Effing Razor Burn.....Suggestions please!

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Originally Posted by jawman

But how would i get the hair to stand up if I don't pull my skin taught?

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With a DE its the bar that stretches the skin, as I understand it. I know that when I use a DE if I stretch the skin in the same way as I do with a straight then I get irritation.

Don't aim for BBS, whiskers will always grow back, go for comfort which probably means sticking to WTG and XTG. A light touch, just letting the weight of the razor do the work, will also pay dividends.

How do you react to an alcohol based aftershave? I find that altough it might give a sharp initial sting it does help me avoid lasting irritation. For me balm goes on after if I want a calming solution.

Some people also use corn huskers lotion (which I have never tried as it seems to be a US product) while many people here are big fans of Trumpers skin food, but again I've never tried it as my routine deals well on the rare occasions I get any irritation.

I'll add (as someone with extremely sensitive skin) that I never got past razorburn until I went to a straight. And with a straight, until I learned my face, I had it, too. Now as a daily shaver with never anything but a straight, it's pretty close to non-existent.

I don't use any potions, either, nothing but the shave soap and if I feel like I got too close of a shave, the alum bar.

If I even thought about a hard XTG shave or any ATG shave at all, I'd have razor burn in a second. I get close to BBS, but I don't try to get it - some people just will never probably be able to tolerate it, I'm one of them.

First off, there's no such thing as "opening and closing pores" in your skin. People say that all the time and it's simply not true. The pores are not operated by muscles and don't have the capacity to open or close, though they can appear larger when they are irritated or contain a hair follicle or oil-producing gland.

What you can do is work on soothing the skin, both before and after the shave. Using hot water does help to soften the skin and the natural oils you have on your skin, while cold water after the shave helps to soothe the irritated skin. Shaving will always irritate your skin, even very mildly, because of the exfoliating nature of the shaving process. There are some shavers whose skin will be irritated by the hot towel treatment and hot water in general. Try water that is more lukewarm for moistening and softening your beard, especially on the neck area where you are getting the irritation. Work fastidiously on your technique in that area, ensuring you apply the lightest amount of pressure you can possibly use while still reducing the beard. My neck is quite sensitive and I get ingrowns and burn from using anything other than a straight, though even that can still give me trouble. I've found that, with a DE, I need to be extra careful, as the smoother feel of that sort of razor compared to a straight can be deceptive. I avoid going ATG on my neck and my moustache area, because that only results in sorrow for me.

Now, I am relatively new to traditional shaving, but I've dealt with the issue of burn and irritation for most of my shaving life. Some of my previous solutions included: not shaving, shaving with only cool or lukewarm water, shaving in the shower, cold water rinses. All of these things help. There are some very good suggestions in this thread, so I would suggest you try some of them out and see what happens.

What type of blades are you using? Which model of Merkur? Have you tried different blades? Which ones?

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Originally Posted by jdto

First off, there's no such thing as "opening and closing pores" in your skin. People say that all the time and it's simply not true. The pores are not operated by muscles and don't have the capacity to open or close, though they can appear larger when they are irritated or contain a hair follicle or oil-producing gland.

What you can do is work on soothing the skin, both before and after the shave. Using hot water does help to soften the skin and the natural oils you have on your skin, while cold water after the shave helps to soothe the irritated skin. Shaving will always irritate your skin, even very mildly, because of the exfoliating nature of the shaving process. There are some shavers whose skin will be irritated by the hot towel treatment and hot water in general. Try water that is more lukewarm for moistening and softening your beard, especially on the neck area where you are getting the irritation. Work fastidiously on your technique in that area, ensuring you apply the lightest amount of pressure you can possibly use while still reducing the beard. My neck is quite sensitive and I get ingrowns and burn from using anything other than a straight, though even that can still give me trouble. I've found that, with a DE, I need to be extra careful, as the smoother feel of that sort of razor compared to a straight can be deceptive. I avoid going ATG on my neck and my moustache area, because that only results in sorrow for me.

Now, I am relatively new to traditional shaving, but I've dealt with the issue of burn and irritation for most of my shaving life. Some of my previous solutions included: not shaving, shaving with only cool or lukewarm water, shaving in the shower, cold water rinses. All of these things help. There are some very good suggestions in this thread, so I would suggest you try some of them out and see what happens.

