Please help! My face is destroyed :(

Hey guys,

I began DE shaving about 3 weeks ago. I am beginning to get very close to giving up now because my face has never been this sore in my life. I used to shave with a Gillette fusion and crappy generic brand shaving foam and I could easily go WTG, XTG and ATG all over my face without a problem. Since switching to a DE, my neck directly under my chin and my top lip are so sensitive on my ATG pass. I am currently sitting here after just spending 10 mins trying to stop all the bleeding spots. If I go WTG and XTG I will be fine and have no bleeding spots at all, but my shave will not be that smooth (Girlfriend likes me to be close to or BBS as she dislikes the feel of stubble). When I go for the ATG pass under the neck, it feels like I am scraping the skin and hair off and it hurts a lot - there is a lot of resistance when I am moving the razor. Once I finish loads of tiny little blood spots appear where I have shaved and I am plunged into a world of pain for the next few hours. The same thing sometimes happens with my upper lip although this is not every time.

I don't know what i'm doing wrong. I have watched many videos (mantic59 etc.) and I think im doing everything right. I'm just starting to get a little despondent now. I didn't think my skin was sensitive until I started DE shaving as I could go in every direction imaginable with the Gillette cartridge and have no irritation. I love the process of DE shaving and the results when the rash goes away but it is beginning to get too much to have a sore face all the time, it looks and feels horrible.

I currently shave 3 times a week and here is what I use:

• Proraso pre shave cream for sensitive skin.
• Taylor of old bond street sandalwood shaving cream.
• Taylor of old bond street badger brush.
• Jagen David DE razor.
• Feather Hi Stainless Blades (I have also tried astra blades, but same problem).
• Nivea for men cooling after shave balm.
• Alum matchsticks.

I have considered switching to a muhle r89 but I am not sure if this will make any difference. I have tried both hot and cold water shaves and this does not make any difference. I usually take a hot shower before.

If anyone could help that would be great, I really don't understand why this is happening.

Thanks,

George

 

Welcome George! I wouldnt go ATG quite yet, not until your technique improves. The neck is an issue for most shavers when ATG is tried. Take it slow and easy. Sign up for the Newbie Give-Away HERE you might want to try some other blades, Feathers are very sharp, this could be an issue also. Work on you technique, pressure, building a stable lather, stay away from ATG for now.

 

Hi and thanks for your reply

So do you think I should just do WTG and XTG for maybe a month or something? How will I know if my technique is improving and are there some things I can do to practice improving it?
Also will my skin adjust to the process of DE shaving and 'toughen up', therefore making ATG easier or is it purely a matter of technique?

I would sign up for the giveaway but it looks like everything is in $ and I am in the UK so shipping things over might be awkward. Thanks all the same though!

 

Welcome!

Here's the thing: If you try to get a BBS every time because your girlfriend likes it, you are going to end up with a butchered face. If your girlfriend liked a guy with fresh buckshot wounds in his feet, would you shoot yourself in the foot for her every day? Of course not, so stop butchering your face for her.

If you've decided that ATG is where you're failing, STOP DOING ATG. I can't stress that enough. Watch all the videos you want online, but those videos DO NOT HAVE YOUR SAME SKIN AND BEARD GROWTH.

When I started wet shaving, I had no good luck. I butchered myself trying to shave "like you're supposed to". Then I learned there's no such thing. Every face is different and while some things are common, we still do it in our own way. I stopped trying to do WTG and AGT on my neck, and would just go North/South on it and my shave quickly becaome a DFS that nets me MANY BBS or 98% of BBS most of the time.

So, no pressure, concentrate on learning how to shave your trouble areas because what you're doing now isn't right, and tell the girl she's going to have to stand down for a bit.

 

Thanks for that, I'm going to tell her she just has to deal with it while I learn better and back off the butchering for a while as you say.
Maybe my face isn't meant for ATG I don't know, I think I will stick with WTG and XTG for a while to refine my technique, if my face doesn't like ATG then maybe I could find an angle that my face does find agreeable and also gives me smooth skin like you're describing.

I did think that maybe a two pass shave will be better once my technique improves - at the moment the two passes leave my face still feeling reasonably rough.

Do you think maybe the cheap razor I have may have some contribution to it? It was only about £7 pounds but I don't know whether a muhle or merkur would treat my face better.

 

Yes, do a 3 pass shave. Map out your beard growth, and go from there. Do not shave ATG for now. You'll know when your technique is improving when shaving becomes like it is when you shave with a cartridge. Smooth. Irritation free. Fun.

 

Check out Edwin Jagger DE89

 

Thanks, this has reassured me a bit. I was starting to feel close to giving up but its nice to be able to talk to people who can actually give good advice.

Thanks, I'll try one of these on your recommendation - the price is very reasonable.

 

I harp on about it but try a Lord L6 razor and get a few different blades, feather are probably not the best to start with. The L6 looks like it's £6.65 on amazon.co.uk and in my experience is very forgiving and gives a great shave. Maybe look at the Russian made blades, I like Voskhod and others seem to have generally very good experiences with others like Rapira.

 

I have tried with Astras also - the feathers were definitely better and they do leave the rest of my face feeling amazing. I was thinking of buying one of those sampler packs you can get with different kinds of blades so I might get one of those with some other brands in it - i'll check out the razor also thanks.

 

It's all about angle. IMHO you may be holding the razor at too steep an angle, scraping across your face rather than sliding.

