Thread: Ingrown Hairs

Hey guys!

I am having trouble with ingrown hairs around my mustach area and under lower lip.

I am not overshaving these areas. Right now I am only doing one pass WTG in those areas to see if that helps.

It is a shame to have a nice smooth face then get ingrown hairs on it.

Any help would be apreciated.



Silver2

Originally Posted by Silver2

Hey guys!

I am having trouble with ingrown hairs around my mustach area and under lower lip.

I am not overshaving these areas. Right now I am only doing one pass WTG in those areas to see if that helps.

It is a shame to have a nice smooth face then get ingrown hairs on it.

Any help would be apreciated.



Silver2

Hmm, could you give us some details as to your entire routine? Do you use a preshave? What soap/creams are you using? How much pressure do you use and about what angle are you using in those areas?

Give this stuff a try. I used to get really bad ingrown hairs on the base of my neck and this stuff (in combination with the straight razors!) has basically cleared them up. Its great stuff!

Originally Posted by Stubear

Give this stuff a try.

Silly nonsense. Try this!

Right. Back to business. My personal experience suggests that you will get ingrown hairs from either of these:

1. Overstretching: It will let the hair glide back "under the skin";
2. Dull blades: They will force you to apply more pressure than necessary, again resulting in the hair getting cut off under the skin level;
3. Funny against-whatever passes: Yes, cutting hair at weird angles can have funny side effects, including, but not limited to, ingrown hairs. This fantastic little tool by our member TheBaron will help: http://www.pbjsite.com/shave/whiskarmap/preLoader.swf

Took me a while to get there, but am now free from ingrown hairs. All good.

I use the same gear that Robin has suggested, on his advice. It does work.

Ensure you don't exfoliate immediately prior to a shave, despite what all these skincare product manufacturers say. They're wrong.

Do exfoliate in the evening, if you shave in the morning, or the morning if you shave in the evening.

Robins advice is sound.

Don't be disheartened. You may not see a change straight away, but you'll get there.

I start by washing face with warm water using Neutrogena Razor Defense daily face scrub.
Wash face off with hot water lather face up with Van Der Hagen with 2 squrits of glycerin.
Strop razor 25 passes on denum and 30 on leather.
Put hot towel on face for a minute or two then relather and shave with the grain. Relather and Shave ATG, wash face off with hot water dry and put witch hazel on face.

Your questions have made me think. I used to use Euccerin dry skin formula post shave before I started putting glycerin in my lather thinking that would add enough moisture to my skin.

Also most of the ingrowns happen along the edges of mustach and beard where I start my against the grain pass and the stating angle may be to much sometimes 35 to 45 degrees at the start then going down to 5 to 10 degrees.

I use light pressure but I could be putting too much when I set up on those edges.

I have had no trouble getting BBS 2 pass shaves without any razor burn.
I use a very slight slicing motion with most of my strokes, so you know I have to use very light pressure or I am cut.

Right now I am only doing WTG passes and am putting Eucerin cream on one side of my face and Palmers Shea butter on the other side hoping to soften the skin up so the ingrowns can come out.

Thank you for your response.
Hope we can get this figured out so we may help others.

Best wishes.

Silver2

I'd recommend you stop doing the ATG in those areas permanently. I avoid it completely. I go WTG all over, & XTG in selected areas. I can get smooth enough that way with proper prep. ATG is unnecessary & asking for trouble.
Also, avoid the scrub before.

+1 on avoiding the ATG pass. I just cant do an ATG pass at all, all it gets me is razor burn galore (the lesser known Bond girl ) and ingrown hairs.

Getting to know your face and what technique strokes work the best overall is part of the learning curve.

I have some small areas that do better with XTG/near ATG vs. ATG. Going ATG on these areas only risks small weepers.

Good Luck,

Pabster

Ok Guys,
I got past the ingrown hairs by stopping the ATG pass.

So yesterday I decided I would do an ATG pass but chance how the pass was started along the edges of my beard.
Started the ATG pass by laying the razor flat against my face along the edge of my beard, then using light pressure raised the spine up to 5 degrees and did the pass with extra light pressure.
After the shave I put moisturizer on my face.

Today no signs of ingrowns.

Will keep you posted. If this does not work then I will only do WTP from here on out.

Thinking back to when I was a kid I grew this beard because of ingrown hairs. I have cut it off 3 times in 37 years.

I have been shaving since I was 14.

My Grandson looks like he will be in the same boat.
I cut his hair yesterday and it is amazing how much long hair he has on his face, neck and back. His sideburn hair was heavy and 7/16's long. He is only 8.


Silver2