Ok guys and gals, here is my first question. Why does my face hurt after wet shaving? So I know that there is a learning process involved but it's not as if I am butchering my face while shaving. I have enough wits about me to not cause a bloody massacre. So I was never given a formal lesson on shaving. And having been military, I had a tremendous amount of shaving exposure under my belt. I always used traditional cartridge razors. I always felt as if there was something that could do just a little bit more for me though. The razor I have used the most has been the gillete fusion. I stopped using because of the price and how much I stand against corporate America. There is no reason those razors should cost that much. Anyhow, anytime I would use one of those cartridges, only on the first shave of the blade, I would get a shave that I particularly was happy with. Second day on that same cartridge was significantly worse. No need to mention 3. Or during deployments, 5th, 6th, or 7th pass with one. I did enjoy that first shave because of how smooth my skin felt. What I didn't like was that my face still had a shadow to it. I could look close in the mirror and still see the heads of all my whiskers. Inspections were so annoying because I usually had my chief or first class say something about my shave, then rub my face to feel it, only to then excuse my shave. I just have SUPER dark facial hair, fairly thick, and light skin. I do believe my skin is sensitive. I get constant shave bumps, ingrown hairs, and several nicks if not using a new blade. So being that I didn't have a proper shave lesson, I have learned the hard way. I have shaved with shave cream and without. I have shaved with thin lathers and thick lathers. I have shaved with creams that don't lather (worst thing ever). I have used after with and without alcohol and not used aftershave. And what I have done the most is shave in the shower. Ironic how this seems to give me the most dry shave while I am under running water. I have always looked for products that claim to be for sensitive skin and haven't been able to tell a difference from the regular ones. Typically, the only way to keep a healthy looking face for me is to shave with a brand new cartridge or disposable razor, let my fuzz grow out for 3 days, tell myself I enjoy the scruff, and then shave again with a brand new razor. That is what has led me here. I need help from the pros. I have watched countless videos on youtube to include tutorials and product reveiws. I found myself really enjoying a channel by Nick Shaves. I am super optimistic that wet shaving is the way to go. I have already found that I am truly getting a closer shave but I am still getting some damage done to my skin. Not bad damage but I still have some shave bumps which almost seem to be permanent which will always bleed when I shave. I get 3 nicks in the exact same spot every time. I find that a third pass has my skin feeling pretty upset but 2 passes don't seem to be enough unless I do WTG and then ATG. I have ALWAYS shaved against the grain simply because of how thick and dark my facial hair is. Get this, some patches on my mustache are so damn thick that they cannot sit in any direction and only grow outward. So naturally I pluck these. Thats not it though. Oooo I am getting chills thinking about those bad boys. When I pull these bugers out, my pores bleed! Yes they are so thick that upon pulling those specific ones out I will bleed. My mustache area tends to not like repetetive passes either. So to conclude things, I think I am getting the hang of it. Doesn't actually seem all too hard. I have minimal nicks. A couple hours after I shave, my face does feel like it has been repeatedly slapped (not that I know that feeling ). The aftershave balm I am using is a Loreal post shave balm for sensitive skin. I am half tempted to think this is causing me some burning sensation when I have my head down and my neck skin makes contact. The Van Der Hagen soap I am using seems to be a bit too dry for me. I cannot make any strokes without a lather because my face is far too dry so I am looking at trying a different soap or adding a preshave oil. The brush seems to be working fine for me but does seem to shed a lot. Wow, I just realized how long this is. Better stop here. Just hope I can get my face to stop hurting. Thanks in advance. And thanks for such an awesome welcome.
More than likely too much pressure, but it could be: Poor prep Poor lather Razor too agressive Not a good blade for you (get a sample pack) Not lathering between passes Too many passes That ATG may not be good for you Trying to take it all off in one pass - think reduction with each pass Going over the same area too much Too much scrubbing with brush Exfoliating prior to the shave - a sharp blade will exfoliate all you need Some things to think about. Hang in there. You'll get it! Keep asking questions and we'll keep trying to help.
