Hello all, I am new to TSD as we'll as Wet Shaving with a DE Safety Razor. Today was my second *mostly successful* attempt at lathering/shaving but today I had a significant amount of burning and irritation from my chin line down my neck prior to applying aftershave. I made one pass WTG and one XTG. I currently use no fancy aftershave product, except a face toner with witch hazel, as I am still searching for 'the one'. I feel like I may have rushed slightly more today, for no apparent reason, but that is the only significant difference. I currently use a shave set I got for Christmas, purchased from Classic Shaving. This set came with a standard brush, razor, stand, wooden bowl and Feather Blades. Can anyone relate or give me guidance? I've read some great stuff in these forums but sometimes they are overwhelming to a newbie.
Irritation can be caused by: Too much pressure - pretend you're trying to take all the lather off without touching your face Poor technique - just practice Not wetting face before each lather Not lathering between passes Going over same area too many times without lathering Going ATG - some folks just can't do it Allergies to brush - synthetic? Allergies to soap or cream - some folks are allergic to lanolin, some to sandalwood, etc, and can only use unscented Allergies to razor material Allergies to blade Razor too aggressive for you - may need a milder razor Blade just not right for your face - a sample pack is a must. What works for someone else may not work for you - let your face tell you. My first thought was the blade. Derby blades tear my neck up every time. Just can't use 'em. Sorry - not an easy problem to pinpoint and solve.
Welcome, First of all a blade sampler is in order. Feathers are the sharpest blades and why people steer new users to them is beyond me. Every persons skin reacts differently to products so that is why the blade sampler is essential. Next are you shaving before or after a shower (bath)? After is better because it takes around 3 to 5 minutes for the face to properly hydrate before shaving. Hydration is the most important thing in shaving. Third are you properly getting a good lather from your soap / cream? Lather needs to be moist. If the lather is dry you will need more water to provide slickness and more cushion. Lastly are you using little to almost no pressure and letting the blade do the work? That is a big stumbling block when transitioning from cartridges to DE. You should be watching Mark's (Mantic 59) videos on YouTube on the basics of shaving and how to make proper lather and motions. Now there is another issue: Since you are new to the Double Edge world, here is the advice I received when I started with a DE and so I freely give it to new users. The most important things in shaving are, your skin and technique. All other things fall in line behind those two things and to support them. Since the skin is a given fixed item, the next major item is technique. It is called THE 30 DAY RULE. THE 30 DAY RULE is as follows: Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your skin (that may take a few different blades in a sampler pack to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, and it may take a couple of weeks to find this combination, order a quantity of that blade enough for 30 days, and then spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. (Note that only one brand blade is used for 30 days after each blade in the sampler pack is tested to make the decision on the blade brand to use for 30 days.) The 30 day clock starts when you have the right blade for you. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week then change another after another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place. This will help you to avoid buying too much gear and stuff too soon without having the technique down to enjoy it all. This really does work. Oh and one more thing ... Welcome to the Den. We know you'll fit right in. So grab yourself a comfy chair, and give our threads a spin! Burma Shave
Nice tutorial Swarden! If I had to guess .... in the beginning it is almost always too much pressure, but it could be something entirely different.
Being a newbie myself, I would avoid the feathers, they are among the sharpest blades available, I would try Wilkinson swords or personnas often repackaged as Walgreen or cvs brand just make sure they AREN'T made in Korea. Practice is definitely gonna help, but you don't want to continue to irritate your face Once you get a setup that doesn't irritate your face dint change anything for the next 30 days Good luck
It could be too much pressure. Don't try to get smooth, that will come to you as your technique improves. I second the recommendation of checking out other blade brands. I can use Feathers, but there are other blades that are more forgiving. Good luck and welcome.
Just to add..if you haven't already noticed, the DE has no pivot and therefore you must make sure to lock the wrist and shave with a whole arm motion or irritation, especially on the neck, can ensue. This technique will rapidly become an automatic once you start to focus there.....
to TSD "jpbennett87".........I hope you enjoy it here..... As the advice your needing has been given, all I'll add: A large blade sample pack is a good idea, the more blades you can try the better... Hang in there no matter how you start out, "it does get better and then it gets "FANTASTIC"!!! Time,Technique,Practice and Patience are key to a "GREAT" shave.....
Hello JP and !!! Swarden and Mr. Carrington have covered things pretty well , but I'll add a thing or two. Washing your face before shaving is good, but: Face or moisturizing soap is generally the better choice, hand soaps and deodorant soaps may irritate. Water that is too hot can cause problems. Try to keep the water temp 94-98 deg. If you use a washcloth to bathe your face, choose the softest one you have & go easy. Whilst drying your face with a towel, pat gently. Don't rub. Slow your shave down and focus on how the blade/razor feels. If you experience tugging, change to a new blade or a different brand of blade. If you feel the razor scraping, make sure you aren't pressing, and/or change the angle at which you're holding the razor. Hang in there. You'll get it all figured out soon and your shaves will be great!
Hey man. Looks like you have a lot of good advice here. I'm from Maryland as well. I've been at this hobby for about a year now. PM if you need help.
