So, while my shaves (2 so far) have been more comfortable, I think was a little bit overzealous trying to get rid of everything, especially in the neck area where the hair grows in pretty much every direction. I've got a bit of razor burn on my neck, and some red bumps as well. Any tips for helping that go away?
Zero pressure. Stay wtg until you get the zero pressure concept down and then use the same zero pressure concept but atg. In the interim, go xtg instead. Also, don't mix up your setup too much early on. Try to keep the same razor, soap/cream, and blade brand. And zero pressure
Nick, here is where the temptation to start changing stuff out becomes an issue or problem for those moving into wet shaving. Bob has given some good advice and he is stating something I call the 30 day rule for beginners. Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your face (that may take a few different blades in a sampler 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, spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place. Another area that helps is remembering preparation. Apply a pre-shower rinse and an application of your lather and work this into your skin. Let sit for about 15-30 seconds and then shower as usual. This will help to soften and retain moisture in the skin. After showering, apply the lather and shave a you normally would. Also remember that using a shave balm such as Nivea after shaving and in the evening (not a shaving event) will help to comfort the skin. Hope this helps.
Some good advise there as im fairly new i found it hard to go S to N without pressure i aslo found it best not stretching the skin on my neck as this got too close and gave me a bad shave, im lucky that ive found a razor im happy with just tryin a few other blades.
If you have coarse hair I would recommend the barber shop shave prep Mantic is demonstrating, it helped me with irritation a lot . He also has a video specifically on neck shaving, check it out on youtube.
Good luck, and remember that this is a process of hair removal, don't try to get it all in one pass. This is where I really had a problem when I started. Zero pressure is important of course, but never NEVER go over and area where you've just shaved and there no lather. Remembering this rule (a little too late for me at the beginning) helped me tremendously.
Good advice from all. But since you have the razor burn, I would recommend Solarcaine to relieve it. This stuff has aloe and lidocaine which sooths and helps your neck to heal. At least it worked for me.
One other relief for razor burn is a nice witch hazel formulation. I use Dickinson's Pore Purifying (with the yellow label, available in many drug stores and big box shops). This mixture has a low alcohol content (about 15%, I believe, less than in regular witch hazel). You can splash it on or apply with a cotton ball to irritated areas, and it's very relieving, with no sting. I use it almost every day, as it keeps the skin soft. The aroma is a bit funky at first, but it fades quickly. There are also Thayer's alcohol-free with hazel formulations. They make them unscented and scented, and many contain aloe vera, which is very soothing to the irritated skin. Thayer's is a bit more difficult to find in retail stores (GNC and Whole Foods frequently carry some of their line), but it's easy to order on line from Thayer's website.
Yeah, after that Dorco blade tore up my face, I bought some Witch hazel, Generic with 14% alcohol. Did a good job of clearing up the redness.
The 2 best things that helped me to prevent razor burn are a good stiff SE blade & a super-slick shaving surface that keep the stubble well hydrated. Once I dialed that in my razor burn has disappeared. Once I had razor burn though, the 2 best things I used for t were witch hazel (plain Wally world brand) & Aqua Velva A/S. The Velva really helped even though it seemed contrary to logic given the high alcohol content. For me it was like liquid medicine.
What I've noticed is that Witch hazel works really well to reduce the redness. Once I got a bottle, I like it a lot.
Great advice for any type of troubleshooting/ process improvement. Only change one variable at a time...
I tried this from CVS. Really helps with irritation and bumps. I was talking to a friend of mine about my new "hobby" and he mentioned he uses it as well. I have not tried others yet. A little goes a long was too so the bottle lasts.
I've tried Bump Patrol, Bump Stopper, Thayers Witch Hazel without alcohol and even Aspercreme. I'm thinking the aspirin will help inflammation. Even a cold pack helps...and time away from the razor. But I'm still a Newbie at this.
