Horrible Irritation no matter the type of razor

[Alex.S.]

Hi,
Newbie here, been helped so much by you guys already.
So after a few weeks of shaving WTG with a DE (Razorock teck 2 and EJ DE89) using different blades and trying to figure out what suits me, getting OK shaves I tried a 4 pass shave, butchering my face quite badly and that with continued irritation in several spots on my neck and a certain point on my chin that seems to keep bleeding no matter what I do, I stopped shaving for a few days and then shaved again with my EJ doing a WTG and a XTG, results were Ok but some minor irritation, since I was traveling I used a mach 3 the day after instead of my DE, did a 4 pass shave and seemed to have butchered my face all over again.

My question is what am I doing wrong? Maybe My skin just can't take a 4 pass? I feel technique is not too bad...
My routine: Bath/shower -Proraso green Pre shave cream-face lather proraso green shaving soap- DE89/mach 3(I travel a lot so 40% of the time its the mach 3)- alum block and then proraso green aftershave.
Photos(Sorry for censorship, my line of work is sensitive...):

 

[matwho]

First make sure you are using zero pressure on the razor. Second, the more passes you do the more irritation you will have. Are you rinsing off the alum after you use it?

 

[Alex.S.]

First make sure you are using zero pressure on the razor. Second, the more passes you do the more irritation you will have. Are you rinsing off the alum after you use it?

I don't I leave on my face... I'll know to rinse it off now. lol

 

[vacman]

First make sure you are using zero pressure on the razor. Second, the more passes you do the more irritation you will have. Are you rinsing off the alum after you use it?

+1 I think it's in the pressure. Shave slower with less pressure. Give the blade time to cut. The more passes, the more irritation.

 

[Invicta]

I tried a 4 pass shave, butchering my face quite badly and that with continued irritation in several spots on my neck and a certain point on my chin that seems to keep bleeding no matter what I do, I stopped shaving for a few days and then shaved again with my EJ doing a WTG and a XTG, results were Ok but some minor irritation, since I was traveling I used a mach 3 the day after instead of my DE, did a 4 pass shave and seemed to have butchered my face all over again.

I does seem that there is too much pressure but razor angle may be an issue as well. 4 passes are too much when you are getting irritation and weepers. The more you keep going over them they will keep opening up. Alternating between the cartridge and the double edge razor cannot be helping as the technique for each is different. You may not have found your blade match yet either; the Astra SP or GSB or 7 O'Clock yellow or Feather may get you a good shave.
4 passes with the Mach 3 is 12 blades passing over your skin; I cannot see that helping the situation. What is wrong with a 1 pass Mach 3 shave plus touch ups in areas like the chin?

My question is what am I doing wrong? Maybe My skin just can't take a 4 pass? I feel technique is not too bad...

Try a 2 pass shave with the DE which should give you acceptable results. Don't chase BBS.

 

[ackvil]

The answers above are right on. Pressure on the blade and incorrect angle are the causes of irritation, cuts, and nicks.

I find that using the correct grip can make a big difference. I use two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can so that it stays on your face and without it falling from your hand. The wiki deals with holding a razor and may help you.

Finally, look here for blade angle.

Some additional suggestions.

1. Be sure your lather has sufficient water in it. This makes your shave smoother.
2. Be sure your face is sufficiently hydrated whether you use warm or cold water. If your face is wet before you apply lather for each pass,
4. Use WH on your face after you do step 3 above. Use an aftershave balm that is a good moisturizer.
5. At night, before retiring apply a good quality moisturizer to your face. I use CeraVe but there are other good ones out there, too. Look for a product that has ceramides and hyaluronic acid.​

 

[burry1]

I find alum irritates my skin quite a bit. Might be worth skipping out and seeing if your skin calms down. Same with alcohol based aftershave splashes.

 

[Graybeard57]

First make sure you are using zero pressure on the razor. Second, the more passes you do the more irritation you will have. QUOTE]

Don't give up; it takes time to learn this new skill. Good lather, a light touch, and patience (shave slowly) are vital to your success.

 

[xxvaleria]

I don't think that irritation is your problem. Irritation would result in a burning sensation and reddened skin and would cover more of your face. It looks to me like you are nicking yourself, which is indicative of improper angle and/or too much pressure. You don't mention what blade you are using, but an EJ DE89 shouldn't cause any problems with almost any blade as long as your technique is good--very shallow angle of the blade to the skin, and no pressure..

 

[TheVez2]

There are so many factors that can contribute. Technique, including pressure and proper angle (as noted above) are what I'd focus on initially. But definitely stay away from the 4 pass shaves. I only do 2 pass shaves (WTG and XTG). I leaned a long time a go that I was getting {I'm just making up numbers here to illustrate a point} a 90% shave with two passes, and the irritation I got from the effort of getting that additional 10% was not worth it. I have since refined my 2 pass shave even more and it's more of a 98% shave now.

Also, a different soap which offers more cushion or more slickness could also help for shave be more efficient. A different aftershave could help your healing more and alleviate the redness/soreness.

 

[Alex.S.]

I will definitely be working on my technique more I guess, seems it is the problem then... And no more 4 passes either, I was under the impression I should strive for the 4 pass shave. Any recommendations for soaps and after shaves? I was looking at the Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood, any good in term of cushioning more?

