Hey all, I am a new member and new wet shaver (couple of months under my belt) and in need of some help. Since starting, I have been using a EJ 89 with Derby/Astra blades, Proraso Sensitive Skin, and finishing with Jack Black AS. I also use good quality washes in the shower prior to shaving. I started wet shaving as a potential solution to ingrown hairs/foliculitis. When I first started I thought I noticed an improvement, but now I don't see it. My question is what can I do to help minimize, prevent, or treat these issues. I have combed the site and looked at other posts for help. Are there other products, techniques, etc. I should try? I also have acne prone skin. Thx Scott
I have acne prone skin as well, Thayer's Witch Hazel has been the best product for me. I don't get ingrown hairs much at all so can't really help on that. Have you seen this video?
I dealt with ingrown hairs/red bumps my whole shaving life until I started DE wetshaving. This is what works for me: I shave every day. One source of ingrown hairs is the hair grows, curls, makes a u-trun, presses on the skin and then grows back into the skin. Shave everyday to keep the whisker from growing and pressing on your skin. The benefit is you get to shave everyday! Face lather every night before bed! The action of the brush helps lift the whiskers out of the skin. I do this every night as a pre-shave prep for the next morning. I use an inexpensive soap such as VDH deluxe or Clearly Natural. I follow this with a splash of witch hazel. I Exclusively face lather. Again, the action of the brush lifts whiskers, making them easier to cut at the skin level. Do not strectch the skin! I flatten certain areas, but never stretch. for me stretching leads to ingrown hairs and red bumps. Pressure. This is where my opinion vastly differs from the majority and where YMMV! I use pressure. The razor should rest against the skin and be applied so as to cut the whisker, not tug it. It has to be a clean cut. No pressure results in the whisker being pulled and/or tugged. Carts cause ingrown hairs because they are dull, the first blade pulls the hair out, the second cuts the hair, and the whisker then recedes beneath the skin, only to become ingrown. It takes enough pressure so as to cut and not tug. No south to north passes. 3 passes on the cheeks and 1 on the neck. this works for me. Again, YMMV. Post shave treatment. Use witch hazel. I can now use splashes daily and balm once a week. Try TSD splashes as they are awesome! Sharp blades! Again, cut, not pull or tug! I use a blade for only 3 shaves. Adjustable razors. I like adjustable razors as they can be opened to allow for cutting. Agressive razors and settings seem to work best. Fits in with my theory of cutting and not tugging. Soaps and creams. Use anything that is very, very slick. My issue has never been influenced by scent so I can use just about any fragrance, but stay away from anyting that burns your skin. I use soft soaps, creams, melt and pour soaps, and tallow soaps without any problems. My experience is to cut the hair withour tugging to prevent historesis. I hope this helps. Again, YMMV. After 29 years of cart shaving I found de shaving and a little over a week thereafter kissed my ingrowns and bumps goodbye!
Okay guys thanks for the interest in my post.... lemme get some clarity here. First, I have heard great things about witch hazel (Thayer's in particular), but should I use alcohol or alcohol free? Weishi Warrior mentioned very slick surface, does pre shave oil help? Also, I have read that some essential oils, teas tree in particular help, thoughts?
Alcohol or alcohol free is up to you. Some folks will say the alcohol dries your face. I've been using alcohol based aftershaves for 35-some-odd years and I've had no issues. I use a pre-shave oil and I like it. It does seem to give a bit smoother shave, for me anyways. Easy enough to make your own ---> *click here* I used just olive oil and castor oil and it worked just as well as the Art of Shaving stuff. As for essential oils, Google came up with this chart. My disclaimer - I have no idea if what they say is true or not.
Thanks for the great info Swarden43. Sounds like I may try some form of oil out. I'll probably experiment with some tea tree, as it may help with acne spots.
Tea tree has antiseptic properties, so it could help. But it has a strong aroma, so just use a little.
A lot of good advice here. I personally have found that using too many products for a shave is pretty bad for me. I gave up pre shave oil and ASB. I think balms clog my pores, so I use a little bit of witch hazel and a splash. Everyone's face is different. Once you find what works for you, your efforts will be worth it.
I got some Thayer's the other day (lavevendar) and have used it once after a shave. It is very light and feels nice after a shave, but I think its too early to tell it's effectiveness. I picked up some essential oils today and plan on making my own PSO tonight based on the recipe from swarden43. I'll let ya'll know.
I decided to use 3 0z. jojoba, 1 oz. castor, and 10cc tea tree. Whadya think? Any special instructions for application?
I just pour a bit I to my left palm, dab my right index finger into it, then rub into my beard. Doesn't need to be complicated. Oh, and my face is dry. Some may prefer having their face wet, but it's your shave, enjoy it your way.
Right out of the shower, wet face and all, I pump a nickel-sized dab into one palm, rub hands together lightly and rub it generously about the jaw, chin and throat, particularly those 'tough' areas. You may then want to wash & dry your hands before grabbing your brush. I'm glad I went with the pump bottle—so convenient.
Good idea HolyRollah. I tried the oil for the first time on Monday night with my face dry (but after the shower) with ok results. I think it decreases the lubricity by putting it on dry skin, as I felt the soap lost some slickness. I will try tonight with wet face right out of the shower and see. Pump is probably a good idea, I got a glass medicine style dropper.
I do pretty much the exact same thing. Too funny. I typically rub the preshave oil in my hands to heat it up a little bit. It feels really good.
It seems to me, the root (no pun intended) of this problem is basically hairs that emerge from the skin surface only slightly before they begin to curl and reverse direction. I wondered what in the world would naturally cause hairs to curl so severely. Because ingrown hair problems seem to be a fairly common malady seen in threads here, I decided to do some very basic research. I checked out WebMD and few other medical websites, and found some pretty interesting stuff. I'll not get into all the chemical, medical, scientific mumbo-jumbo, but here's what I found. Stated very briefly, curly hair has many natural sulfur molecule bonds. As the hair physically curls, movement of natural oil up the hair shaft is hindered. Curly hair usually lacks moisture as well, and can even become brittle. I investigated further, and found: Washing your beard hair or shaving with a sulfur rich soap will only add sulfur molecule bonds, and promote beard hair curl. You may want to consider washing your beard with a soap that contains zero sulfur, sulfide, or sulfates. Check the labels of the soaps that you are using and see if there are any such ingredients. I did some searching, and a good shave soap without any sulfur content in it's listing is JoAnna's Shave Den Lanolin Soap. I'm sure there are others too, but JoAnna can probably give the you the details on her soap and she is easy to contact. Moisturizing your beard area regularly may help. Good moisturizers for hair are vegetable glycerin, Aloe Vera, Avocado oil, Jojoba oil, and Shea butter. Be sure to test a small area of your skin before going all-in with any of these. You may be sensitive. I hope some of this information may be of help.
