Thread: Tips from Barber on Sensitive Skin

I think, as with a number of people, my neck can often be fairly sensitive and I often get irritation there if I'm not careful. This evening's shave, considering my recent track record, resulted in quite a bit of irritation and I think (aside from generally overzealous shaving) there are two things that really contribute:

1. Water temperature—I find that if the water is too hot (and it was hotter than I normally use, tonight) then I end up with more irritation.

2. Razor grind—now, no one here's mentioned it and I'm sure people have said in other threads that technically, the grind of a blade makes no difference to the shave itself but the more blades I use, the more I'm becoming convinced that a heavier grind gives me a generally smoother, more comfortable and irritation-free shave.

Tonight I used a hollow ground Bengall and, even though the razor was sharp and smooth and glidey glidey over my face, my neck ended up all red and uncomfortable. I contrast this, firstly with my 1/4 hollow W&B, which gave a smooth and comfortable shave on Sunday, and an Edwin Blyde of the same grind, before that; and then with my hollow ground Dovo Flowing (and to a lesser extent, my vintage Bismarck) which feels harsher and more neck-unfriendly when I shave.

I definitely like having my hollows, just for some variation and whatnot but I'm increasingly avoiding them because I find the shave less enjoyable.

Originally Posted by PigHog

I think, as with a number of people, my neck can often be fairly sensitive and I often get irritation there if I'm not careful. This evening's shave, considering my recent track record, resulted in quite a bit of irritation and I think (aside from generally overzealous shaving) there are two things that really contribute:

1. Water temperature—I find that if the water is too hot (and it was hotter than I normally use, tonight) then I end up with more irritation.

2. Razor grind—now, no one here's mentioned it and I'm sure people have said in other threads that technically, the grind of a blade makes no difference to the shave itself but the more blades I use, the more I'm becoming convinced that a heavier grind gives me a generally smoother, more comfortable and irritation-free shave.

Tonight I used a hollow ground Bengall and, even though the razor was sharp and smooth and glidey glidey over my face, my neck ended up all red and uncomfortable. I contrast this, firstly with my 1/4 hollow W&B, which gave a smooth and comfortable shave on Sunday, and an Edwin Blyde of the same grind, before that; and then with my hollow ground Dovo Flowing (and to a lesser extent, my vintage Bismarck) which feels harsher and more neck-unfriendly when I shave.

I definitely like having my hollows, just for some variation and whatnot but I'm increasingly avoiding them because I find the shave less enjoyable.

I cold water shave, the only thing that works for me. Regarding the grind, I used to only get a great shave from a wedge or near wedge. For me anyway, I found I was using too much pressure and somehow flexed the hollow grinds. I resolved this by going extra easy with a very light touch and no further problems. As a matter of fact I now prefer the hollows.

I did cold-water shave but gradually got warmer and warmer again. I think I'll go back to cold or at least cool water!

I'm already very conscious of pressure and keeping my strokes as light as possible and I do find that it especially helps on my neck. Still, maybe things will change again. You're probably right from the point of view that there's something I need to adjust to when using a hollow.

When I started wet shaving I used a shavette. I used to use a two finger grip in the delicate areas. It felt real awkward but the light pressure was spot on.

That video was awesome, thanks. The part I found most helpful was his mention that alot of people shave downward without REALLY paying attention to the hair direction and as a result getting alot of neck irritation. It's basically like going ATG on your first pass in those areas. So this AM, I really paid attention to the direction and didn't just blindly go top to bottom on my first pass. My neck has never felt so comfortable after a shave but it was awfully tricky to pass the razor in some of the directions I needed to do.