Too much of a good thing...

Gents,

I get ingrown hairs from shaving. DE shaving helped and SR has made the issue almost disappear. I still get the occasional one here and there and usually dab a bit of Neosporin on it, which helps reduce redness until it pokes through. During this time I try to avoid that area on my face, or skip shaving that day.

I read online the other day that I am making the problem worse by not shaving everyday. The article says that I am creating a perpetual issue by waiting for a few days before shaving again.

Here is the article link:

Vicious_Circle_Shaving

Could this be why I have always had this issue?

-J

Yes. I was taught that the best solution was to shave close and often.

I don't know about that. Obviously you should ask a dermatologist if you're really concerned but it seems an odd philosophy to just irritate your skin to the point where it's not irritated anymore.

I also avoid shaving daily on account of sensitive skin and instead shave every other day. For me, the whiskers seem easier to soften with some growth to them which is the opposite of what the article suggests.

Could you tell us what your procedure is currently with both DEs and straights?

I wouldn't say that the issue is to a point where a dermatologist is required. I see one yearly (always a good idea for those with high odds for skin cancer) and once had to have an ingrown hair pulled by him due to it continuing to grow underneath, causing a bump (it was scary seeing a 3" white hair that was the bump!). He agreed that my switch to DE was a good move since most of those issues have disappeared. In the Army, I had it so bad I actually had a shaving profile for a month...not fun to explain the the Platoon SGT.

Anyways, my DE method is a good lather w/brush in the shower and a single WTG pass. This does a 90% job and I throw in a XTG pass if I'm heading somewhere nice.

Since moving to straight razor shaving, I've had to add a XTG pass to every shave to pick up the stragglers here and there on my face. I'm still fairly new (almost hitting the 2-month mark) so I'm not there on technique yet. I consistently get a good shave with this method and no razor burn or other irritation. I'm working up to the ATG pass once I feel confident.

There is still the occasional ingrown hair with both the DE and straight razor and I try to leave that alone until the bump disappears. I just found it odd that the article mentioned shaving at least every other day to avoid this.

Thanks,
J

I'm an everyday shaver. I eventually realized that the post shave is as just important as the shave itself. I started using an alum block, and aftershave balm along with aftershave splash. Since i began this practice i haven't had a day of ingrown hairs or irritation.

afte the shave is complete:
cold water rinse
alum with cold water (rub entire shaved area several times)
let alum dry for a few sec while I rinse my brush
after shave splash to wash off alum
after shave balm to moisturize

this is what works for me. every face is different do some experimenting

For starters I've never had an ingrown hair in my life, knocking on wood, but I'm wondering if the cold water shave might not be a better way to go for those susceptible to the ingrowns ? The theory , which works for me, is that the whiskers are more easily cut using cold water prep and lathering because they are stiff rather than soft. It is worth a try anyhow. I haven't shaved any other way in months.

I suffer from ingrown hairs also, I took Jimmy's suggestion about the cold water shave and have been using it exclusively for about a month and it has helped with the ingrown hairs. I found a product at Walmart called "Bump Stopper" which is made for a Black man's beard to prevent ingrown hairs. I rub it into my beard area after shaving and it has eliminated most of my ingrown hairs. Give it a try !!!

Mark:soapbox:

I'll give Bump Stopper a shot. I always do a cold water post-shave rinse, and a cold-water shave feels like I'm trying to fell trees on my face. I still remember heating up a canteen cup on the HMMWV engine block because I hated cold shaving when out on a field problem when I was in the service.

Once you get spoiled with a proper pre-shave routine...well I'm preaching to the choir!

Thanks to everyone for the suggestion! I'll be sure to update on the outcome.

Thanks,
J