Hi! I have been dealing with some shaving issues for years, and I finally thought it was about time I seeked some advice I shave with a safety razor right now (a merkur with derby extra blades) I am a young man at only 22 years of age, and I don't find my beard to be super thick or fast growing. However, often when I shave, I don't get the close shave that I really want (there is always some hair left, and the next day its time to shave again..) I only do one pass, downwards on sideburns. How do I do that properly? My neckbeard grows in different directions. In the middle, it grows downwards. Left side it grows left, and right side it grows right. Should I turn my razor to shave sidewards then? I always have irritation at both sides of my bottom neck, what could be the cause of this? it really bothers me. I have razor burn everytime there.. I usually shower, then pre shave oil, then cream and shave Thanks a lot in advance.. Kindest regards
Glad you joined us. Very happy you are seeking advice! There is a section of this forum called Shave School. In that section a group of guys that hang out and share tip, tricks, and Shenanigans. It's poster are old guys just come to wet shaving, young guys learning to shave with straight razors, Russian Cartel Blade Czars, folks who try to get the best shave from the worst equipment... Quite the mix of fools folks. Give it a read, jump in any time. It's your face and you deserve a great shave! ---> Click Here<---
Welcome. Most of us can't get a good shave in one pass. I do 3 passes, relathering between each pass. 1 pass with the grain(WTG) 1 pass across the grain(XTG) and 1 pass against the grain(ATG) and even then I usually have to touch up some stubborn areas. It does help to know which way the beard grows and keep it in mind while doing your various passes. In my case the hair on the neck grows in swirls so I just make sure each pass is coming from a different direction. I would also suggest trying a sample of blade brands because they are not all the same. And what's fantastic for me, may be horrible for you. That's what we call YMMV. Your mileage may vary. Derbys work well for some, but many find them harsh. Try a few others and you may be surprised.
First, welcome! Next, go get a favorite beverage, something to munch on, get comfy, and click this ---> http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/shave-school-master-sticky.16034/
^ That ^ Mantic's videos (#2) helped me a lot! And they're fun to watch as well! Oh, and welcome to TSD of course!
Welcome to TSD! You'll find lots of good advice and friendly people here to help. I am not sure how long you have been using your Merkur, but how about blades? Have you tried multiple blade types, or just one type? I will tell you, my neck is challenging for me to get completely smooth without some irritation. I usually shoot for irritation free and allow a little stubble there. There is a thread on here that focuses in helping improve technique using the 30 day rule or 30 day focus. You can find it here. You may find this helpful.
Welcome. Make sure you lather all the way down your neck. Perhaps, you are pulling your razor just beyond the lather and causing some irritation. The tutorials are awesome.
Wow. I never expected such a welcome and so many great answers... Thanks a lot for your time. I will move on to the tutorials. I have seemed to be failing at multiple shaving rules...
https://gyazo.com/b50b014f8772424b7e934597710cb41e (neckbeard map) I tried to map my neckbeard growth... I always get the razor burn at the very edges of the neckbeard (bottom left, bottom right) what could be my mistake? the way of holding the razor, or shaving direction? I usually only do one pass with the grain, but I am super new with wetshaving
I would try doing a pass south to north on your neck. Sideways shaving on the neck area is problematical. As long as you are not actually shaving against the grain, you should be okay.
So even if my neckbeard is growing from the middle towards the sides, I should still try to shave from bottom and up?
As long as the hair is not growing downwards, you should be able to shave from the bottom and up without irritation. Another thing that might help is to look at @mantic 's video on "advanced techniques" (I think it's called). He covers the Gillette slide, blade buffing, and J-hooking.
Thank you for your response. I will try this out later! By the way... I really need to switch my proraso can out with something a bit better to shave with, right?
Canned shave creams contain lots of moisturizers, but they can only do so much to counteract the drying effects of the propellent used to get the shaving cream out of the can. My personal recommendation is to use Kiss my Face Moisture Shave. Comes in a pump bottle and is readily available at Whole Foods and other "natural" stores.
Unfortunately, I am not able to purchase that where I live. I live in Copenhagen, and I have very few options! I came across Saponificio Varesino shaving soap, and the description really does promise some good quality.. Do you know anything about that? Also, I am currently using "Derby extra" blades, are these good, or should I go for either: Mühle, Feather, Merkur? My kindest regards, Simone
I'd try them all, soap and blades. As for the blades: they are very much a YMMV thing. The blades you like may be the worst for me and vice versa. Many people (including me) really like the feather blades, but you might as well try the others too! I haven't used theSaponifico Varesino yet, but at least @ChiefShaver has: => *click for his excellent review* <= Looks very promising to me!
I actually have used Saponifico Veresino, their Fougère scent, Felce Aromatica. It's a world class shave soap, and easily in my top five shave soaps of all time.