Skin Problem

[teabag]

Hello Gents,

Has anyone got any solution for a problem that has developed. A few weeks ago I used my Futur on its lowest setting and afterwards my face was like a beetroot. That all cleared up after a few days but now, whenever I hold a facecloth of fairly warm water on my face to soften the bristles my skin now goes red and is sore for a week or so and the redness takes days to dimish. Even putting an antiseptic cream on does not alleviate the problem quickly. I have always had reactions to ASB's but not plain water. Anyone got a diagnosis my friends? I wouldn't really call my skin sensitive, just temperamental it seems.

Thanks fellas.

[95%]

Phil, nobody replied, no doubt because we were all nonplussed by the condition you describe. How are you doing now?

Something different in your routine must have happened - a bad blade or a new soap that your skin didn't like, perhaps? If I were having problems, I'd leave off shaving for several days and do nothing to my face except wash it gently with warm water. What we grooming freaks do to our beards was never intended by nature. It's not surprising, therefore, that our skin should object from time to time.

[desertbadger]

Phil, mate of mine! Sorry to hear of your temperamental condition!.... Sounds like a bad razor burn.
Double check the Futur to make sure the inside of the head is all the way down and seated. If not, it will cut really aggressive and weird. Perhaps try a different blade; maybe the blade that was used happened to be the bad one of the bunch.
I do hope it all clears up and that you can once again enjoy your shaves.....

[giammi]

For the skin I don't know what to answer. I agree that probably the
head is not set correctly. The futur was the only razor that I got
nicks every time I used it. Therefore for long time I could not understand
why everybody claimed that it was a good razor.

Found then these pics that explain how to unscrew it and set it properly,
so that there is no gap. Pic 1 shows the gap that caused me problems.

http://home.att.net/~f.whittington/Futur/index.html

[teabag]

Hi Fellas,

95%,

I'm just the same at present, each time I put a hot facecloth against my face this thing keeps flaring up. I am not using any soap when I come to do my prep, just clean water. When it first started I thought I had suddenly developed an allergic reaction to Trumpers GFT shave cream but now I know it isn't that. I have reduced my shaves to 1 every week or 10 days to try and alleviate the problem, yet even after giving my skin a 'rest' the next time I come to soften my whiskers it flares up. I wash each day with a neutral ph soap

David,

I have checked the head of the razor and it seems okay (took it apart lots of times to check everything). I have used a fresh blade for each of my last 8 shaves. I thought the blade(s) could be dragging. It is possible like you say to be a faulty blade but I might have picked up a faulty batch. I picked up the last pack of personna blades in my local supermarket about 7 weeks ago and have yet to try them out.

giammi,

I have had a look at videos of assembling/disassembling the Futur. As I say, the head of it seems to be okay, it's just mine that isn't.
No worries. I thought there may be a dermatologist on here that may have known what was happening. I think I will stop washing from now on and grow a beard, that will solve the problem. I might be a long time writing again, I'm going to live on the streets and join the others that neither wash or shave. See you all in 2012!!

Cheers boys.

[goose]

Phil,

Just a couple of thoughts. I had similar issues as you and I had been shaving with a DE for a couple of years so I pretty much ruled out technique issues. I had also tried a number of products to make it go away. Most just made it worse.

There were a few things I did to finally rid myself of the problem. For one I noticed I had become sensitive to all Creighton-made shave creams. Any time I would use them my face would become extremely red. I have heard of others (Gareth comes to mind) that had the same issue. I now exclusively shave with shave soaps these days.

One other thing that Gordon has mentioned in the past and I have done as well was to limit the number of products I use on my face. For one I don't wash the area I am shaving at all any more. Since I use a shave soap I figure that cleanses that area enough. I also went away from heavier aftershave balms and now either use a product like Harris Pink or The Shave Den Unscented Aftershave Milk. Both are lightly moisturizing and seem to agree with my skin.

After a week I could tell a difference. After a month the redness was gone.

Hope that helps,

Clint

[95%]

Phil, since you're doing nothing now to irritate your skin, and you're shaving only once a week or so, I would think the problem is unrelated to your grooming regimen. Something physiological is going on. If things don't return to normal fairly soon - and they well might, because the body has a way of doing that - I'd consult a dermatologist.

I've often wondered what it would be like to live as our paleolithic ancestors did, never having to worry about bathing or shaving. If you join the street brigades, you'll find out. I hope you're not serious!

[Squire]

Phil I'm fortunate not to have such issues but we had alot of posts from those who do. In that case you just have to try the products to determine what works.

[cjborg]

I developed a seemingly similar problem about two weeks ago.

For the past year, I've used Classic Brand shaving soap from Classic Shaving.com (lime or lime and coconut scented), Giillette 7O'clock blades in a Fatboy, and pure vitamin E oil as aftershave lotion with no problems, although the shaving soap always produced a tingly sensation... not unpleasant. The rash that began two weeks ago is red and slightly raised, spread across the entire shaved area including neck, and stings and itches so bad it keeps me awake at night. Benadryl cream doesn't reduce the itch; in fact, it burns worse.

I too thought I had developed some sort of allergic reaction, so I've systematically omitted each product, one at a time, and waited as many days as possible between shaves, but each time I shave, the condition flares up again and takes several days to subside, but never completely disappears.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

[Aztecface]

I developed a seemingly similar problem about two weeks ago.

For the past year, I've used Classic Brand shaving soap from Classic Shaving.com (lime or lime and coconut scented), Giillette 7O'clock blades in a Fatboy, and pure vitamin E oil as aftershave lotion with no problems, although the shaving soap always produced a tingly sensation... not unpleasant. The rash that began two weeks ago is red and slightly raised, spread across the entire shaved area including neck, and stings and itches so bad it keeps me awake at night. Benadryl cream doesn't reduce the itch; in fact, it burns worse.

I too thought I had developed some sort of allergic reaction, so I've systematically omitted each product, one at a time, and waited as many days as possible between shaves, but each time I shave, the condition flares up again and takes several days to subside, but never completely disappears.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Use neither soaps or creams that contain bentonite or kaolin clay.

[JimT]

Phil,

Any chance you have changed the detergent that you use to wash your facecloths? Could you have an allergy to the detergent remaining in the cloth?

JimT

[teabag]

Phil,

Any chance you have changed the detergent that you use to wash your facecloths? Could you have an allergy to the detergent remaining in the cloth?

JimT

I only use my face cloth in clean hot water to soften the bristles so as for changing the detergent to wash the cloth in, I'm afraid it has never been in any detergent, only clean hot water

[cjborg]

Use neither soaps or creams that contain bentonite or kaolin clay.

Used steroid creme to reduce redness, then grew a beard for 2 weeks to give the skin a rest. After thoroughly cleaning razor, and with fresh blade, started shaving again on lower neck (to clean up beard) only and used only aerosol shaving creme (contains no clay)... no irritation. Then added my vitamin E oil after shaving... no irritation. Finally shaved the beard the same way... no irritation. I don't want to do the final test to confirm that my clay-containing shaving soap is the culprit, but not having the certainty is killing me (I'm a scientist). Thanks for the insight, Aztec!!

Now searching for good shaving soaps without clay... any suggestions?