Thread: Can't get it right

I can't get my neck to be burn/bumps free. I waited for them to clear up, shaved and it was great. I shaved the next day, and it was not as great. Shaved today - horrible! I guess I'm using to much pressure, but it really doesn't fell I do. A lighter touch and razor jumps on my skin. Is it possible my beard grows to slowly for a daily shave?

Any help is welcome!
Thanks,
Omri

I don't shave daily. About every third day.

It normally takes 30 shaves for everything to come together. Your face has to adjust, your skills have to improve, eye to hand coordination gets better, stropping, making lather, and so on. Don't be impatient, it truly gets better...just look at how many members there are here and it's growing daily. Lets start with your straight shaving every other or third day as mentioned above.

Tell me about your razor, was it pro-honed? Tell me about your stropping. Tell me about your lather... We will get you thru this.

Patience is key, I guess, and I should have elaborated on my original post.
I've been wet shaving for about two years. I started with a Shavette, and had to stop for a week after every shave. The past few months (6 - on/off, 2 straight) I've been shaving with a SR. It's a professionally honed TI 5/8 "Super Gnome", which I strop at home (the honing is not more than a month old, and the blade shave just wonderfully).
My prep and post are OK (hot shower and face wash before, Alum and ASB after). I get a nice BBS with three passes (WTG, XTG, ATG), but the sides of my neck are abused after just one.
The hair does grow in a different direction there (diagonally downwards, with the jawline) and I'm shaving it straight down (which is like shaving XTG on the first pass, I guess). Could that be it? I just can't find a position or a hold with which I can get the right direction.

Imomri,
It sounds like we're cut from the same cloth. I've been using straights and DE's for the past couple years, though I took a 5month hiatus and grew a full beard in hopes that letting my whiskers grow out would train them to grow out instead of back into the skin.

Shaving the beard off, my neck looked better than it has since I was a kid. The next day not quite as good. The next day worse. It's been two weeks now and my neck looks about the same as it used to.

My hairs on my neck grow in a circle. From chin to adams apple they grow down, but they turn and grow toward the back of my neck, and then turn up toward my ear, making it all but impossible to do a WTG/ATG pass except directly under my chin. I shave one pass down, then one up. For parts that's WTG, XTG, and ATG, and then the second pass is ATG, XTG, WTG respectively.

I can't say I'm happy with it yet. BUT, I can say that you should have NO razor burn from the passes you're making. Once you get razor burn you need to let your skin recover before you shave again, but if you're using the right angle and pressure (mainly pressure) you should get NO razor burn. This is a part I have to continually remind myself of or I'll easily give myself razor burn. Aim to just wipe away the lather and NOT touch the skin. If you're razor's truly sharp you can wipe the lather away with ultralight pressure, and when you wipe the lather off the blade it will look like there's pepper in it. You face may not look as perfect as you'd like, but working in this way I can literally do 5 or 6 passes without getting burn...2 gets me a DFS, but if I'm feeling OCD that day I can touch up areas multiple times without getting burn.

So far as bumps go, I've got little to offer. Skin that gets severe razor burn will draw into bumps as it heals. These have taken up to a full week for me to get rid of, and you really can't get a good shave until they're gone. (Otherwise you get razor burn on your razor burn!)
My neck has demon whiskers that curl in and cause bumps. Those I can't seem to get rid of. But wet shaving (whether straight or DE) has gotten rid of my razor burn and associated bumps and ingrown hairs.

Hope it helps!

Peace,
Jim

You have to have a sharp blade and use very light pressure at the right angle, just as Jim said. If my blade is getting dull I have a tendency to lean into it more with added pressure to compensate. That is usually good for a burn. A blade that skips could be a little dull or the lather is a little dry, maybe a little of both. Nothing wrong with re lathering a dry area, I sometimes have to being a slow shaver. You really need a good slick lather to allow the blade to glide along.

Bob

You may just not be able to shave every day, or not shave ATG in that area. I am still very much in the learning stage (just had my 7th straight razor shave), and today I did two WTG passes with some XTG strokes here and there, and it was the most comfortable shave I've experienced yet. I don't think I'm going to go ATG anymore. Especially if I want to be able to shave everyday (which who wouldn't when you're doing it with a straight razor?!).

I guess it may depend on what kind of skin you have and how sensitive it is. I do a 3 pass shave every morning with little problem with irritation. If I hone a razor I may do a 3 pass test shave in the evening too to test it.

Bob

Are you allergice to the product you are using. It may not be your razor/technique/skin soley. If you use your soaps and creams do you break out even if you dont shave. May be worth a shot. I know people who are terribly allergic to lanolin.

That was how my neck reacted when using a mach 3 before i switched and i couldnt shave more than every other day.

My skin tends to be on the sensitive side so i only use unscented products and am very careful that my prep is the same each time i shave.

but with a straight razor i can do 3 passes on my neck daily without any issues. the hair on my neck grows E-W so WTG and XTG are very difficult to pull off, at least they are for me, so my three passes are ATG but using short strokes i get DFS

you may also want to try stretching the skin in different directions to find what works the best for you