Sensitive Skin? Balderdash!
- Thread starter Macfrommichigan
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/\ Sage advice.
I have colitis . . . not a problem for me.
I can run a fingernail lightly (and I mean lightly) across my forehead. Within 10 minutes, there's a 50% chance that there will be a red welt where I ran that fingernail. People have asked me "What happened to your ___?" almost all of my life. I'll have an itch on my arm, scratch it and move on, then 15-20 minutes later I'll get "When did you burn your arm?". This sort of thing has been happening most of my adult life.
Yes, I have unusually sensitive skin. Not just where I shave.
This is one of the things that brought me to wetshaving to begin with. The search for a smoother, more comfortable shave for that sensitive skin.
Yes, I have unusually sensitive skin. Not just where I shave.
This is one of the things that brought me to wetshaving to begin with. The search for a smoother, more comfortable shave for that sensitive skin.
40% of shave soaps burn my skin without using a blade.
The blades and technique aren’t my problem.
So, I guess I have “ingredient sensitive normal skin”????
The blades and technique aren’t my problem.
So, I guess I have “ingredient sensitive normal skin”????
Well, Mac, having sensitive skin doesn't mean someone thinks they are special...LOL!!
Shaving of course, and I assume everyone knows, is not natural. Men were intended to have hair on their face. Alexander the Great didn't want the enemy grabbing his soldiers beards, so he had the men cut their beards.
Any unnatural thing we do will have the potential of doing harm.
Lets ask the Dermatologist.
"Does “sensitive skin” really exists or is just a marketing creation? It seems like every other bloke thinks they have sensitive skin.
Yes, sensitive skin exists. Sometimes it’s allergic or irritant dermatitis from products. Sometimes it’s from bad shaving habits. Sometimes it’s from inherited conditions such as eczema. Products designed specifically for sensitive skin, such as Dove Men +Care sensitive shave gel, is gentler and tolerated better by men with sensitive skin."
12 Skin And Shaving Questions For A Dermatologist
Shaving of course, and I assume everyone knows, is not natural. Men were intended to have hair on their face. Alexander the Great didn't want the enemy grabbing his soldiers beards, so he had the men cut their beards.
Any unnatural thing we do will have the potential of doing harm.
Lets ask the Dermatologist.
"Does “sensitive skin” really exists or is just a marketing creation? It seems like every other bloke thinks they have sensitive skin.
Yes, sensitive skin exists. Sometimes it’s allergic or irritant dermatitis from products. Sometimes it’s from bad shaving habits. Sometimes it’s from inherited conditions such as eczema. Products designed specifically for sensitive skin, such as Dove Men +Care sensitive shave gel, is gentler and tolerated better by men with sensitive skin."
12 Skin And Shaving Questions For A Dermatologist
It may never happen for most but fragrance at some point may cause some to change the products they use to enjoy this fun hobby. Just because you don't have a problem with fragrance now, next week or next year doesn't mean you won't develop a problem with it and it certainly doesn't mean it isn't causing problems for your skin ie dilation, inflammation or minor irritation. I still use lightly scented soaps from time to time but certainly not as much as when I started and the aftershave hardly ever now that I'm retired and like to spend most of my days outdoors. The scents evoke nice memories but there is no evidence basis for putting fragrance on your face and it certainly can lead to problems. Anyway I think the unscented soaps these days smell pretty good with the butters they put in them.
I remember when I used to think I was doing wonders for myself by sitting in a steam room filled with the smell of essential oils after a workout and heck I still drink too much scotch. It is what it is we do what makes us happy and we learn as we go along.
I remember when I used to think I was doing wonders for myself by sitting in a steam room filled with the smell of essential oils after a workout and heck I still drink too much scotch. It is what it is we do what makes us happy and we learn as we go along.
I'm pretty sure they could make a set of briar chaps out of my skin when my time's up.
Never found a blade, soap, or splash that caused any lasting irritation..and I was let down, admittedly the first time I tried CO9T.
But dry shaving....why?
Never found a blade, soap, or splash that caused any lasting irritation..and I was let down, admittedly the first time I tried CO9T.
But dry shaving....why?
I suggest neither cold water nor hot water is the complete answer for shaving for most persons. I have come to believe ambient water or slightly warm water is the best option, gives the best bang for the proverbial buck, and gives the most effective and comfortable shaves.
This admittedly is a controversial topic, with devout and knowledgeable persons on both sides of the table of controversy. Do your own experimentation and draw your own conclusions. But be open minded!
This admittedly is a controversial topic, with devout and knowledgeable persons on both sides of the table of controversy. Do your own experimentation and draw your own conclusions. But be open minded!
Okay here's the thing... After reading your OP and being a bit critical of it, I have seen at least a dozen comments in various other threads where people claim to have sensetive skin AND tough whiskers.
It's everywhere and I can't not notice it anymore.
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If you are a new shaver, the skin is gonna feel tender and the whiskers tough, for sure. A lighter touch and more experience sure helps.
I tend to say I have a tough beard and sensitive skin, though maybe not the worst case of it. Basically, what I mean is that I can't get a decent shave from a blade less sharp than a Feather or Polsilver without significant irritation and nicks, especially on my neck, and while I can handle a lot of ingredients that people are commonly allergic to (e.g., almond scent or lanolin), others (notably rosemary and avocado oil) make my skin immediately start burning and turn bright red. Before I discovered wetshaving, when I was using carts and goo (and even moreso before that with electric razors), shaving always hurt a lot and always came with pretty significant irritation. Being able to get a irritation-free, nick-free DFS was a major milestone and took a lot of experimenting with products and working on technique, and I still rarely try for BBS just because it has the potential to leave my face a wreck.
I think the problem is that "sensitive skin" and "tough whiskers" are pretty inexact terms. Sensitive skin is basically a marketing term for things formulated to avoid allergens, and "tough whiskers" basically just means that your beard needs a lot of pressure to get a decent shave unless you're using a sharp blade and/or a relatively aggressive razor. Plus, having trouble shaving is one reason people might be seeking out wetshaving to begin with, so I wouldn't be surprised if B&B had a higher concentration of people who had allergic reactions to products or who couldn't get a decent shave out of a cartridge.
By your definition I don't have sensetive skin or a tough beard.
Honestly, it sounds like you are someone who legitimately has both of those attributes.
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Exactly. Lots of people who have sensitive skin and tough beards end up here looking for solutions, and they talk about their problem in similar ways. But, numerically compared to the general population, this community is a rounding error.
Therefore, no, it’s not necessarily normal to have tough hair and sensitive skin, but it’s quite common here. We’re not all having a collective failure of perception when we talk about it that way on these forums.
I'm often an outlier. When I read someone claiming sensitive skin, I figuratively shrug and tell myself, "You're a fortunate dude." I don't know what it means, but I'm glad I don't have it. Buffing every square millimeter of my face at least 20 times every day has not yet caused me a problem. I'm a fortunate dude.
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