Thread: This is normal right?

Hello everyone.


This is about my third shave with a straight. I dulled the razor with bad stropping. (I was rolling the razor on the blade and not the spine because I am a newbie) I got my stropping corrected, but my razor was too far gone for a good shave at that point. I sent it out to Lynn, and I just got it back wednesday 8/2. It was perfect timing as I had some nice thick growth.

I took a balzing hot shower; and soaked my face awhile with a wash cloth. Got out of the shower and dried off everything but my face. Threw on some shorts and worked up some lather. (silver tip badger brush, sandalwood classic shaving soap) I brushed the lather on my face and then stropped the razor. I went very very slow making sure to keep the razor flat; and roll it on the spine at the end of the stroke. (30 passes) Rinsed off the dried up later from my face, and brushed on a new coat. The lather was good and wet, but still thick so I could not see through it.

I did a single pass that went fine on the cheeks, but went bad when I got to my neck. It barely even cut the hairs, and gave me some nice razor burn. I was sure to keep the razor almost flat to my face, but it seemed all I did was piss off my skin. I took a good look at the hair on my neck to determine the direction of the growth. I lathered up again and did a second pass on my neck, but instead of going straight up and down I went more at an angle to catch the hairs. It worked but by then my neck was too tender from the first pass. I had to give up half way through the second pass. My cheeks were able to take a second and third pass with no problems. Well except for the four or five cuts I gave myself. Nothing major just some interesting red lines here and there that did not bleed much.

I rinsed off and checked my work. Cheeks were pretty dam smooth I was very happy. My neck was shaved but still had the stubble feeling in a lot of places. My jaw line also had stubble that got more noticable the closer to my chin. I had to go back and finish up with my dam electric razor.

Please tell me this is because I am a straight razor rookie. I know my technique needs a lot of work. I would immagine my face needs to get used to it as well. Shaving straight down on my neck does not seem to work at all. Is it ok to play with the direction of the stroke to fit my hair growth better? Should I strop the razor more? I know my prep is good. I am confident I am stropping correctly and not dulling the razor. I will keep trying. I guess I am just looking for someone to tell me to hang in there. This has to get better. I hope it is just my technique.

Yes its because you are a razor rookie (I like that term btw lol). The neck is a major trouble spot and takes a while to really get a good technique going.

My advice to you would be to start shaving your neck with the balde almose flat, as in almost no angle and increase the angle very slowly until you start comfortably cutting hairs. Also, I make my lather more slick for my neck than any other part of my face, so you may want to try that (add more water to your brush).

I use about a 30 degree angle on my whole face BUT on my neck its probably closer to 10 degrees, my neck doesnt get irritated and I dont miss hair. I have very sensitive skin as well. On the bright side at lease all you have to worry about is technique and not the edge on your razor

Make sure you're stretching the skin nice and taught when you shave the neck.
Try lifting your jaw up and pulling your skin down with the other hand as if you're trying to strangle yourself.
Also, you may be using too much pressure if you get razor burn after one pass. Make sure you go with the grain on the first pass, everybody's hair grows differently.

The jawline and jaw/chin area is notoriously difficult, so it's just practice practice practice.

Redwoood

Originally Posted by Redwoood

Make sure you're stretching the skin nice and taught when you shave the neck.
Try lifting your jaw up and pulling your skin down with the other hand as if you're trying to strangle yourself.
Also, you may be using too much pressure if you get razor burn after one pass. Make sure you go with the grain on the first pass, everybody's hair grows differently.

The jawline and jaw/chin area is notoriously difficult, so it's just practice practice practice.

Redwoood

His answer sounds like what I was thinking. Try to make sure you stretch the skin. My first shave I forgot to and ended up cutting myself alot and got very raw.

You got good advice here. Let me see if I can add anything.

It's likely a rookie problem but not just for the reasons stated so far. Go to my gallery. i have a shot article I wrote on neck irritation from shaving. It may help.

