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So I posted on this forum a few months ago because I always get a terrible rash on my jawline and neck while shaving. This includes razor bumps, ingrown hairs, redness, cuts, you name it. I have incredibly sensitive skin and I've tried pretty much every razor in the book and type of shave but still can't seen to get a decent shave.
I eventually settled on using a beard trimmer but my work recently told me that I HAVE to be clean shaven, even if this means having a permanent pimple beard.
I've been using for the last three weeks a 1904 Merkur razor with Merkur blades and some sort of magic shaving oil. I like the razor but I think the blades kind of suck. I only shave down to reduce shaving bumps but these blades really don't give me a very close shave...I still cut myself on my neck despite going with the grain and not applying any pressure. A problem I have is that my face doesn't seem to STAY wet. I shave right after I come out of the shower and this "4 drop" shaving oil seems to just be a fragrance and might actually be drying out my face instead of keeping it wet. I've used shaving cream as well...Neutrogena, Edge, everything, all seem to irritate my face.
Help ...I feel like looking into laser or something because my skin is just so bad.
Hi SS - I would suggest you ditch the shaving oil and all the canned goo asap. Get a good brush and cream (search the board for recommendations) and work on your technique - very light strokes, correct blade angle etc. With respect to blades - these are a very personal choice - get a blade sampler and see what works best for you and stick with it. I know its frustrating right now but be patient and it will all be good...
- Ravi -
You can mistrust me less than you can mistrust him. Trust me.
Thanks. I found the MERKUR blades incredibly dull so I was having to go over the same area more than once. Does FEATHER provide you with a closer shave?
I'd think the oil might be doing more harm than good. Blades are a matter of personal choice. If you want to know about the variety available, and their qualities, Please go read Squire's blade reviews under the razor and blade forum. Same goes for shaving cream or soap. I suggest you go out and get some Kiss My Face shaving cream. It is sold over the counter in most places. My closest outlet is a health food store. If you lilke menthol, get Head Slick at the drug store. Otherwise the world is your oyster on the internet. If you insist on using the canned shaving foam, which is your prerogative, have you tried the Noxzema and/or Barbasol for sensitive skin? I don't know what else to tell you, except that you came to the right place for some opinions. I'm sorry you're having so much trouble. I hope you can get things under control.
Gary
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
Sensitive_Skin wrote:Thanks. I found the MERKUR blades incredibly dull so I was having to go over the same area more than once. Does FEATHER provide you with a closer shave?
Well that's going from the frying pan to the fire to make that leap to a Feather blade. yes, they are incredibly sharp but probably not advisable for your sensitive skin. There's a wealth of DE blades that fill the gap between Merkurs and Feathers. Check out Squire's blade reviews elsewhere here on the site. As Ravi has suggested, work on your technique, consider using a shave cream specifically designed for sensitive skin. Perhaps try a mild razor like a vintage Gillette Super speed or Tech. Have you used an alum block or Thayers Witch Hazel post shave?. Certainly ditch the shaving oil as a start. I'm not pimping the product but Alt Innsbruck makes a preshave "emulsion" you might consider.
Tony
"They say that dreams are growing wild just this side of Burma Shave" - Tom Waits
In addition to little or no pressure on the blade, angle is critical and it is especially challenging to maintain a constant blade angle as you move down the neck.
If the razor is angled too much towards the safety bar, you will scrape without cutting effectively. Since this is the most common angle error, you might try tipping the razor a tiny bit towards the dome to see what that does for you.
I have sensitive skin, also, and I think that you might be better served by a gentler razor, anywhere from a very gentle Gillette Tech (what I used almost exclusively for three years), to a gentle-moderate Super Speed, to a moderate Edwin Jagger or Muhle.
If you are still learning technique, I think a moderate blade, such as a Crystal, could be a good way to go, unless you have a very thick, coarse beard. I agree with Tony and would not recommend the Feather blade, either.
