I found I can only do a one pass shave on my neck, because of irritation. But, your problems with bleeding sound like too much pressure and possible poor razor angle. Also, is your soap slick enough? This could cause irritation and razor skipping, which could cause nicks. Test your lather by putting the lather between your fingers and rub. It should feel slick, even with moderate pressure. Also try swiping your finger across your face after lathering, with pressure. It should feel slick. If your lather isn't slick, add more soap. Remember, fluffy lather doesn't necessarily mean a good lather. Also, since you are just starting out with DE razors, use short very light strokes. Almost so light their are hardly pushing on the skin. Good luck, a let us know how our advice helps, or doesn't help. .
So true. Most thick, dense, fluffy lather tends to be dry. I would much rather have a thinner, wetter lather; they tend to be slicker.
I'm just about a few months in DE shaving and I've learned a lot in that time. I think that I'm about halfway through my 30 focus period, which I extended because I ended up changing razors part of the way through. As per the earlier suggestions in this thread, I definitely recommend following the 30 day rule yourself. Pick one razor, one soap, one blade, etc. and stick to the same exact tools during this period, focusing only on improving your technique. My neck is still a problem area for me too. In fact, it's pretty much my only major problem area at this point. Here are my biggest takeaways, some of which don't pertain specifically to the neck but which will nonetheless help you out: Do not aim for a BBS (baby butt smooth) shave. Go for a comfortable shave and accept that closer shaves will come in due time. Do not make dry passes or dry touch ups. Always re-lather any patch of skin over which you plan to run the razor. Stick to going with the grain for now and if you can, limit your neck to 1 pass, maybe 2 passes tops. You already noted this yourself but stretching the skin can help quite a bit. Mind your blade angle! Do a search for "DE blade angle" and one of the first results should be a very informative guide to blade angles. Lastly and perhaps most importantly: ZERO pressure. Many suggest letting "the weight of the razor" do the work but I take it a step further and just barely let the razor glide over my skin. Even letting the weight of the razor do the work is enough to give me razor burn so I ease up as much as possible. You can modify these suggestions to find what works best for you. The one absolute truth seems to be that everyone responds differently to different techniques, so you have to tailor your routine to fit your skin and your beard type. There's a lot more advice waiting for you if you still need it, courtesy of the many wonderful people who helped me out when I was starting. Personally I also find that moisturizing my skin before a shave helps tremendously so I apply a preshave cream or balm before lathering up, although the majority of people seem to avoid preshaves altogether, opting only for a hot shower and a splash of water.
There has been lots of good advice given already, so I will just extend a welcome! Also, I can only go with the grain on my neck. I perform 3 passes and that gets it close enough for me. Sent from my Galaxy S6 using Tapatalk
<<<<< case in point. I don't shave against the grain. If I do, I pay for it two days later with such severe ingrown hairs that I'm unable to shave for three or four days afterwards. The next and last time I will shave against the grain will be for my wedding...and that only because I don't leave for the honeymoon until the week after. ^^^ that.
I can do against the grain, but never on the neck. Only one pass on the neck. Any more passes on the neck and I get ingrown hairs.
My neck has always been a problem for me. But recently after getting a Fatboy and pairing it with Russian blades, for some reason this has helped out a lot. Maybe because of the added weight over my Slim and Black Beauty. Schick injectors also shave the neck better, but with a bit of touch up. Of course, that's just what works for me.
Welcome! Well it seems like you did your research and got your gear right. Keep experimenting with blades until you find the ones your face likes. I like the Astra. My neck is sensitive as well so I have to be careful there. If the blade is new go easy, with grain or across, light pressure. Usually my second shave with a new blade is the best I can go over problem areas a little more with less irritation. Usually after the 3rd shave I change. (one blade a week about as I do not shave every day) Keep working on it and it will come. Don't go against the grain until the last pass or never if your too sensitive.
Welcome to TSD. Plenty of sound advice above, I'd recommend your face should be dripping wet when you apply your lather, don't dry it first. Use only enough pressure to guide the razor, it's a great temptation to "dig in" for a closer shave. Remember you're trying to reduce the beard in several subsequent passes, not mow them all off in one. If none of the above works, many members recommend cold shaving to reduce irritation. Good luck, keep at it, don't get discouraged. It will all fall into place. Regards, Chris
