Sensitive skin and thick hair! Need Help!

[barberofdeville]

You might want to add a hot towel to the prep cycle. Say just before the lathering step. Best guess is to do that for at least 2 minutes.

As an example, I set the brush to soak in hot water, and put a little hot water on my soap, at the same time I've got a towel in the sink soaking in the hot water. I grab the towel, wring it out so that it isn't dripping, go to my easy chair in the living room kick back for five to ten minutes with the towel wrapped around my face, just like at the barbershop.

Is there an AD for towels?

When performing the professional shaves i use a steam towel the apply shave oil(american crew makes a very good one, so does T&H) Then i do what is called a double steam which is apply steam towel as described above then remove add shave cream then wet a new towel , apply it over facial hair area then grab the previous hot towel and put it over that one. Press down a little using your hands over the facial hair areas that have most resistance. after that shave cream again and shave. Apply an after shave milk for your skin/hair coarseness type.

It works like a charm in the shop on sensative tree beard types

 

[jaymeister99]

When performing the professional shaves i use a steam towel the apply shave oil(american crew makes a very good one, so does T&H) Then i do what is called a double steam which is apply steam towel as described above then remove add shave cream then wet a new towel , apply it over facial hair area then grab the previous hot towel and put it over that one. Press down a little using your hands over the facial hair areas that have most resistance. after that shave cream again and shave. Apply an after shave milk for your skin/hair coarseness type.

It works like a charm in the shop on sensative tree beard types

Any other brands of preshave and aftershave milk/balm to recommend?

 

[barberofdeville]

Any other brands of preshave and aftershave milk/balm to recommend?

Yes i do as a matter of fact. I prefer the Saint Charles Shave rose ASM.
Its the best ive used so far. Any of Sue's ASM are great i just like the soothing effects of the rose in it. Its a very light rose scent not over powering at all. I have a very sensitive nose and rose usually gives me a headache but not this one.

As far as oil's ive tried alot the only 2 i would recommend is AMerican crew as i said above it works the best out of what ive used but T&H have a very good one as well. For the money the AC stuff last's the longest for the price better than kings(blah horrable stuff and runs out quick.) You can use olive oil in a crunch but do not use it continuasly as your skin will get a little oily as its not balanced for facial use.

 

[New2DEShaving_Montreal]

I have the same problem and I have now managed to get 5 BBS shaves without irritation. To do this, you will need,

1) Time/Patience
2) Technique
3) Suitable products for your face.

Grab a towel and wrap it around your neck in the shower. Have your normal shower, then squeeze the water out of the towel as much as you can. Wrap it around your neck again, this will keep the steam going up towards your face while you build your lather. I usually use very little soap on my face in the shower, just enough to loosen up the skin and hair. Too much soap or shampoo on the face can irritate the skin prior to the shave.

You can also consider using a very light lotion or even aftershave milk for sensitive skin BEFORE applying shaving cream. One drop should do. Then apply your cream/soap as usual, take your time until you are satisfied with the lather. This is a mental thing, and you need to be relaxed rather than thinking about getting it over with.

Shave slowly and lightly. The blade does not need to dig in while cutting. A second pass will take care of whatever is above the skin. If your angle is wrong, you wont cut/nick yourself. You'll be able to adjust it while keeping a steady speed.

Avoid shaving over the same spot twice. Always apply lather, then shave.

Rinse your face between latherings with warm water. Splash face with coldest possible water after you're done your shave, wipe the water off your face with fingers, pat a towel on it once, then apply Sensitive aftershave.

All this is possible with cheap products. I used Arko, (the soap a lot of people either love or hate), and Nivea Sensitive Aftershave (before and after the shave).

Hope some of this will be useful.

p.s. I have given up on perfection and now I'm focusing more on enjoyment of the shave. If something on the face feels rough, I deal with it the next day.

 

[jaymeister99]

Ok, somebody might claim this is heresy but...

