I have more sensitive skin and a very course beard. I had some of the same experiences for my first week. Over time I got better at shaving and stroping so my razors were more comfortable to shave with. Also I changed shave creams. I found blue beards, or now it is called dreadnought to help me a great deal. Also different razors give me a much different feel to the shave and produce less irritation. Keep with it and experiment. There are lots of options to try. I love the shave an now I have much less irritation than I have ever had with those old cartridge junk.