Thread: painful to shave two days in a row. Solutions?

Some very useful tips where already given, hope they help. Otherwise if you really have such sensitive skin you will have to life with that. Every person is different, I have been shaving twice a day for 30 plus years and never had trouble but then again I spend most of my life in the outdoors until recently, maybe my skin has become really insensitive?

If I try out a borrowed razor I sometimes feel a little sting after applying the alum block. I make sure all of my razors pas the hanging hair test with the thinnest hair sample I have before shaving with them.

I have had the same problem and every step I've taken to fix it has helped a little. I've got somewhat sensitive skin but fairly fine hair and a beard that only grows in the goatee area, so I sorta have to deal with the irritation that comes from shaving every day but if I have to skip a couple days, it amounts to very little of a bother. Here's what I've learned so far, all of which I have benefited from in my own experience, ranked in order of importance:

1. Technique, technique, technique. Do all the research you can on this until you are making as few passes with as little irritation as possible. I am still using my DE and haven't invested in a SR yet, but even with my DE experience I can confidently say that technique is the most important thing to master in order to be able to shave daily.

- I discovered that there are certain areas where I benefit from NOT pulling the skin taut, but rather leaving it quite loose and puffy on XTG or ATG passes. These include the sides of my upper lip, and my neck below the chin. If I pull the skin taut on those areas, I just cut myself a lot. If I don't, I get a close but not incredible shave on those areas but never get nicks or irritation.

2. Pre-shave prep. Things I've found that definitely help:

- Hot shower, obviously.
- Moisturizing conditioner in the shower on your beard. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes before rinsing.
- Something oily, in a very sparse layer, as a pre-shave oil. I use whichever after-shave balm I'm going to use after my shave. I apply so little that it feels like I didn't really get it everywhere.

3. Post-shave care.

- Alum block right after your last, cold-water rinse. Really rub this in. Let it sit for about 60 seconds.
- Witch hazel after you rinse the alum off and before your after shave balm/lotion.
- Every 12 hours, or as needed given how oily your skin gets throughout the day, seriously exfoliate with a salicylic acid face scrub. My favorite is Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Scrub. There's a generic version by Equate that's the same thing and cheaper. **THIS ONE IS HUGE FOR ME**
- After exfoliating, apply more witch hazel and after-shave balm or whatever balm/lotion you want.
- Whenever your face gets really dry, apply a thick oil like olive oil, liquid lanolin, or glycerin. You can only do this when you're at home and don't care who sees you, because your face will be all shiny and sticky. You can wash it off with a mild soap after an hour if you want, or just leave it on until the next time you shower or need to be presentable. I typically just put it on about an hour before I plan to have my shower+shave for the day. **THIS ONE IS ALSO HUGE FOR ME, ESPECIALLY WITH LANOLIN**

4. Make a proper lather. I've just started adding lanolin and/or glycerin to my lathers, so I can't really comment on them. But seriously, get your bowl and brush warm, use the right amount of water, and seriously work that lather until it's thick and rich and smooth with no visible bubbles, then rub it into your beard like there's no tomorrow. This was a really big change for me.

5. Don't touch your face with your hands too much between shaves. I spent a few months really enjoying the feel of my smooth shaved face by touching it a lot with my hands throughout the day, but when I stopped, the redness and irritation decreased.

mranderson,
Hello fellow Canadian.
i have the same problem. i have posted a few times in other threads where if you use less pressure on the razor, use a natural alum block - you can pick these up in a natural health store or food store as they are used as underarm deodorants - then use witch hazel and a natural moisturizer such as shea butter. If you avoid the chemically infused products and stick with the more natural options, your skin should, hopefully, start feeling better. i don't think you will ever eliminate the soreness completely, but i should ameliorate itself.
Good luck,