I have shaved with an electric razor for the past 20 or so years. I have begun using a DE again and I like the results. I get a very close smooth shave (after three passes) but my face gets irritated and I cannot comfortably save with a DE two days in a row. I assume the irritation is because of the three passes but I cannot seem to get a close shave in one pass. Will my face adjust to DE shaving on a daily basis? I currently use a 34c Merkur, Feather blades and Proraso shaving cream. I went through most of a sample pack of blades and kept going back to the Feather. I am considering going to a Merkur Slant because I have read that you get a closer shave with the 1st pass. I would like to be able to do a one pass shave and I think that would help a lot with the irritation. Any suggestions?
My face did adjust after about 3 months, but I still cannot go ATG on the neck. May I suggest trying 2 passes?
I go 1-2 passes then if I have a few touch up spots I'll hit it with my electrict, it's always the one more time that makes the bleeder.
It is not the skin that adjusts rather the technique that improves. If 3 passes leave your skin irritated, no real reason to go beyond 2 passes for a while. Also, i think you are applying too much pressure. Just keep at it, skip the against the grain pass for a while. Over time, you will notice an improvement. Also, good lather is crucial. It should offer a ''cushion'' that allows the blade to glide over the skin. It should be slick. Making a ton of foam in a bowl looks nice but does not necessarily makes effective lather. If you could get sime Nivea shaving cream, give it a try, it is a better product IMO and not very expensive.
You might also try a Gillette tech, or a Shick krona. Both are cheap and very easy on your skin with Feathers.
Unlike electric and multi-blade razors a DE razor takes several passes to remove your stubble. Each pass reduces the whisker length. I don't think anyone gets a smooth shave with just one pass. Please do not use any pressure, as you would with a multi-blade razor, or you will surely get razor burn and or cut. Being you've tried several blades and are using a good soap it think you problem is too much pressure.
Too much pressure and going too fast are killers for me. I'm doing two passes and a neck clean-up. Technique is the key I think.
It is your shaving technique that adjusts, not your face. If you are going for close shaves each time and getting irritation, try going for the closest non-irritating shave. That holds true even if the shaves are not all that smooth, as it is more important to get a comfortable shave than a close shave. Once you have comfortable shaves, you can work on developing your technique with a given razor and blade combination. The shaves should improve over time. Once you are getting irritation-free and reasonably close shaves, perhaps then try different blades. You might find they shave differently once your technique has developed a little more. If you like Feathers, you might also like Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum blades. Good luck!
One of my DE razors is a nice looking, well built Shaving Factory I believe came from Sallys for about $10.00. Believe it or not, it's a nice performer and is a very solid butterfly design. The reason I brought it up is because it's also a very mild razor, not aggresive at all (compared to my others) For 10 bucks give it a try, it may be as mild for you hopefully.
And like the others have said, try no pressure, just maintain even contact and let the weight of the razor do the work. good luck
Thanks for the tips. For the last two days I have tried shaving with less pressure and it has been a more comfortable shave. They haven't been as close but I'm sure I need to focus on my technique. I will report back in a couple weeks and let you know how it has improved.
Ignore about half of what the members above me have posted...except the no/reduced pressure part, that is good info. Wrong. Wrong again. Coming from 20 years of electric shaving, your face is having to adjust to DE shaving. The razor is not only cutting hair, it is also removing skin. Every time you shave, a layer or two of dead skin cells are removed. This is nothing to be concerned about, the cosmetic industry has a word for it. "Exfoliation." Electric razors are not particularly useful for exfoliation. DE razors are really good at it. If you use an exfoliating scrub or loofah in your shower, you should stop using it on your beard. Your razor will now take over those duties. Even someone coming from a multi-bladed cartridge razor will experience this increased exfoliation. Your skin will get used to this new routine, but it will take time. Usually 30-45 days is normal, but it can take 3-4 months in a few cases. Right now you are doing three passes. You don't mention which direction those passes are going, so I will assume that you are following a standard down, across, and up pattern. This is where face "mapping" is so important. You need to learn the direction of your beard growth, and shave in the same directions your beard grows. Keep doing three passes, but try shaving with the grain on all three passes, or at the least shaving with the grain on the first two passes and across the grain on the third pass. I have been wet shaving for many years, but my face becomes irritated if I shave against the grain more than once a week. I have more sensitive skin than most on this forum You cannot get a proper one pass wet shave. As was said above, the point of DE shaving is beard reduction through multiple passes. I have gotten decent one pass shaves, but they were not particularly close shaves, just "good enough for work" shaves. Don't try to shave through the irritation. If you need to take a day off in between shaves, take a day. If you still need to do that a month from now, post again and we'll talk about technique. I'm sorry for being so long winded on this post. Edit: you might find this a useful read as well- http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/problems-facing-new-wet-shavers.28857/ This link is also in my signature, but if you are using a phone, you might not be able to view signatures. I hope you will find it useful.
to TSD camman595......I hope you enjoy it here.... Your skin will adjust,your technique(both shaving and lather making) will improve..Concentrate on irritation free shaves for now.... BBS and DFS will come with time.."Don't Chase them"!!!.Sometimes different soaps/creams and blades will make all the difference...It just takes time and a little experimentation to find your perfect shaving equipment and technique combo...."Hang in there Your Shaves Will Get Better"!!
In addition to what PlanofMan said, I would also think about blade selection. I, for example, cannot use Feather blades at all...and I like to think my technique is pretty good 5 years into this journey. Feathers simply tear my skin up no matter what razor I use. Get a sampler pack and try some other blades to see what works best for your razor, skin, and technique level. Also, try to avoid against the grain passes until you can get irritation free shaves going with or across the grain). Lastly, I don't think you can get a good shave in less than two passes. You can get a shave that does the job in one pass (with some stubble--"good enough for work"), but nothing that approaches DFS level, let alone BBS. Personally, I seldom go for BBS any more and just go for the DFS (unless I'm using a straight razor, but that's a different beast altogether).
I don't know that I would say they are wrong. More like it is both; skin adjusts and technique improves.
