Greetings Forum! I am new to the forums, and I decided to join when I kept getting spots that looked untouched eventhough I had shaved over that spot multiple times. As stated previously my issue is that I have spots that look unshaved. I usually use drug store brand razors, but I also have a few Wilkinson double edge blades which get me much better results but some razor bumps. I also have very sensitive skin so I cant go xtg or atg. Does anyone else have this issue? Has anyone use the Wikinson brand razors, and is there a way for me to go xtg even though I have sensitive skin? Thanks in advance!
Welcome to TSD I would try a sampler pack to go for a few different blade brands and see which work better for your face. People do use Wilkinsons around here, but everyone's face is different - you may find a much better shave with another blade.
I was thinking of buying a sampler pack, and I know everyones face is different but what would you recomend?
Hi Dennis.. you seem to be getting at least into the ballpark with your setup and making some good progress so far. I think if you just go easy at this point and take it slow, paying close attention to your lathering and razor technique you'll make more and more progress as you go and gradually you'll get better reduction. Takes awhile to get used to all this fancy shaving but in the end most people seem to catch on to it and I'm sure you will judging from what you told us so far. It's really more important at this stage to come away unscathed with more or less ok reduction then to push the issue to distraction. I too have some sensitive skin issues and am very prone to razor bumps etc. Mostly I tend to avoid ATG altogether and go easy with a gentle setup WTG and some XTG mostly. Not sure about that Wilky razor but the blades are all right. Anyways keep up the good work and welcome to the TSD. You can ask all the questions you want here.. we like them. So don't hesitate and do keep us apprised of your progress.. good luck..Joe...
Thanks Joe, and I have noticed that I have mostly gotten rid of the razor bump issue except for the occasional few on the neck line. From hear on out I'll just try to focus on where my razor is going, and slow down my shaving to see where that gets me. Thanks again.
I'm partial to saying try as many as possible, so I'd suggest a sampler with a wide variety of blades. There's a lot of vendors, and I use too many to recommend any one over the other anymore LOL. I believe there's a list in the Vendors Corner in the Marketplace section on the forum, if I'm not mistaken. Just don't shave with a new blade every day, it's best to give yourself some time with each different one.
Thanks Neo, I was thinking of buying a pack of derby blades. Have you used any Derby's? If so how well do they perform?
I have, they don't agree with my face in the least. However as more proof for the "Your Mileage May Vary" - one of my coworkers can only get good shaves with Derby's. My current blade of choice is Voskhod or Astra Superior platinums, however it could turn out neither of those work well for you - I've gone through a number of different blades and just stick with what I have proven to myself work well.
yeah so far I only know one blade that doesnt iritate my face and those are the drug store brand de razors, which are ok bt they don't give me a decent shave.
No irritation sounds pretty good to me. At this point you could also try playing around with your razor's angle of attack. Keeping the head at a little closer to 45 degrees to the cutting surface.. that is the head rides a little more perpendicular to the skin surface. This helps me get great reduction out of a pretty mild shaver...
I'll keep the 45 degree angle in mind the next time I shave. But I'm wondering if the xtg pass is a no for someone with sensitive skin?
XTG's all right for me but I know there are some who shave only WTG. You need to map out the grow pattern of your beard very carefully to determine how it's all really growing. And your beard will also tell you.. if it's painful just don't go there.. change direction a little. You can actually play around with the path of your razor to determine the path of least resistance.. carefully adjusting pressure and razor angle as you go. They don't call shaving an art for nothing ..
First, welcome to the Den. Do the trouble spots "look" untouched and are actually smooth? Or is there actual stubble still left? If it just looks untouched but still smooth, not much you can do except maybe cover-up makeup. It's just the dark hair of the whiskers showing through. If it is actually still rough, try some of the advice given above. Hope you find what works!
Thanks Joe, and I'm wondering if there is an obvious sign when shaving with a blade that doesn't agree with my face, such as shaving in the wrong direction? Also is it normal for skin to feel sensitive or slighty get red after a shave? What I mean is I don't realy get razor bumps but my skin on my neck feel sensitive and gets red when touched? Thank you Swarden for the welcoming. What I mean when I say a spot looks untouched is it lookes like the blade didn't even cut the hair, even though I do 3 passes, and rarely 4 passes.
Ya ..at the time I switched back to the DE a couple of years ago, I perpetually had red across the base of my neck. This has gradually been sorting itself out and has taken a while.. been enjoying the journey though lol. It's probably gonna take doing and experimentation for you to determine the changes you'll need to make. Not sure what you mean by shaving in the wrong direction. In experimentation, change only one variable at a time.. not everything at once and you'll gradually start to see what works best for you...
Welcome to TSD!! Does the hair grow in a different direction than the rest of your face? I have a swirl that lays flat to my neck that doesn't want to be shaved no matter what direction I take. Might I also ask what kind of DE razor you are using, or what soap/cream? They can make a big difference. A blade sampler pack is a great idea, you might even find a blade that works well with your face enough to go xtg or atg. I've heard a lot of people say that Derby's tug a lot, but I've also heard people who say that they love them so ymmv. +1 on changing one variable at a time too. When I try 3 new things at once and get a bad shave, I have no idea which thing it was that caused it.
Slippery, what I meant when I said shave in the wrong direction is I can only shave with the grain, so shaving xtg and atg would be in the wrong direction so to speak. So if I were to shave xtg or atg as you posted would give me a sign right off the bat saying this is wrong, so would there be a simmiler sign if I were to shave with a blade that doesn't agree? Blaze, thank you for the welcolming. As for your questions I use a merkur heavy duty classic safety razor, I use C.O. Biggelow shave cream, and williams shaving soap.
Your info was helpful Dennis thanks. Sounds a decent setup so far. What do you do for prep.. before you apply the lather ie shower, bath or hot towel etc.. to have a smooth shave and avoid redness irritation etc, it's essential to make sure the beard is thoroughly lubricated and softened. And you can leave the lubricant on for a few minutes after it's applied to further add to the beard softening process. Also essential for smoothly executing XTG etc is to re-lather between passes. Finally, have you been watching your shaving videos? ...
I had this issue as well, before I paid close attention to the razor's angle. I do something in between WTG and XTG passes as well, which seems to help. Sort of a diagonal motion...
Slipery as for my prep I always take a hot shower, then i splash more water on my face before I apply the lather, after aplying the lather i let it sit on my face for 15 to 30 seconds to let the whiskers soak in the moisture. I also always let my razor soak in hot water for the 15 to 30 seconds aswell. D. Nettleton I alsys let my razor sit at atleast 30 degrees.