I used a very gentle razor (Tech) and very forgiving blades (Dorco ST300) for at least a year and a half. After that, I continued to use the Tech, but I started using sharper blades (which didn't work for me earlier). With over three years of experience, I started looking for a razor that would shave me a little closer, and I got the Edwin Jagger. Frankly, with almost 4 years of experience and the same sensitive skin, a Merkur is still more aggressive than I care to deal with.
I recently tried a brushless gel, called Olivology, that you can find in our Shopping forum. I also wrote about it in the Soaps & Creams forum. It's supposed to be made of natural ingredients, and you just squeeze it out of a bottle. It's very different from using a brush and soap, so it doesn't really interest me, but it was pretty effective and quite protective.
Here are the ingredients listed on the bottle:
Purified water, olive oil, denatured alcohol (from corn), glycerin, hydroxyethyl cellulose (from cotton), isopropyl myristate (from coconut oil), vitamin E, aloe vera, sangre de grado extract, potassium sorbate & sodium benzoate.
Of course, a good lather made with brush and soap, is a very good way to go. It does take a little learning to get it right, though. Mantic's videos on Youtube are a great help.
I hope we can help you to find a solution without too much wear and tear.
There is no such job i can imagine that needs to be clean shaven.
For me it is hard to find a job with my education and age being too old in what my education qualifies, that is strentgh of material calculations.
I have been always good with foil electric shavers, only they dont shave my neck well. As for wetshaving I am better with DE than cartridges.
As you live in Canada, the weather is maybe too cold for you for overly sharp blades like Feathers. But I cannot really relate to your problem too closely.
It's hard for me to relate to the OP's problem, as I've never had ingrowns or a rash from shaving. But his skin reaction on the jawline and neck sounds quite severe. Since he knows about razors and blades, I'm thinking there is something in the shave preps he's tried - perhaps their scenting ingredients - that is causing it. He might benefit by using a natural, simple shave soap like Cella which contains very few ingredients, little fragrance, and no preservatives. It also produces a rich protective lather which he clearly needs.
Porter, I doubt that the OP really is using good technique and I suspect that he's just going to have to practice in order to diminish his shaving problems....that and finding a more suitable blade. But yes, he would undoubtedly be better served with a quality lathering cream or soap rather than canned goo. I've heard all this kind of thing before on these boards and it took me awhile to realize that some of these gents have absolutely NO idea how to use a DE properly and hence there is often a good deal of fumbling about and it's consequent issues until they get a feel for it. This is why I've often recommended Schick Injectors or Bic disposibles to start out with. Eliminates the 'correct angle' issue you see. It's exceedingly difficult and lengthy to try to properly explain how to do this from scratch in written words alone although I've tried to on numerous occasions.
Regards,
Gordon
Okay, Gordon. I should have mentioned I have Pseudofolliculitis barbae (very common with African Americans). I have tried bic blades and the most gentle out there but to be honest with you, my worst shave ever came from a bic blade because it was so incredibly blunt. I do know what I am doing technique wise (believe it or not), it's just that my hair on my neck is very thick and grows in all different directions, so even if I am shaving down and with a good angle I am still getting razor bumps, in grown hairs, redness, cuts and swelling.
I went to a dermatologist a while ago and he prescribed me some topical cortisone cream to thin out the skin but I can't take that anymore as it contraindicates with some of my other medication I'm taking.
I will take all of your advice and look for some sort of natural shaving soap or cream. Also, it seems like I'd benefit from using a shaving brush to help get more moisture into my skin.
Thank you very kindly to all that have contributed, I sincerely appreciate it.
PS: Someone mentioned these old school Gillette razors, I take it that they're not manufactured anymore so would you have to buy a used one?
S_S, your problem is serious enough that a reasonable employer ought to allow you to grow a beard. Are you a cop or an airline pilot? A well-trimmed, full beard like Ben Bernanke's is not only attractive but comfortable to wear. It's a high maintenance item, though.
By all means use a shaving brush and a mild shave soap or a lathering (i.e. not brushless) cream. The brush is required to make lather, but it also softens the whiskers as you work the lather into the beard.
