Thread: First shave with Dovo razor and I've got sore cheeks.

I ordered my first Dovo razor and shaved one side of my face. the shave was fine but after shaving my cheek had gone red and sore. I used soap for shaving and i washed my face with hot water before and after shaving so I'm not quite sure what has caused it. The only thing i can think of is my skin went dry too quick after the first few strokes. Can any one tell me what causes this soreness/redness and how i can remedy it? I'm a complete begginner on straight razor shaving by the way.

Was you razor honed and stropped before the shave?

I got it from invisable edge and they confirmed it was honed and stropped so it was ready to use but I shaved with it 10 days after ordering it. i didn't strop it just before shaving because i haven't got one yet.

It is not uncommon to experience a little redness the first couple times out. Use very light pressure and make sure the razor is almost vertical when using it until you feel it cutting comfortably. It takes a little practice to become proficient. Just strop it up when you get your strop with 40-60 light strokes and give it another go.

Have fun.

Originally Posted by gsingh13

I ordered my first Dovo razor and shaved one side of my face. the shave was fine but after shaving my cheek had gone red and sore. I used soap for shaving and i washed my face with hot water before and after shaving so I'm not quite sure what has caused it. The only thing i can think of is my skin went dry too quick after the first few strokes. Can any one tell me what causes this soreness/redness and how i can remedy it? I'm a complete begginner on straight razor shaving by the way.

This is definitely the place to learn! You'll find a wealth of information on prepping your skin and your razor, and how to use the razor once it's prepped...

As to your first shave, the redness and soreness could be due to a number of issues. A blade that's not honed or stropped well (you would feel like it's pulling on your beard hair), the wrong angle and/or too much pressure on the blade, a soap that doesn't agree with your skin, or a combination of these factors.

I suggest you seek out and watch some of the videos on the site and/or youtube that demonstrate proper stropping and shaving technique, then continue to ease your way into it. On my face, I find that a good layer of pre-shave oil, a soap/cream designed for sensitive skin, and a nice post-shave cold water splash are essential to my comfort. I've also been lucky though - from day one, shaving with a straight edge has always felt way better and caused less irritation than shaving with a Mach3 or similar!

If your new Dovo came with the factory edge the the edge may not be sharp enough. If you stropped it before you shaved you may have dulled the blade. Your lather may not have been good enough. You may have used too much pressure on the blade and/or too steep an angle. Some people get a reaction to certain soaps. So many things or a combination of things can contribute to soreness/redness when you are starting out with learning to shave with a straight razor that it is hard to say which specifically is the cause.

Be sure your razor is sharp, shave ready sharp not factory edge sharp. If it has the factory edge you may want to get it professionally honed to true shave readiness. If you do that do not strop on your first shave so you know what sharp feels like. Then strop it on consequent shaves so if you feel it is duller after stropping you know your stropping is off.

Use short light strokes with a gap between face and the razor's spine of about 1 spine width. A sharp razor should not tug or need a heavy hand to force it to cut. You have to experiment a bit with that.

Make sure your lather is thick, rich, creamy and well hydrated. It should hold peaks like whipped cream.

If you are getting a reaction to the soap not much you can do except switch soaps.

Bob

Thanks for your reply guys. from what you have told me i think i was putting too much pressure on my cheek. not only that i think i should have used a pre-shave oil to help moisture my skin. what about using almond oil or olive oil for pre-shaving? it seems to work well on my skin but will it be ok on the blade?

Originally Posted by gsingh13

Thanks for your reply guys. from what you have told me i think i was putting too much pressure on my cheek. not only that i think i should have used a pre-shave oil to help moisture my skin. what about using almond oil or olive oil for pre-shaving? it seems to work well on my skin but will it be ok on the blade?

Fine for the blade. Here's a nice thread with all kinds of home recipes for pre-shave oils:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/pre-s...shave-oil.html

Originally Posted by gsingh13

Thanks for your reply guys. from what you have told me i think i was putting too much pressure on my cheek. not only that i think i should have used a pre-shave oil to help moisture my skin. what about using almond oil or olive oil for pre-shaving? it seems to work well on my skin but will it be ok on the blade?

you mentioned using soap?

what soap, you should be using a shaving soap idealy

palmolive is a cheap one that is very good and available at Tesco,Asda,Morrison etc

I'm a beginner as well and make sure your lather is wetter than you'd think it needs to be and watch the angle aye 1 or 2 spine widths from my face and I get no redness on cheeks