Is a DE shave really better for razor bumps?

Greetings all,

A former reluctant shaver/non-shaver bearded man here. When I was younger, I liked looking a bit older with the beard. Now that I'm older, I'd rather look younger so off comes the beard.

I have always had problems with ingrown hairs around my neck and am considering switching over from cartridges to a DE razor because (1) I've heard they are much better for razor bumps and ingrown hairs, and (2) I love old stuff like pocket watches and fountain pens, so shaving with the tools of another era appeal to me.

My question is whether a DE shave really is better for razor bumps and ingrown hairs? If so, what's the theory behind this?

Many thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom.

 

First, welcome to the Den.

I think a DE is better.
With the cartridges there are a couple of things going on.
1 - Pressure. Those cheap, light plastic things force you to use pressure. With the DE you use no pressure, allowing the weight of the razor head to apply its own pressure.
2 - Ever see those commercials that show the first blade pulling the whisker, then the following blades cutting it? That results in cutting the hair so short it falls back below the surface of the skin. Sure, you'll be super smooth, but that's exactly what causes ingrown hairs and bumps.

With the DE it's about beard reduction through multiple passes, usually two or three. The first with the grain (WTG), the second across the grain (XTG) and sometimes a third against the grain (ATG). Beard mapping will help you discover which way your beard grows - the grain of your beard. With cartridges it's all done in one fell swoop. Beard reduction takes the whiskers just down to the surface of the skin, not under, thus, no bumps or ingrowns.

Hope this helps.

 

Hi Hirsute and welcome to TSD. I too am really prone to razor bumps and such and have definitely found relief in the DE razor. There's a learning curve not just for avoiding cuts and irritation but also in finding what works best for you. For bumps I'd stick with mild shavers like the Schick Krona, Gillette Tech and Superspeeds in vintage and for new the Feather Popular and Lord razors. Best of luck.. Joe...

 

Edit addition: for new there's also the Edwin Jagger razors but they're a little pricier and I'm not sure what you're budget would be...

 

Slipperyjoe, I'm willing to spend up to $50 for a nice razor--I usually prefer a quality tool--but cheaper is nice, too, if it's well made. For a newbie, would you recommend any particular Edwin Jagger? They look pretty nice!

 

Usually on the Edwin it's the 89 series. They are decent quality and are well warrantied. If you're starting out and just want to give it all a try, the Feather Popular is about 20 bucks and is also quite a decent quality razor that is very forgiving IMO.. The Feather blades though are ultra sharp so you'll need to do some testing there. I like the blades made by Lord and Derby myself...

 

Yes they are better my neck used to suffer the same fate with the cartridge offerings

as Steve said the pressure you use, and when your using a 3 blade cartridge and go over the neck area 3 times thats really 9, where as with a DE 3 passes really is a blade passing over that area 3 times and with less pressure.
now I end up rubbing my neck thinking that feels great rather than rubbing my neck thinking what happend.

The Edwin Jagger DE89L is well within your budget it looks great and shaves great. Buy a blade sampler pack (check out THE SHAVE DEN STORE), as blades vary from person to person

 

Thanks for sharing your experience, and also for the tips alpla444!

 

The Lord Premium (L6) has a head which is very similar to the EJ. I have used it and it is an excellent razor. Not finished as well as the EJ....but equally as functional and a great shaver for very little outlay. Oh and by the way

 

One blade whether it be a Double Edge, Single Edge or Injector is better.

 

+1 to this the updated L6 the umm L1822 yaadaa yaadaa was a great starting point and at about ten dollars with shipping was just enough to get the feel for a de and weather I really would like it . not to mild deff not to agressive just a nice middle of the road, with out shelling out Merkur money

I think it should be pointed out alot of people are put off by the idea of used razors until they get to know more about vintage and how to `sanitize` them.

My father swore up and down that he`d never use a used razor so i bought him an L6 but he`s starting to ask about where to aquire gellitte slims after a just over a month with the L6.

 

Welcome to TSD!

I think Steve (Swarden) explained how DE tend to be better for razor bumps and ingrowns quite well.

I'd definitely recommend an EJ razor. I have the D86, which is a lower priced model. I typically prefer vintage razors, but the EJ certainly deserve to be an exception and is one of my overall favorites.

 

I have an L6 as well, and it is amazing compared to my Gillette Fusion cartridge. Even bought the proglides, still had irritation and occasional cuts. I hardly ever get cuts and only have minor irritation with my L6 and a nice lather of shaving soap. And it costs me WAY less.

 

I think that, with practice, a DE will give you a better, gentler shave, but you'd have to try it and see. There are a few guys who go back to carts, however, so YMMV does apply.

 

DE shaving helped me a lot. But I was getting improvements just by switching to a brush and soap.

 

Ingrown hairs, razor bumps is the main reason I switched to DE shaving. And it has made a huge difference! As explained by above responses.

 

Welcome to TSD!

 

Welcome!! I have the same problems with multi-blade razors so I went to electrics for years except for occasional return to carts when I bought into the hype on the newest ones, same problems and back the electric. Since I started with DEs except for razor burn (my fault) no ingrown hairs or bumps.

 

EJ's are well loved by many but IMHO a Lord L6 is also a very nice starting point for minimal cost as are most common older Gillettes.