The other thing I had to learn is knowing when "enough is enough". I mean when to stop pursuing the perfect shave. At the beginning I had a lot of irritation until I figured this concept out.

 

This occured to me as well - I have tried varying it a bit but it still seems to hurt just the same, I do think my angle could do with a bit of refining though.

 

Hang in there. I started last April and it took a while to get the hang of things. Also remember, unlike cartridge razors, DE razors require NO pressure on your part. The weight of the razor is enough.

 

Thanks I'll stick with it. Yeah I have to keep reminding myself of this as I can get into autopilot sometimes and start applying pressure. I am getting better with this now though through practice

 

I switched from 35 years of electric shaving. Imagine the learning curve I had! My face now feels better than it ever did with an electric.

 

Firstly, welcome to The Shave Den George.
Aside from being tremendous enablers, we're here to help, so you've come to the right place.
I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties, but fret not, you will conquer this trouble.
It looks like your gear is fine, so I don't think you've got any trouble in that department.
I wouldn't consider buying a different razor at this time, you just need a bit of coaching.

There are a couple of things you must keep in mind as a new DE shaver.
Cart/disposable razors require that you press them against your face in order to cut whiskers,
and DE razors demand just the opposite. The weight of the razor itself is sufficient.
The problem you are describing is common among new DE shavers, and I had the same problem
when I started. It was caused by my pressing on razor excessively. I didn't think I was doing this,
but I was. The evidence of it is just what you describe, hamburger face.

So what to do?
First, lay off shaving for a few days and allow yourself some time to heal.
Next, when you are ready to have another go, here's what worked for me.
Keep in mind that pressing on that razor is an engrained habit for you,(as it was for me)
and you are going to need to devote some serious thought, and deliberate effort to overcome
that habit.

Next, slow down. After using cart razors for a while, most of us speed up.
Some of us really speed up. When you are new to the DE razor, this is bad.
So put yourself in first gear, and slow down. Also, you need quiet. Really.
You need quiet so you can listen to the razor as it cuts your whiskers.
Turn off the fan, the radio, your phone, or whatever is making noise.

The next part applies whether you shower immediately before your shave, or at some other time.

Wash your face using warm water, (not hot) and a mild face soap or your shaving soap.
If you use a cloth, use it gently. Don't scrub.
Rinse the soap from your face completely, and pat dry gently.(again, don't rub or scrub)

Now lather up. Don't be afraid of using too much soap or crème. You'll see videos where
some dude just touches the brush tips on the crème once or twice, and then goes to his face
with it. That may be fine for him, but it isn't for you. That crème prepares your whiskers
for cutting, and it also provides protection and cushion for the blade you are about to run
across your skin. Use plenty. You aren't wasting anything. You are learning.

Once you are well lathered, place the razor against your cheek with the handle nearly parallel
to the floor. This actually puts the top cap of the razor against your cheek, and not the blade.
Now, move the razor down your cheek slowly, and at the same time begin to move the handle
inward, closer to your skin. Now is when you need to listen. At some point, the blade will begin
to contact your skin and remove whiskers. This is the angle you need to recognize, and learn to
maintain. The only way to do this is with practice. The more you do this, the sooner you will
develop muscle memory, and after a time, it will become second nature.
Remember, NO pressing on the razor. Let the weight of the razor itself do the work.
Keep a slow pace, and listen. I think you'll find that you'll get a good reduction of stubble
without any irritation if you maintain this pace and method.
Once you've completed the first pass, rinse well, and lather up for pass #2.
Remember, slow and steady, and no pressure on the razor.
You have to think about it, and maintain control.

Another important thing to remember is that you are not likely to achieve baby butt smooth
shaves for some time. If you insist on being BBS smooth right now, you are sure to be irritated too.
You can achieve BBS shaves with the DE, but they will come as you gain experience and mastery
of the tools. So, don't chase the baby. Let the baby come to you.

Don't forget the post shave treatment. The Nivea you listed is good stuff, and it is necessary.

We wish you good shaves George, and hopefully I've been of some help.
Do come back and let us know how you are progressing.

Best wishes,

and Happy Shaving!!

 

Glad that you landed here at TSD. Forget about BBS until you improve your technique. No ATG for now. Light touch, no pressure. Shaving with a cartridge razor is very different, especially with pressure. Forget pressure. Best shaves to you, bro.
Join us on The Shave of the Day thread. It is fun, and you will see all kinds of products.
And please Mark YOUR location on the TSD map - instructions here.

 

Don't feel pressured to do ATG. If WTG and XTG are working for you , build off of that. Try a third pass that is WTG, XTG, or XTG the other direction. Too many people (me included) rush into ATG. I would also not suggest a new razor, technique trumps tools, so why spend money if you don't need to.

 

ATG on top lip is still tricky for me, but only been DE shaving for 5 1/2 months. As @kurtmill stated I do WTG and then XTG on top lip in 2 directions, from corner of mouth to under nose, and under nose out to corner of mouth. I seem to achieve DFS regularly with a BBS thrown in when the stars align...

 

I don't know anything about the razor you have. The Edwin Jagger mentioned is good quality and may help. I definitely think Feather blades are too sharp to learn with. I like Astra SP, but I see you tried them. ATG requires an even shallower angle than WTG or XTG. If it were I that was learning, I would learn those two first.
Disclaimer: much of this is anecdotal and based on my own experience and others'experience that I've read. RMV (I really think this will catch on.)