Today I was in a rush so I used my good old disposable Gillette Custom Plus this morning.

But I did try one thing different. When I got into the shower I immediately wet my face and put some Barbisol shaving cream on, then rubbed it in. After a couple of minutes it started to get really itchy. I braved the itches and left it on for another 5 minutes. Then washed it off and shaved without any shaving cream like I used to.

Amazing, no burn, rash, or irritation. Not as close of a shave as the DE, but definitely a heck of a lot more comfortable.

Im going to try this shaving cream trick with the DE shaver and see how it works. Unfortunately I dont have the time (or the patience) to do all this towel wrapping stuff every morning. Perhaps I can do the whole hot towel routine on the weekends.

 

[New2DEShaving_Montreal]

I've tried all the techniques and the bottom line that makes the difference is knowing your hair growth pattern, the technique (going slowly and lightly), and the soap/cream that you use. If you have sensitive skin, then avoid using rough soaps that burn the skin.

 

[Shane]

Sensitive skin+Thick beard hair= Merkur Slant Bar.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

AD, got it

I'll try out a few of the blades with a reputation of being sharper. I'll get another sampler pack with the Feather, Gillette, and Merkur.

How many shaves do you manage to get out of these blades?

I used to get 5 O'Clock Shadow at 10 AM - until I switched to DE's.
Now I don't get 5 O'Clock Shadow at 10 PM. I'm also new to this with less than three months using a DE.

I can get 8 shaves out of most blades. The difference is this - fortunately, I don't get cuts, but it takes longer to get the same results. I notice a slight drop after the 2nd-3rd Shave, and then again after 5th. I could go and get a few more shaves, but I figure 8 shaves is plenty.

 

[barberofdeville]

I used to get 5 O'Clock Shadow at 10 AM - until I switched to DE's.
Now I don't get 5 O'Clock Shadow at 10 PM. I'm also new to this with less than three months using a DE.

I can get 8 shaves out of most blades. The difference is this - fortunately, I don't get cuts, but it takes longer to get the same results. I notice a slight drop after the 2nd-3rd Shave, and then again after 5th. I could go and get a few more shaves, but I figure 8 shaves is plenty.

This is totally off subject. However lou i have been thinking next time i come to New York ill have to give you a couple months notice so me you the wife and all can have dinner and hang out a bit. That is the one thing i wish i had been able to do after meeting you. If ever in New York Lou is the best definately give him a shout.


Farrell

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Sensitive skin+Thick beard hair= Merkur Slant Bar.

And the Barber Pole Slant Bar. Don't worry, trust us, and get both. You'll thank us for it later, especially if you get the HD in gold.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

This is totally off subject. However lou i have been thinking next time i come to New York ill have to give you a couple months notice so me you the wife and all can have dinner and hang out a bit. That is the one thing i wish i had been able to do after meeting you. If ever in New York Lou is the best definately give him a shout.


Farrell

Thanks, for the nice words, but you do realize I am a curmedgeon, don't you and with less hair than Andy Rooney.

Next time, I am going to hop you guys across the river so you can enjoy views like this:

​

 

[jaymeister99]

Why the Merkur slant bar? What makes this better for sensitive skin/thick beard?

 

[trifthen]

Why the Merkur slant bar? What makes this better for sensitive skin/thick beard?

The slant bar cuts with a slight sawing motion, like if you were cutting a loaf of bread. You don't just drop the knife on the bread, do you? Even slowly, that would just compress the outer crust and eventually pierce through and cause pulling. For people with really tough hair, the slant turns pulling into buttery smoothness. If I get a really sharp blade, and take my time with my SS, I can do fine with WTG and XTG passes, but the second I go to ATG, which puts the blade directly at 90-degrees with the hair growth, most blades just stop dead. Even with proper prep, it snags like hell. Some people get five or more days from a Derby, I get two.

Ah, but the slant bar... really is a Godsend. That's the idea anyway, haven't been able to confirm it myself, but will soon.

