originally Posted by Zee

1) I soak a brush in hot water and take a shower, concentrating on warming my face
2) I get out, pat my face dry, apply Shave secret preshave oil, and lather up.

Have you looked at Kyle's highly acclaimed pre-shave prep thread on Badge & Blade? I found that interesting. Pre-shave oils before shaving are not recommended, even thought to be counterproductive! Controversial and not industry friendly but worthy of consideration.

Originally Posted by Zee

5) i use either an aftershave balm or splash. Ive used

• All Boosters
• Wesley and Ross Lime Balm
• Old Spice
• Brut
• Bath and Body Works men after shave gel
• Witch hazel straight, or mixed with cornhuskers lotion.

Have you tried post-shave treatments with alcohol-free products? Alcohol, while sterilizing, maybe exacerbating the irritation.

Originally Posted by Zee

I have done this process either every or everyother morning for the past 2 months. I have had nothing but redness, bumps, small nicks and overall discomfort. I have watched lynn's and others videos of how they shave. In general, this is what im asking:

Maybe take a break and incorporate a cleanser twice a day to reduce the bumps? I know if I have the nodules and they're large they are at additional risk of continued irritation.

Originally Posted by Zee

1) Does it take this long to truly get it down, or am i doing something wrong?
2) Have you ever heard of someones skin just being too sensitive for a str8 razr?
3) Is there some huge technique thing im missing out on?

I think it's possible to have skin that's simply too sensitive. I thought I had a skin oversensitivity problem but my current experiment is so far a success (Str8-Edge Shaving & Follicle Bump Woes).