What Is The Biggest Shaving Problem You're Struggling With Right Now?

Discussion in 'Shave School' started by mantic, Dec 12, 2013.

  1. Slow Joe

    Slow Joe Relishing his obsession

    I am a newbie, I am having trouble shaving my neck without it getting red and sore afterwards. Are there any tips or tricks for shaving the neck area?
     
  2. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    How many passes are you doing? Too many could be the problem. Also, since you are new, could you be using too much pressure? Guys generally say that the neck is a sensitive area, so the last thing it needs is too much pressure.
     
    RaZorBurn123 likes this.
  3. Slow Joe

    Slow Joe Relishing his obsession

    Hi Sara, I am only doing 2 passes at the moment, until I improve my technique. You could be right about using too much pressure. I'll try and remember that for my next shave. Thanks for the advice :)
     
  4. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    No pressure is VERY important. But if you get the pressure right, and still feel irritation, you may want to scale back to one pass.
     
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  5. Slow Joe

    Slow Joe Relishing his obsession

    Thanks Sara I will try that. Does it matter which direction to shave on the neck, or do you treat it the same as the face, ie. WTG first.?
     
  6. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    WTG first, because it should be the easiest on your skin.
     
  7. Slow Joe

    Slow Joe Relishing his obsession

    I will try WTG with no pressure tomorrow. Thanks again.
     
  8. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    OK, please let us know how it goes.
     
  9. Slow Joe

    Slow Joe Relishing his obsession

    Will do :)
     
  10. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    Hey, Sara. :happy088:
     
    Sara-s likes this.
  11. Jasman

    Jasman Well-Known Member

    It may sound silly, but make sure you know what "With The Grain" actually means on your neck by mapping out your beard growth. What I originally thought of as a WTG pass on my neck was actually XTG, due to the fact the hairs on my neck don't grow in the same general direction as those on my chin and cheeks.
     
    Slow Joe and Weeper Warrior like this.
  12. Slow Joe

    Slow Joe Relishing his obsession

    Had the best shave ever thanks to Sara s and Jasman advice along with a bit of advice from Mantics videos about remembering to prep the neck properly. So I tried to remember to use less pressure and go WTG on the neck which turned out to be sideways from my throat to my neck . I was using a brand new Swedish Gillette blade ( a valentines gift from my wife) and it was the best shave ever. I only did one pass on my neck, but the end result was that the colour of my neck was the same as my face instead as looking as red as a lobster.Thanks for your great advice it made a great difference.
     
    macaronus likes this.
  13. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    So glad you got a good result! And just in time for Valentine kisses.
     
    Slow Joe likes this.
  14. Slow Joe

    Slow Joe Relishing his obsession

    Yeah, timed that well huh. Thanks again.:)
     
    Sara-s likes this.
  15. Lukas42

    Lukas42 New Member

    I joined this forum just now for the (initial) sole purpose of gaining knowledge and solutions for the pictured issue...ingrown hairs/irritation? I just shaved, and my face is on FIRE, and this is every time I shave. I've tried cheap razors, expensive razors, cheap $1 shave creams, and what I would consider expensive shave creams/lotions/oils/etc. (Art of Shaving), and the result is always the same. What am I doing wrong? image.jpg
     
    gwsmallwood likes this.
  16. CyanideMetal

    CyanideMetal Wild and crazy guy

    How would you say your pressure and angle of the razor are? Also, with your beard, it's easy to see the direction of growth. Make sure you're not shaving against the grain.
     
  17. HolyRollah

    HolyRollah BaconLord

    First thing: Do not shave until that area of inflammation heals! Continued shaving will keep it raw and tender.
    Second: What it appears to be is Razor burn.

    Tips on How to Prevent Razor Burn
    Soften the beard. A soft beard is easier to shave so the best time to shave is after you take a shower. Hot steam softens the beard, ready for shaving. Some people use hair conditioners or facial scrubs in the shower. BOTH help soften. A nice facial scrub also helps. Use a HOT washcloth on the beard area for two minutes really makes a difference.
    A good pre-shave oil before lathering will also reduce the chance of burn.
    Shave with the grain (WTG) or at the very least, until your skin gets used to the closeness of DE shaving, go WTG and XTG (across the grain)—not ATG (against the grain!).
    Use light, short strokes. Applying too much pressure with the razor increases your chances for razor burn. Light stokes gently remove the hair in passes; noting too severe and diminishes the likelihood of rash.
    POST SHAVE: Rinse your face with cold water when done. The cold water helps close up your pores and reduces the probability of whiskers forming ingrown hairs.
    Apply a balm or moisturizer. This is essential to soothe any irritation!
     
    macaronus likes this.
  18. feeltheburn

    feeltheburn Well-Known Member

    For the next few days (at least), I'd recommend Thayer's Witch Hazel. You can find it at GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe, maybe Whole Foods, and probably some other places. Thayer's has glycerin and aloe in it so it'll moisturize your skin too. If you can't find Thayer's, any drug store will have plain witch hazel but you may have to add a balm like Nivea Sensitive to it. Splash it on a couple or three times a day. It'll help heal that stuff faster. After that, Kevin's advice above will help.

    Did you say what kind of razor you're using? I would bet you're using pressure, pushing the blade into the skin and causing irritation. Learning how to shave without pressing the blade into your skin takes some practice but I think that would make a big difference for you.
     
  19. gadabout

    gadabout Well-Known Member

    My only real problem has been to consistently get a good result in the small area under my chin. I do three passes with the last pass being AGT. Every once in a blue moon I will get it right, but most of the time I will still feel some stubble there when I stroke the underside of my chin.
     
  20. Lukas42

    Lukas42 New Member

    I've actually implemented ALL of your suggested techniques:

    I shave right after I shower, and alway apply conditioner while I'm in the shower to soften, as well as rinsing it off with a hot cloth.

    I've used Art of Shaving Sandalwood pre-shave oil prior to, and I don't know if I'm using too much/too little, but I've yet to see a noticeable difference. Keep in mind, after finishing the bottle, I've yet to use pre-shave oil again.

    I typically start by shaving WTG, but often (especially on my neck) the shave isn't close enough, so my face is good, but my neck has noticeable stubble. This is usually when I'll go back XTG or (sorry) ATG. In the above picture, I was going WTG, and the entire time I could feel the drag of my razor. I use a Mach3, btw.

    I have adjusted my stroke length from long to short, I've adjusted pressure, and I continue to get this response. If I don't apply enough pressure, I have the aforementioned result of "stubble" or missed spots on my neck.

    Lastly, I always rinse my face with cool/cold water after I shave, an apply a non-alcohol based after shave moisturizer. I guess this is why I'm frustrated, because I've tried alot of things, and nothing seems to work. Oh, and you suggested that I not shave at all until the irritation clears up. Well, that's a catch-22 situation, because if I allow growth for more than 3-4 days, then my neck gets irritated, and I have comparable red welps come up, thus leading to even MORE irritation when I do decide to shave.

     
    gwsmallwood likes this.

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