Manny, I'm bummed out that you are going through this! Please tell us what gear you are using, and how you go about your shave. I.e. Shower, prep, soap, brush, razor, blade, passes, post shave, etc. also come join us in the 30 day focus group! . It's right HERE Kerry
Yup. And trying to get that BBS (baby butt smooth) every time. Don't chase the baby, let the baby come to you.
Welcome to TSD! You will find lots of good advice here, some of which has already been given. Your skin may also take a little time to adjust to a new routine. As Kerry says, join us on the 30 day thread. We love to work on technique there, and this really helped improve my shaves.
welcome and thank you for your service! it sounds like you have some loreal and vdh supplies. as kerry mentioned, tell us about the rest of your gear. pressure and proper angle were the two bigs keys for me about a year ago. once i got those two under control, i was off to the races! it'll only get better ...
I noticed you said that you cannot make any strokes without the lather. In all honesty the blade probably shouldn't touch your skin anywhere where there isn't lather. Sounds like your getting some razor burn probably due to too much pressure or incorrect blade angle as others have said, coming from cartridge shaving this is one of the toughest lesions to learn. Once you get it right it should feel like the blade is gliding through the wiskers effortlessly. I look forward to hearing about your journey and how it is improving!
all good advice my first thought some men just have blue face. even after a great shave. it's a manly feature, be happy( no other alternative). but secondly, the best shave equipment and technique are not much good without good preparation. try this, wash your face with warm tap water and a facial soap and a washcloth.(I use nuetrogena or Nivea). wet, hold the washcloth to your face to let the warm water soak in, rub the soap on, wipe off with the washcloth, rinse. remember light pressure, take stubble off in passes. then look for an after product with witch hazel in it. good luck, let us know your progress.
Thanks for the reply. While they are all valid concerns, I have watched hours upon hours of youtube videos on this stuff. As for the lather, I think I may keep trying to lather it better even after it has lathered to its max but legitimate concern. For prep, I shower right before shaving: Always! Aggressive razor- I am having a hard time figuring out what my skin needs whether it be an aggressive razor or something more smooth. I think the same about the blades. I have some sitting in my cart on Amazon which I wish to try. They are called, I believe, persona blue. I do lather between passes. I splash more water on my face and relather. Too many passes- possibly. I have a bad habit of doing so. I will be more consciencious of this next time because I do believe this to be the root problem. ATG is the only way I get a super close shave. I do however, have yet to go ATG with the safety razor. I have been doing WTG, and then 2 XTG both left and right. I do tend to really work that lather in with the brush. I didn't believe this could cause any damage and doesn't immediately feel like it but I do make sure I really work that lather in with the brush. I am very guilty of exfoliating. I shall stop. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the reply. I just figured that it may take my skin some time to get used to a new style of shaving especially since I do not shave every single day anymore, like I am accustomed to. I shower before each and every shave. My skin is far too sensitive to get the shower hot enough to steam so its more of a warm shower. I exfoliate my face twice a week, which I will stop based on an above comment. I use the Van Der Hagen kit with the boar brush and the included soap. I do believe that soap is too dry for me. I have been doing 3 passes: WTG, and 2 XTG both left and right. I have yet to go ATG with the safety razor but ATG is all I ever did with other razors. I just reread my above post and I see how that may be misleading with the direction I shave. When I posted about ATG, I meant with traditional cartridges. I read about the 30 day focus group. I have no choice but to do so to be hones because all I have is 1 single brand of anything. Thanks for the input. You guys really make me feel at home already.
If it's any consolation I had a similar sensation of "face hurting" after my first few DE shaves. But it went away pretty quickly. I attributed that feeling to pressure problems (too much) and indecent lather. I have improved my razor and lathering skills since then (two months ago today was my first DE shave) and I haven't experienced that feeling again. The razor pressure has to be very, very light. Little to no pressure was my mantra. I still have to remind myself about pressure, especially when I get around my chin and jaw line. Practice and repetition will help. I practiced lathers and built them on my hand to simulate a face lather (ala Nick Shaves) and that really helped. As Kerry said, please join us on the 30-day focus thread. I think you will find a warm welcome here and lots of tremendous and helpful advice!
