Over the past two years I have been focused on achieving daily shaves with no neck irritation. I have struggled with razor bumps or pseudofolliculitis barbae; and I don't want to see any red whatsoever after the shave. The journey has been frustrating but ultimately rewarding: many months--perhaps even a year--yielded few results, but I have now found the technique and a particular rig that allows me to shave daily with a clear neck. I will still get irritation when experimenting with new razors, but I have learned how to manage the irritation much more effectively.
Here is a compiled list of my main takeaways, most of it gathered from the wisdom spread out here on B&B. I will let you know what worked for me, but as always YMMV:
Basic razor technique is no pressure and consistent angle. Learn shallow vs steep angle and see what works for you with a particular razor. Quality lather is fundamental to protect your neck. If you are having doubts about your lather, don't push it. There are many threads here that can teach you these basics.
If there is a risk of irritation, limit your number of passes. If you're still mastering technique, trying a new razor, just pressed for time, or shaving over existing irritation, the fewer number of passes you do, the less irritation you will introduce. Start off with a single WTG pass, then once you can consistently shave without adding more irritation add an XTG, and eventually either another XTG or ATG.
If you have irritation, rest your skin. For me that means taking a day or two off but not more. I read in the above linked article that it could take up to a month of not shaving to fully heal. I found that letting my beard grow for more than about 3 days will actually cause more irritation. I let my hair grow for about two weeks and could still see red dots underneath. I'm sure eventually the hair would get long enough to not curl back and irritate, but I found it much more productive to give a brief rest and then do a minimal pass with my most comfortable razor.
Pay attention to where you get irritation and focus on those areas when you map your beard. There's a great thread about irritation at the bottom of the neck and how this relates to a common beard-growth pattern where the hair grows in a U-pattern on each side of the neck.
When you are shaving the neck area try bullfrogging. Many people will recommend skin stretching and it is definitely worth a try, but bullfrogging is the opposite and was a revelation to me. I didn't realize that I had been habitually stretching my skin by pointing my chin up as I shaved my neck. With bullfrogging you tilt your chin down to relax the skin on the neck, similar to how your cheek skin is relaxed. This technique took a bit of effort to get used to, but was a gamechanger for me.
Products with acetylsalicylic acid such as Tend Skin or Bump Patrol help reduce bumps. This is the active ingredient in aspirin and you can find a recipe to make your own.
Do not overlook blade choice. Find a blade that works with your neck and then use that as a baseline when you are changing other variables. For me that blade is Astra SP.
If you have struggled with neck irritation, I hope you find this helpful. Please share your stories and advice.
Happy shaving!
Here is a compiled list of my main takeaways, most of it gathered from the wisdom spread out here on B&B. I will let you know what worked for me, but as always YMMV:
Basic razor technique is no pressure and consistent angle. Learn shallow vs steep angle and see what works for you with a particular razor. Quality lather is fundamental to protect your neck. If you are having doubts about your lather, don't push it. There are many threads here that can teach you these basics.
If there is a risk of irritation, limit your number of passes. If you're still mastering technique, trying a new razor, just pressed for time, or shaving over existing irritation, the fewer number of passes you do, the less irritation you will introduce. Start off with a single WTG pass, then once you can consistently shave without adding more irritation add an XTG, and eventually either another XTG or ATG.
If you have irritation, rest your skin. For me that means taking a day or two off but not more. I read in the above linked article that it could take up to a month of not shaving to fully heal. I found that letting my beard grow for more than about 3 days will actually cause more irritation. I let my hair grow for about two weeks and could still see red dots underneath. I'm sure eventually the hair would get long enough to not curl back and irritate, but I found it much more productive to give a brief rest and then do a minimal pass with my most comfortable razor.
Pay attention to where you get irritation and focus on those areas when you map your beard. There's a great thread about irritation at the bottom of the neck and how this relates to a common beard-growth pattern where the hair grows in a U-pattern on each side of the neck.
When you are shaving the neck area try bullfrogging. Many people will recommend skin stretching and it is definitely worth a try, but bullfrogging is the opposite and was a revelation to me. I didn't realize that I had been habitually stretching my skin by pointing my chin up as I shaved my neck. With bullfrogging you tilt your chin down to relax the skin on the neck, similar to how your cheek skin is relaxed. This technique took a bit of effort to get used to, but was a gamechanger for me.
Products with acetylsalicylic acid such as Tend Skin or Bump Patrol help reduce bumps. This is the active ingredient in aspirin and you can find a recipe to make your own.
Do not overlook blade choice. Find a blade that works with your neck and then use that as a baseline when you are changing other variables. For me that blade is Astra SP.
If you have struggled with neck irritation, I hope you find this helpful. Please share your stories and advice.
Happy shaving!