The first thing that came to mind is that you were shaving the neck the same way as the cheeks (down your face). I assume you were trying to shave with the grain and you were shaving aggressively, trying to get as much of the whiskers as you could on each pass. For most men, the grain reverses on the lower neck, so on your first pass you could have been shaving long whiskers against the grain. That's a formula for irritation. If you're typical with the grain is up on your lower neck.

As the other guys said failing to stretch is a big problem on the neck, which is extra sensitive for most. But be aware of the direction of stretch. It makes a difference. The whikers most likely lean in one direction, which causes the grain. You want to pull against the grain, which stands the whiskers up. If the whiskers lean pull down. When you shave against the grain, that places the fingers i the path of the blade, so be extra careful.

Now let's talk about aggressive shaving. That's one of the major causes of irritation. If you try to take as much as you can with each opass that's agressive. It may be OK when you really know what you're doing, but for you it's just causing loss of control of the razor. THe easiest way to avoid aggressive shaving is to intentionally not try to take as much as you can with the early passes. If you do 3 passes the first two will be with and accross the grain. Do it gently and don't worry if you leave something on your face. The idea is to be down to a light stubble by the third pass. If you can, this would be against the grain and, if not, on an angle against or across.

In the first two passes don't shave over a spot after you've shaved off the lather. On the last pass you will try to shave with the minimum pressure that will cut, and you may go over a spot again lightly after you've shaved off the lather. If the spot is dry rub a little water on first with a wet hand, just to make it a little slippery.

Stretchind and non-aggressive shaving should take care of the problem, assuming your razor is sharp enough. Sometimes if the razor is just on the margin the problem will show up in the quality of the shave on you neck and/or your trouble spots.

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

As the other guys said failing to stretch is a big problem on the neck, which is extra sensitive for most. But be aware of the direction of stretch. It makes a difference. The whikers most likely lean in one direction, which causes the grain. You want to pull against the grain, which stands the whiskers up. If the whiskers lean pull down. When you shave against the grain, that places the fingers i the path of the blade, so be extra careful.

See I didn't know this extra bit of info. I thought stretching the skin was to help keep from cutting yourself, not to lift the hairs. Now that I think about it, it does make sense

Originally Posted by pitbulls20

I thought stretching the skin was to help keep from cutting yourself, not to lift the hairs. Now that I think about it, it does make sense

You're right though. That's probably the main purpose. With a sharp razor, whatever protrudes gets cut.

The only thing I'd add to all this good advice is the matter of unconscious improvement.

My neck was terribly sensitive when I started, even long after the rest of my face adjusted to the straight. I'm sure part of the problem was just the thinner skin of the neck getting adjusted, but also part of it was my difficulty in learning to treat my neck kindly with the blade.

I've come to think that over time, even if I think I'm repeating more or less the same techniques each shave, my hand and brain are making unconscious adjustments all the time. These days, I'm finding that I usually get a close and irritation-free shave on my neck, even though it feels to me like I'm shaving _exactly the same way_ I did when it was still very irritating.

A complicated way, I guess, of re-iterating the "practice, practice, practice" message. :^)

No matter how sharp your blade is and how softly you go over your face/neck, you are still removing skin with each pass. That's why you have to learn to save yourself. I only do 2 passes for regular shaving and save the 3 pass shaves only for special occasions. This is especially important if you have a sensitive skin like me.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

No matter how sharp your blade is and how softly you go over your face/neck, you are still removing skin with each pass. That's why you have to learn to save yourself. I only do 2 passes for regular shaving and save the 3 pass shaves only for special occasions. This is especially important if you have a sensitive skin like me.

I have extremely sensitive skin. I apply medication every day. I also need 3 passes to get an acceptable shave. So, that's what I do every day, without an irritation problem.

The bottom line is it's not the number of passes that matters, but the nature of the passes. I use rreduction, which is gentle progressive reduction of the beard, instead of trying to take as much as I can with each pass. I don't cut to clean skin until the last pass, when I have only a fine stubble left. That allows better control over the blade and avoids irritation. If you don't cut to the skin you can't irritate it. If you do so with a light stubble you can do it with better control and will learn not to shave off skin. You will get only a slight exfolliation, which may sting a little with some aftershaves, but no irritation.