Hi guys, new to this whole thing. A bit of background then a question. I started shaving with a cartridge razor and canned shave cream years ago and had horrifying results, then switched to an electric razor with canned cream and results improved. But as I really wanted to get a proper smooth shave I started researching and that's when I came across the safety razor, something I had never considered nor did I know even still existed. So I got myself a micro touch one safety razor, proraso white soap and an Edwin Jagger boar hair brush and results have improved again, but I still do get some irritation and I expect this will be the case until I really get to know my hair growth and how to shave it. So my question is, irritation for me is inevitable, what can I do to ease it once it has set it. I'm using a razor relief balm from the body shop which is really the only thing that works at all that I've tried. Thanks in advance
Really? I thought that would be counter productive to the whole 'pores open' thing but I'll definitely give it a shot. Do I soak my brush in cold water too?
to TSD "leigh44" First off I think its way too early in your "traditional" shaving experience to feel irritation is inevitable. There are a number of products and/or techniques that may work for you including cold water shaving(many shavers swear by it as an irritation reliever). A good preshave routine can also help relieve/eliminate irritation to a "VERY" large degree! You will need to try different products and techniques however to see what works best for you. Also don't discount the value of "Time". Many things will change "usually for the better" the longer you practice "traditional" shaving. One of the first things I'd suggest is to get a large blade sampler pack. Different blades can shave you differently and with varying degrees of comfort or irritation and as a general rule "the more blades you try the better". Even using a different type of razor can help. Many people find heavier is better. I'm not very familiar with the micro touch isn't that a Gillette SuperSpeed TTO clone? You may want to try a nice 3 piece razor like an EJ89, Merkur, Cadet, Sabi, Parker etc.
Welcome leigh44! Prepare yourself for many contradictory recommendations. Guess what? Some of the ideas may work for you, but some may just not work at all on your face. Some of us zealots will insist that we know the way to shaving nirvana, but your face will guide you. Keep a firm grip on your wallet and don't try to purchase everything suggested. Don't worry, if today's shave isn't that great, you get to try again tomorrow.
use very light pressure and carefully follow the grain of your beard. this will do more than any product can to avoid irritation. find a soap/cream you like and experiment with different blades.
First: Welcome! Pores don't really open or close with heat or cold. Pores don't have muscles to do that. It's a myth. Google it. A cold water shave will help irritation. Another suggestion is to make sure you are using no pressure and letting gravity drag the razor down your face. Think of the razor gliding down your skin, not into your skin. Also, get a blade sampler pack. The blades that come with that razor give me razor burn too, and there are a lot of better blades out there that may help.
Welcome. I can't comment on the One Touch, but if memory serves, the included blades are Dorco. I personally do not like the Dorco blades as I found them to be "tuggy". A sampler of different blades is in order. Definitely you want to "map" your beard growth (grain) on the neck and perhaps avoid against the grain until your technique improves. Avoid more than two passes as well. Remember even though you may feel stubble, it's probably not visible. If you keep going over the same area, you're going to get irritation. Now my personal favorite bit of advice, make sure you can hear the blade cutting through the beard. Aural feedback is important. Turn the vent fan off. Again welcome.
Welcome to the Den! The three most important things for curing my irritation when I started DE shaving were: 1) Proraso white pre shave cream 2) Cold water shaving - to answer your question, you use cold water the whole way through (wetting your face, soaking your brush, rinsing your razor). This was huge for me. 3) Beard mapping - but I learned this later. It'll take about a month for you to settle in to the shaving pocket.
Welcome to the den. Lots of great advice here, maybe too much☺. I do have one question, is there any particular place you get irritation?
Welcome to TSD! All great advice! Stick with it, it gets a whole lot better. Please sign up for the Newbie Give-Away HERE
I do, it's on the left hand side of my neck from about the midway point down to the bottom, on the outer edge furthest from the Adams apple if that makes sense. All advice has been really helpful and definitely going to invest in a blade sampler pack. Could someone recommend a good preserve oil for sensitive skin? I have looked at it but wasn't sure if it was a scam or if it really works
There are many preshave oils and all have shavers who like them. Again you really need to try them to know if they work for you. As many are costly I'd suggest starting out cheap and working your way up. I started using Jack Black and Proraso I now use Corn Huskers Lotion as a preshave, it works as well for me at least as the other two, but is a "TON" cheaper. I use Nivea post shave balm as a post shave cream..
Since you are new to the Double Edge world, here is the advice I received when I started with a DE and so I freely give it to new users. The most important things in shaving are, your skin and technique. All other things fall in line behind those two things and to support them. Since the skin is a given fixed item, the next major item is technique. It is called THE 30 DAY RULE. THE 30 DAY RULE is as follows: Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your skin (that may take a few different blades in a sampler pack to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, and it may take a couple of weeks to find this combination, order a quantity of that blade enough for 30 days, and then spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. (Note that only one brand blade is used for 30 days after each blade in the sampler pack is tested to make the decision on the blade brand to use for 30 days.) The 30 day clock starts when you have the right blade for you. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week then change another after another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place. This will help you to avoid buying too much gear and stuff too soon without having the technique down to enjoy it all. This really does work. Oh and one more thing ... Welcome to the Den. We know you'll fit right in. So grab yourself a comfy chair, and give our threads a spin! Burma Shave
