After my shave yesterday I got a pretty bad razor burn around my mouth and have been treating it with Aloe Vera, CeraVe moisturizer and I found that triamcinolone acetonide cream helps as well. My question to you veteran wet shavers is how long should I wait until I shave again? I am still somewhat red but it doesn't burn or sting any longer. Any advice on treating razor burn is welcome as well. Thanks in advance
Minimum 1 day for me; two preferred, but I always test the afflicted area (with alum or an astringent aftershave) before I decide whether or not to proceed with shaving. If I get any negative feedback from the test, I know it's best to either 'pass over' the tender area when shaving, or skip another day or so of shaving until the burn is gone. I have sensitive skin, so for me, the wait is worth it.
Try to give your face a two day wait if possible. I personally apply Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm on the burn area several times a day. I don't think it helps in the healing process but it does make it feel better. YMMV
Thanks for the info. I have an alum bar so I will definitely test with that to see if the skin is read. My skin is acne prone and I was hoping that switching to wet shaving would help lessen the outbreaks. I am using a prescription strength Clindamycin solution, taking doxycycline and applying tretinoin cream a couple times a week on top of my shaving regimen. I'll give the shaving a rest until I can pass the alum bar test. Switching out the Derby blade too - ouch!
Be on the look out for a quality post-shave product that contains SHEA BUTTER. Shea butter does wonders for skin irritation, won't clog pores, even fights acne. I use it religiously post-shave. Leaves my skin soft, elastic, soothed. I have made several homemade creams that are 85% shea butter. Good stuff for the skin! See more about it here: http://www.simpledailyhealth.com/acne/shea-butter-for-acne/
Rub some dirt on it, eat a salt tablet, walk it off...ummm...it's always darkest before the dawn...a chicken in every pot...huh, I seem to have run out of good advice there toward the end. You'll know when it's OK to have another go, just don't try to rush it.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Oh yeah, you may need to take a day or two off. Either way, pay close attention during your next shave. If you start to feel raw, cut the shave short and live to shave another day. As Longfellow once wrote, Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.
Thayer's Witch Hazel works well for me if I get a little burn (or even if I don't). I found it at The Vitamin Shoppe but I think some other places like GNC carry it too.
Try to learn from it. Change something next time, such as the blade, use lighter pressure, shorter strokes, longer prep/lather, etc. I have learned more from bad shaves than the good ones.
I went back to shaving today after taking two days off. I ditched the Derby blade for an Astra blade and took my time paying attention to pressure and angle. Still a little irritation, but not nearly as much stinging and burning as after Monday's shave. I'll continue working on technique and experiment with blades. The Astra blade definitely felt better than the Derby.
I had the same problem with the derby blades. I stopped using them and now a lot less irritation. I switched to wilkinson blades.
Among the blades that I use, I found Wilkinson's to be the most irritating, although they aren't terrible. I have a small pack of Treet blades that are surprisingly good for the price, and strangely, Kroger brand blades (made in the USA no less) seem to work nicely at a 10 pack for $2. Anyway, to the OP, I generally only find I need to wait one day for burn, but bad nicks sometimes need two days to heal enough to shave over. Witch Hazel is very gentle and natural and does a pretty good job. If I get burned, I apply witch hazel, then follow with my alum bar. Then I assess from the degree of redness whether my face will tolerate aftershave or not. If it doesn't seem like it will, I use the same Nivea Sensitive Balm that was mentioned earlier. Then when I return to shaving, I try to go slower and more carefully, and for the first time at least, only go with the grain, and try for a SAS (socially acceptable shave) - nothing too close. Often once I make it to that degree, I find I can come back and do a cross grain cut with very light pressure (like almost none) and bring it up to much closer to a DFS (darn fine shave) without any repercussions. Obviously, YMMV. Listen to your face.
So taking my time and paying attention definitely helps. I had good success with the Astra blade and am now shaving with a Personna Red blade, which have been doing well for me. However, from my shave this morning a can confirm that shaving when in a bit of a hurry is not a good idea . I avoided nicks and cuts, but I have somewhat of a razor burn although not nearly as bad as last week. I had expected that my acne outbreaks would have subsided some after a couple of weeks of wet shaving, but so far I don't see much improvement. Does anyone have insights on how acne improves with wet shaving?
Personally, I haven't found it to make much of a difference. I did find that when I experimented with using preshave oil on my face, or putting a little oil directly on the blade (plain ol J&J baby oil) my skin wanted to break out more. I don't tend to have a lot of acne, so when just my shaving area was getting pimply I figured out fast that the baby oil was a bad idea for me. Other people have found success using it, which was where I got the idea from, reading their reviews. It may be possible that the irritation of razor burn itself could perpetuate the acne, I don't know. You might actually want to ask your dermatologist for his/her thoughts on the matter. Yeah, if you're in a hurry, just go for a single pass, with the grain, and try not to think about it!