What type of blades are you using? Which model of Merkur? Have you tried different blades? Which ones?

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I own this one: Merkur 33C Safety Razor
I also use feather double edge safety razors as replacesments. I think the Merker is fine for 90% of my face, I'm just trying to figure out a good straight razor for my neck and adam's apple area. I'm questioning if it's the Feather Nape razor or just my technique all together.

Well, Feather DE blades are known to be fairly aggressive, hyper-sharp blades, so that might be one of the issues. You may want to experiment with some blades that are known to be milder, as that may help with your burn problem.

Just a thought. I have been told my many guys they are allergic to stainless steel. I know it seemed to cause much irritation, burning and redness. They switched to carbon steel and found no such problem. I found it hard to believe, but it seems to be a very real problem for some guys.

First off, don't shave at all for a week. Give your face a chance to fully heal at the expense of a week of growth. Second get a brand NEW Fusion cartridge and use a high quality super market can cream like Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel (for sensitive skin) which has no allergy causing ingredients whatsoever unlike many of the traditional soaps and creams have.

AVEENO® THERAPEUTIC SHAVE GEL

Then take a hot shower and at the beginning of your shower shampoo and then apply conditioner to your beard and leave the conditioner during the length of the shower, rinsing with hot water only at the very end. Step out and lather up the aveeno on your face with your fingers NOT the brush. Give it a very light WTG ONLY shave with the Mach Fusion vibrator OFF and NO stretching of the skin. Rinse with warm water and apply a splash of regular thayers witch hazel. Let it set for a few minutes while brushing teeth and then rinse with cold water. Apply some basic Nivea after shave cream.

If this shave causes ANY irritation whatsoever I think you are better off growing a beard. I am fairly confident following this exactly will solve your problem.

GroovyD speaks wisdom, one other thing, if you can get away with it, also try shaving every OTHER day..... It may be that your skin just doesn't tolerate every day shaving, there are some who simply cannot, I don't know exactly why but I would guess it is because shaving removes a layer of dead skin cells also known as exfoliating and your skin may not replenish those cells fast enough...but that is just a guess,,, the fact that you mentioned electrics give you burn as well would seem to support this...

....Have you ever had a professional shave? And I don't mean from some barber who only does a shave every few months, I mean from a pro who shaves people every day? Did that give you burn?

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Originally Posted by mcgyver74

try shaving every OTHER day

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+1

and when your shave is over push the cartridge the opposite direction lightly over a clean plush microfiber cloth which will dry the edge of all the blades and keep them polished and keen. you will find you get a much smoother shave by doing this and it will last 10 times longer.

oh, and throw the Jack Black beard lube and Baxter Finley razor relief away. They are terrible products and undoubtably are adding to your symptoms. Just drop them in the trash and don't look back. This should be a first warning...

"CAUTION: Test product on a small area of skin before applying it to a large area. If skin irritation is experienced or prolonged stinging, stop using the product and consult your physician. Follow the use instructions on the label. Do not exceed the recommended applications. Avoid using on infants or children. Use sun protection."

I've read through the thread and see all the points I'd cover, but here they are again as things that have worked for one man...

Cold water shave, start to finish.

Aveeno product is a good suggestion. I've never used their shaving gel but am a big fan of their unscented body wash and lotions. Very nice stuff.

Shave less frequently.

Shave at night, so your skin can recover while you sleep instead of having to go out and deal with changes in temperature, humidity, etc.

I really like Thayer's cucumber/aloe witch hazel. It has no alcohol, and I keep it in the fridge for a nice cold splash at the end of everything.

Milder facial soap for your pre-shave face wash.

Groovyd's last point about drying the blades is good, and I'd suggest doing something to sterilize them between shaves as well. A boiling water rinse, maybe. If you leave debris in there, even if there's soap mixed in with it, SOMETHING will make a living from it and be spread over your face next shave. That's another plus of using a straight... nowhere for yucky critters to hide.

Good luck. I lived with angry skin for many years, and all the stuff I've summarized/repeated here has brought peace.

Best wishes to you.