 

[Go West Young Man]

After "a few weeks" you should still be doing nothing but two gentle WTG passes and being happy with whatever shave you get.

Patience, grasshopper. 4 pass shaves are still months away for you...

 

[Old beard]

Your shave cream is not your problem as others have said your technique need improvement. I would use a after shave balm not after shave lotion until your technique improves.

 

[Johnnynroy]

Welcome to Badger and Blade!

Lots of good advice above. I want to re-emphasize a few points that caused issues for me when I started up a couple months ago:

1. Stick with one setup as you're learning. Try not to go back to the Mach 3. Try to pick either the RR Teck or the DE89. Use one brush, use one soap/cream. Treat this like a science experiment. In science, you change one variable at a time. If you change multiple variables, you won't know which one caused an issue. Your technique at present is the variable that is the most important to work on and also the one you will have the most difficulty controlling. If you keep all of your hardware and software the same you can figure out what parts of your technique aren't working for you.
2. Re-read @ackvil's post above. Read the wiki articles he linked again. The things he listed are extremely important, far more so than any new razor or after shave. The face care routine is often overlooked and I think this made a huge difference for me.
3. No pressure on the razor. This is difficult especially coming from a cartridge background. But you need to let the razor cut the hair. That blade is sharp. Let it do its job.
4. Shave WTG until the irritation goes away. Give it a week at least. Then you can add a XTG pass. If your irritation comes back, go back to WTG. After a month of WTG and XTG, then you can try out ATG, but follow the same principle of irritation returning, go back to the previously working method.
5. Distilled water if you have hard water. Seriously a huge change for me. Sounds like you travel a lot, hotels have very hard water in my experience. If taking distilled with you is an issue, you could try citric acid. I haven't used this method myself, but apparently 1g of citric acid should neutralize 1 L of hard water with 8 grains of hardness.
6. Proper face preparation is also key. Yours looks pretty good, but make sure you add water after you use the pre-shave.

You mention travel causing you to use your Mach 3. Do you fly a lot, or is it driving? Is going back to the Mach 3 a time issue while traveling? I ask because the Gillette Guard is a single blade but is more like a cartridge and so can actually be taken on flights. This might be a good alternative to you if flying is the main reason for returning to the Mach 3. If time is the problem, that will improve with better technique. If you decide to go with the Guard, I would use it as your daily driver while you get used to it and only use it for a month as described above. Good luck and keep us updated!

P.S. For an aftershave go with a balm while you're learning or you could try witch hazel. Nivea Sensitive Skin Aftershave Balm is cheap, easily available, and works well for a lot of people. Witch Hazel is an astringent so you will get some of the same benefits as the alum block, with a bit less irritation. Witch Hazel does also have a strong odor that most find unpleasant, but you can look into getting something like Thayer's Witch Hazel which has different scents. It costs more but the odor isn't an issue then. I personally like using both WH and Nivea balm after my shave, but that is just me. I believe the Nivea balm has some amount of witch hazel in it so using it like I do is probably unnecessary.

 

[Alex.S.]

I am gonna go buy the Nivea balm today and get the Witch hazel later from amazon, cheers! As to why I use a Mach 3, I fly a lot and don’t check bags in, no airport security anywhere will let me board the plane with anything but a cart... I have read both wiki pages in the past, I thought I had it down quite well but seems I was wrong, most definitely will read more and shave slower. I gotta say you guys on the forum here sure make a newbie feel very welcome!

 

[Mike V]

When I started using a DE 9 years ago I had the same problem. No matter what blade or razor I used (including the Mach 3 that I had been using for years), every time I shaved it was the same thing--blood and discomfort. First time I used a Feather blade the bathroom looked like a crime scene. Almost dialed 911. Then I realized the problem. I did not know how to shave. Simple as that. At 13 years old I was given an electric, then graduated to cartridges and never really learned how to do it.

Spent a lot of time watching the available videos (Mantic59) and learned, from scratch, how to shave. Now, no more light lightheadedness from blood loss.

One other thing that really helped. If I didn't shave for a couple of days, would do a first pass with the Mach 3 and then 2nd, 3rd, etc. with a DE. Really helped with technique.

 

[Johnnynroy]

I am gonna go buy the Nivea balm today and get the Witch hazel later from amazon, cheers! As to why I use a Mach 3, I fly a lot and don’t check bags in, no airport security anywhere will let me board the plane with anything but a cart... I have read both wiki pages in the past, I thought I had it down quite well but seems I was wrong, most definitely will read more and shave slower. I gotta say you guys on the forum here sure make a newbie feel very welcome!

Look into the Gillette guard for a razor. It is a cart so should be allowed on planes and it is a single blade. There was one for a good price in the BST the other day.

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

 

[alex2363]

Welcome to the B

 

[alex2363]

Welcome to the B

 

[G2No]

I am gonna go buy the Nivea balm today and get the Witch hazel later from amazon, cheers! As to why I use a Mach 3, I fly a lot and don’t check bags in, no airport security anywhere will let me board the plane with anything but a cart... I have read both wiki pages in the past, I thought I had it down quite well but seems I was wrong, most definitely will read more and shave slower. I gotta say you guys on the forum here sure make a newbie feel very welcome!

Stop by a GNC store if you have one nearby. They sell Thayer's Witch Hazel in a variety of scents.