Thread: Need Some Tips!!

Hey everyone,
iv been using a straight for about 5-7 days now and i keep on getting little cuts on my jawline and getting the red bumps from ingrown hairs.
i was wondering if there is anyway to prevent this and for me to stop cutting myself.
Thank You.
-Josip

I would check these three; razor angle being 30 degrees or less, single passes and not multiple passes over the same area, but most of all ( and the biggest help when I started) stretch the skin to prevent tugging. If you are doing all of these I would say you might want to check the equipment/prep.

Hello Josip, and welcome.

Ingrown hairs are an odd side-effect of using a straight edge; I've never had them since I gave up the multiblade whatsits. JackofDiamonds is right; don't go over the same spots more than once for now, even if you don't get a smooth shave in that one pass. Later, after your skin has settled into this new regime--and after your shaving skills are tuned up a little better, you can try XTG, ATG, or buffing passes. I do get irritated spots and some acne if I do too much buffing in one spot.

If you aim for beard reduction instead of beard eradication, your skin will take it better.

The little cuts you're getting might be from an insufficiently sharp razor. If you shave against the grain with a blade that's not sharp enough to sever hairs, each hair just guides the edge down into your skin, which is easier to slice than is a whisker.

What kind of razor are you using, where did you buy it, and are you stropping each time?

Originally Posted by roughkype

Hello Josip, and welcome.

Ingrown hairs are an odd side-effect of using a straight edge; I've never had them since I gave up the multiblade whatsits. JackofDiamonds is right; don't go over the same spots more than once for now, even if you don't get a smooth shave in that one pass. Later, after your skin has settled into this new regime--and after your shaving skills are tuned up a little better, you can try XTG, ATG, or buffing passes. I do get irritated spots and some acne if I do too much buffing in one spot.

If you aim for beard reduction instead of beard eradication, your skin will take it better.

The little cuts you're getting might be from an insufficiently sharp razor. If you shave against the grain with a blade that's not sharp enough to sever hairs, each hair just guides the edge down into your skin, which is easier to slice than is a whisker.

What kind of razor are you using, where did you buy it, and are you stropping each time?

IM using this razor Timor Hamburg Ring Straight Razor, Black Handle, 5/8" | Fendrihan Shaving Store but i need to find a new strop im using my grandfathers old one. do u know a place where i can get one for cheap? and yes im stopping each time i shave

Was the razor honed before use? The dealer says the razor is not shave ready. That might be issue one.

The new Timor razors have gotten iffy comments. They are not bad razors but there are better based on what I've seen.

Originally Posted by Josip101

IM using this razor Timor Hamburg Ring Straight Razor, Black Handle, 5/8" | Fendrihan Shaving Store but i need to find a new strop im using my grandfathers old one. do u know a place where i can get one for cheap? and yes im stopping each time i shave

Like thebigspendur says, you probably need a proper honing, and a Timor razor might not hold a shaveworthy edge. For inexpensive strops, look at whippeddog.com's Poor Man's Strop or Ruprazor.com's Filly strop. Those have both gotten good reviews in the forums. Avoid cheap strops 'cause you'll just have to buy a decent one anyway, when the cheap one doesn't work.

At whippeddog you might consider getting a starter set, with a shave-ready but not very pretty vintage razor, a strop, and a CrOx-treated balsa block. You can compare that to your Timor, and also have a working blade in the house if you do send the Timor out for honing.

Good luck and best wishes.

Yes it has been honed...

Sounds like a job for improving technique, then.

I have been waiting 4 days to shave...I have sensitive skin...grows much lower to the skin then a person without this skin type..my shaves have been getting smoother and easier..thnx to the increased beard growth..YMMV

Ingrowns occur almost exclusively due to ATG shaving, regardless of the type of razor (yes, even straights). The trick is to get the area as smooth as possible without going ATG with a sharp razor and technique. Of course this won't happen overnight and it would be unrealistic to assume so, it's just practice.

The small cuts (which sound like weepers but I could be wrong) can also be a product of ATG shaving but can be caused by a number of other things like tiny bumps on the skin(zits, blemishes) and microchipping. As well, and funny as it may seem, you are more likely to get cuts from a dulling edge than you are with an extremely sharp edge. Go figure