 

[AAA]

I would follow the great advice above, as far as getting the hair soft first.
I also have been experimenting with soaps and blades.
First of all, lots of different soaps and cremes. One of the best for me was Em's Place (http://www.emsplace.com/grooming/men...oiletries.aspx) shaving soap, she will send you a free sample if you ask her. I have tried Tabac, Mama bears, Taylor's, T&H, The Art of shaving, HoneyBee's, etc.

Then I made sure I know how to get a Good Lather, there are a lot of video's and Pic's show what this should look like. Building on my face worked the best. I would say the biggest absolute difference for me was switching the Derby blade for a Red Personna Blade, you can get these from www.westcoastshaving.com, this made a huge difference for some reason. I have a thick coarse beard and sensitive skin.

 

[jaymeister99]

Then I made sure I know how to get a Good Lather, there are a lot of video's and Pic's show what this should look like. Building on my face worked the best. I would say the biggest absolute difference for me was switching the Derby blade for a Red Personna Blade, you can get these from www.westcoastshaving.com, this made a huge difference for some reason. I have a thick coarse beard and sensitive skin.

Im working my way through a westcoastshaving sampler pack that includes the red personnas. So far Ive only managed to get through the Derby and Dorco. Dorco is horrible, so far Im impressed with the Derby, which is consistent with what Ive seen on the board.

I still got the Crystal and Red Personnas to go through. I also got some Wal-Mart Personnas and Wilkinson Swords to polish off.

When I get a little more cash flow I'll pick up a Merkur Slant, along with more blades, and soap, and yada yada yada...

I tried getting into a DE razor to save some cash, Im getting a bad case of AD.

 

[AAA]

I would be curious to know if the Red Personna's make a huge difference for you. It was the turning point in my routine. I was just shocked at what a difference the blade made. Another thing I do, so you do not have to wait a whole day to test soap out as far as it reacts to your skin (note that this has nothing to do with the soaps shaving qualities just skin reaction) is the following:

When you get an irritated shave, an hour or so after, try another soap and brush it on your face, then rinse. It will either make the irritated area much worse (stay away from this soap) keep it the same (a good soap to try next time) or make the area feel better (a very good soap to try next time).

Keep us posted!

 

[trifthen]

I would be curious to know if the Red Personna's make a huge difference for you. It was the turning point in my routine.

I wasn't really super impressed with the Red Personnas. They were ok, but I couldn't really tell they were especially different from the Derbys.

And I've had a chance to use a Merkur 39C Barberpole, and in that thing, even a Wilkinson Sword feels sharp. So I guess that means I have to put Dorco and Merkur blades in my "try again" pile. Much less irritation too, which seems consistent with claims I've read here. You might want to try one when you get a chance.

 

[joelmole]

Im going to try this shaving cream trick with the DE shaver and see how it works. Unfortunately I dont have the time (or the patience) to do all this towel wrapping stuff every morning. Perhaps I can do the whole hot towel routine on the weekends.

You might try shaving at night. If you have no pressure to finish your shave quickly you might find you do a better job. Also, if I do tear up my neck I find that by morning the irritation has for the most part died down.

I always used to be a morning showerer and shaver, but since switching to DE shaving, I find the nightly ritual to be a nice wind down to bedtime.

 

[jaymeister99]

You might try shaving at night. If you have no pressure to finish your shave quickly you might find you do a better job. Also, if I do tear up my neck I find that by morning the irritation has for the most part died down.

I always used to be a morning showerer and shaver, but since switching to DE shaving, I find the nightly ritual to be a nice wind down to bedtime.

Ive tried some shaving at night, but my hair grows so thick and fast that by the morning it looks like I didnt shave. I shaved tonight and I'll try giving it a once over tomorrow.

From reading some posts I may need to try a different razor too. I got a Gillette knock off, the Vincent special I got off of Ebay.

I dont have anything to compare it to, so if anybody has one and a few vintage Gillettes please chime in!