Here are a few random thoughts:
Don't aim for a very close shave. A single pass ought to be good enough unless you are an actor or a model.
I wonder if a mentholated shaving cream with eucalyptus would be more comfortable for your skin. Proraso is the best known. It's sold in a small green tube at Bath & Body Works bearing the label C. O. Bigelow.
Consider the new Fusion ProGlide and Schick Hydro razors. They seem very mild to me despite the 5 blades. Don't buy the electrical models.
Don't wash your face too vigorously before shaving or at any other time of day.
Avoid faddish metrosexual men's products like facial scrubs and body washes.
Apply witch hazel and a soothing nonalcoholic balm to your skin after shaving.
If you are susceptible to ingrown hairs and razor bumps, you don't want a close-shaving razor (like a Merkur). A gentle razor would be much better. Next, the beard you describe would benefit from sharper blades, as you suggested earlier, but Feather blades are still too much of a threat to your sensitive skin, in my opinion. The exception might be if you used in in a slant razor, with which I have no experience.
I clearly can't diagnose your particular circumstances. It sounds like you would benefit from a gentle razor (for your skin) and sharp blades (for a tough beard), but other measures may be needed, as well.
If you send me a PM, I can send you a Gillette Tech that is in very good user condition, but isn't a collectible, free of charge. I can also include some different blades to try.
I'm a white guy, but I've fought PFB for years. And it is true, if you get too close a shave, even with a DE, you can still cause your skin to flair up.
Here is a product that has worked for me -- Bump Patrol liquid. Sure, it burns like fire, but it'll help control the bumps.
As for the razor, you'll find that DEs work best. I go for the more modern ones, like a Gillette Slim Twist, for a more gentle shave. Of course, there is a learning curve with these. Bump Patrol makes guarded razors, you might try those.
As for the creams, adding just the cheapest brush VDH boar brush from Walgreens and a puck of Williams will vastly improve the moistness of your lather. But if you insist on using gel, Sally's carries a line from Bump Fighter that you can apply with a brush. Best of both worlds.
Good luck, and feel free to PM me.
Jack
"All you need is love, love...love is all you need."
Thanks to all that have contributed, I sincerely appreciate it.
I went out and bought some Proraso Super Sensitive (white tub) soap and a Omega Shaving brush. I would have gotten a better brush but this was all Shoppers Drug Mart carries.
The Proraso worked extremely well with my skin and using a brush did seem to help as I didn't develop any kind of itch while shaving or after. I did sadly nick myself on my neck many times, so perhaps the Merkur 1904 Classic is a bit too aggressive for me. My neck has always been a problematic spot as there really is no "grain" there, hair gross very coarsely and in every possible direction. It also lies very flat to the skin.
After I shaved I used Nivea Ultra Sensitive aftershave and it felt good. I think I will try growing a beard for 1.5 weeks or so and then hope my shaving bumps and redness have gone away. Maybe this way I can "start from scratch".
CMur was kind enough to offer to send me an old Gillette Tech razor, I sincerely appreciate his kindness and generosity.
Just a side note, since I have started DE shaving, I have noticed a "shadow" forming (especially on my sideburns) where I shave...Is this..."normal" ?
Omega makes good brushes. Yours is probably made of boar bristle, which is very well suited to the task. It will improve in performance and comfort as it breaks in the the bristle tips split.
When you say "shadow," do you refer to earlier beard regrowth or do you mean a discoloration of the skin?
If you don't get as close a shave, which will leave you less vulnerable to razor bumps and ingrowns, you will see regrowth sooner.
If you are experiencing a discoloration of the skin, I have no idea of the cause or the significance of the problem.
Well, if I get a completely clean shave there will be a dark outline of where my hair grows. There's no hair there anymore but a distinct dark shadow. Especially the moustache and sideburn.
Since I've started wet shaving with a safety blade (been about 1 month now). Before that I just used a WAHL beard trimmer but of course got complaints at work (I'm a cop).
...I feel like looking into laser or something because my skin is just so bad.
