Hello all, And thanks for having me here. With all due gratitude in advance, I am hoping someone can guide me through the best process of keeping my face smooth and fresh. At this point I have shaved a total of less than two dozen times- just scissor trimming on whatever length of beard I had at the time. Just never saw the point, really. Due to my work situation (butcher) having a beard can be a bit problematic, and so, to avoid having to wear a beard-net, I took her all off. Shaving irritates the heck out of my face (and especially my neck). I've got no clue what I'm doing, and I just want the pain to stop. It would appear I have fairly sensitive skin, and boy does it all grow back fast- 12 hours later and it is back in visible strength. I've tried several different razor brands and 'sensitive' marketed shaving creams/foams, but I cannot find much of a difference. I don't know what other information to offer- Thanks to all and any who can offer some guidance in this long road. Me and all my irritated pores thank you! (please forgive any etiquette or procedural breaches I may have committed)
Welcome to TSD. What kind of shaving gear do you currently use? I've been DE shaving for 4 months so I'm relatively new to it. What questions do youhave specifically? We have a good bunch of guys on the forums who will be happy to give you advice on anything.
Hello Jaro. Do not despair. You may indeed have very sensitive skin. However, it wouldn't surprise me if your issues were simply down to inexperience and poor technique. Let's start with what hardware and software you have before moving on, what do you currently have?
@Jaro Thoroen - We are here to help! As the other responses have said, please let us know about your current setup. Welcome to TSD!
At the moment I am using a Gillette Fusion Proglide razor as well as Edge foam, with the 'sensitive' marketing. I have no other gear to speak of- though I can purchase certainly.
How do you shave? Meaning, do you shave straight down first, as in North-to-South? Or do you shave in an across-the-grain pattern, such as ear towards the nose? Describe to us your shaving pattern.
I shave north to south on my face, more of an east to west along my jawline, and then lower neck towards chin. (Thank you all for your insanely fast responses)
I would recommend feeling all around your face and mapping out where your grain grows. Then you want to shave with the grain (WTG) first. As an example, for me, a WTG pass on my neck is actually a left-to-right pattern for some of my neck, and then South-to-North for another part of it. A straight North-to-South pass on my neck isn't the best for me. Map out where your grain grows and then you want to shave with the grain first. Then, on a second pass, go across the grain (XTG) or sideways to that growth. There are many guys here who can chime in about razors. Most guys here use a double-edge safety razor, some new and some vintage. Most also use shaving soap or shaving cream that is generated with a shaving brush. Nothing against canned cream or goo - it has its place - but most here use soaps and creams. We can help! Light pressure is usually a good place to start in eliminating irritation. Very light pressure in the hopes of beard reduction, not beard elimination.
It sounds like you already know which direction your beard grows so your already on the right track. I never had a shave without irritation on a cartridge razor though. I hate to give you advice that is going to cost you money but ever since I began DE shaving my irritation has gone way down.
Welcome @Jaro Thoroen ! You are doing fine so far. We pride ourselves on maintaining a gentlemanly environment. You've not broken any rules. The razor you are using has training wheels, and bumpers, and guards built onto it. It's designed to be mashed against your skin to get any beard reduction. That kind of harsh contact causes the dreaded Razor Burn. We do have a forum section where folks who prefer that type of razor discuss techniques and tips. Click here! A majority of the rest of the members use other types of razors. They all do the same thing weather they are old fashion cut throat straight razors, or the latest wiz bang prototypes. If you are considering a double edge razor like the Gillettes of 50+ years ago or the modern units that work much the same have a look at the Shave of the Day to see what members are enjoying - YES - I said enjoying. Read up, absorb a little of this forum, and you just might find yourself looking forward to your next shave. You can get a close comfortable shave, just need to work on your technique. Maybe you need some different gear, too.
Do you use any aftershaves or anything? If not I would recommend atleast some witch hazel after your shave. It will help with the irritation and redness you get from shaving and it'll make your face feel a little better. I know I can tell the difference when I don't use it. The cheap stuff at Wally World or your local grocery store works good. If you decide that you want to give a safety razor a shot there are a lot of good and relatively inexpensive options out there to get started. They sell a Micro Touch razor at Target and Walmart that is a decent beginners razor.
Welcome @Jaro Thoroen. The advice so far is spot on. I've been wet shaving for about 8 months now and been here at TSD for a month and a half. Browse around and see what the other Gents are shaving with and ask all the questions that come to mind. You'll get answers from FNG's like me and vets like the guys above. Welcome to the Den. Enjoy the shaves!
Hi Jaro, welcome to TSD, nice to meet you. I also have a quick growing beard that used to give me allot of irritation and ingrown hairs when I shaved. That is the reason I came here and changed the way I shaved. Because of the irritation and ingrown hairs I thought I had a tough beard and sensitive skin, but now I just think I have a tough beard. There is allot of good advice above and else where on the site. It will take a month or too but as figure out the best way for YOU to shave you will over come the irritation. For me the more blades a cart hard the worse I suffered. Now I use DE and straights razors with no irritation and smooth face but my beard still grows back fast. Right before I made the switch to a DE, brush and soap I used a Fusion with the 'sensitive' Edge shaving gel, it was the worst for me. Read through the site pick up a brush and soap and the either a DE or 2/3 blade cart. Follow the advice on technique and you will be on your way to irritation free shaves. Don't be shy and ask lots of questions.
J until you figure out your technique and equipment may want to consider using an after shave balm. Nieva Sensitive Shave Balm is very popular in the shave community and only about 7 bucks at local retailers (Walgreens) or Amazon. It may help alleviate some of the burn and will at least moisturize you skin. There are two almost identical boxes of Nieva balm. Try the non-cooling first.
Welcome Jaro: The quicker you switch from that shite-in-a-can to a decent shaving soap the better. The VanDerHagen stuff in all the local stores is a decent soap to start with. We're here to help. The internet is ripe with good information. Here's a link to get you on your way: http://sharpologist.com/2014/01/30-day-challenge-get-enjoyable-shave.html
Hi! Go grab a favorite beverage, something to munch on, then click on this ---> http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/shave-school-master-sticky.16034/