Thanks Swarden and Norcalnewb for the input. I will join you guys in the 30 day group being that I have no option but to use the same stuff I have for 30 days because I do not have anything else haha. I mentioned the rest of my gear above. Now the pressure seems to be a key point. Every single tutorial video I watched made sure to mention to not apply too much pressure. Being the cautious man that I am, I think that at first I may have even been resisting the weight of the razor. I felt that I was actually raising the blade a bit and not allowing it to just rest on my skin. So while I do believe this to be a legitimate concern and a cause, I almost feel as if the pressure may have been one of the first things that I got right. I later allowed the razor to use its own weight and added no pressure or resistance and actually started hearing the whiskers being chopped and hacked. Now the angle, I fear that may be a different story. I focus a lot on the angle and find that I have to take s slight break here and there, for a few seconds, to again notice my angle and restart. This at first caused me to be really slow which was not working out either. I am not using steady and consistent swipes and it is working much better. Thanks for the input.
Thanks so much for your comments. i feel that perhaps all is leading to my angle being the issue. First time around I was in fact stroking where no lather was. I stopped this mainly due to the dryness but also because I noticed the instant irritation and lack of cutting. I am glad you pointed that out. I am almost certain that I am not applying too much pressure but I refuse to rule that out. I am so glad you commented. Thanks again.
Thanks for the response. I will look for hazel in the ingredients lists from now on. I like your advice and I will use it if ever I do not plan on showering before shaving but normally, I always shower first. Gorgo2, I love a good sense of humor. PLAia, thanks a bunch for your response. I will focus even more on the pressure I use and do my best to only allow the weight of the blade to do the job. I also practice the lather on my arm. Is it weird that I find this fun? My 4 year old son loves watching me so I will also apply the lather to his face and allow him to shave. No worries, he has a spiderman shave kit and brush which has no blade in it. All good advice. Thanks to everyone who commented. Like mentioned above, you guys make me feel very welcome.
Like I said, that was just a list of "could be." Sounds like you're evaluating everything pretty good!
Welcome, and let us help you do it yourself! ( Sorry Home Depot, I borrowed that) Those cartridge razors you used to use were meant to be pressed to your face to make blade contact. Assuming you are using a Double Edge (DE) razor you only need to think about removing the lather. The whiskers will take care of themselves. The angle you hold your razor to your face may be different, also. I've heard said it takes 100 shaves to understand what you're doing wrong. By then you will be developing correct techniques, and better know how to use the gear you own. These are the learning days. It's going to get better. One day you will pick up your Newbie gear and shave again, but with better results. For a little while you might concentrate on the places you can successfully comfortably shave using your new gear. Use that cartridge for those difficult areas. So share a list of your gear. Tell us how you are using it. And join Kerry in the 30 day focus group. No one here is too old or young to learn something new.
Ok so as for gear, like stated above, I am using the Van Der Hagen Shave kit. The kit included the boar brush, apothecary mug, stand, and soap. I also have a butterfly Van Der Hagen DE razor. The blades are the included Van Der Hagen blades. For aftershave, I use loreal after shave balm. That's about it. I did also receive the Van Der Hagen shaving butter but tried it once and hated it. That stuff is more like lotion than shaving cream. It's horrible. It wont even lather.
Patience, it takes time but things will get better. Don't try to do everything at once, keep things as simple as possible and assess what works then build on that. More and better prep would be a good starting point since you mention good results when showering. As previously suggested, a warm or hot towel held to the face workd well. Think in terms of minutes. Don't think in terms of getting z close shave, work at getting a good shave, close can come later when your face doesn't hurt. Shave prep starts as soon as your shave ends. Try shea butter, cocoa butter, anything that will maintain moisture in your skin, this will give you a Headstart on your next shave.
