1st post: Shaving Pains! Please help.

[FlyingLotus]

Hey guys,
Im really glad to have been referred to this forum as i'm in need of some advice.
My whole life ive avoided shaving, I have always used a cartridge razor, ive tried the mach3's, quattros, disposables - anyways, they all have been fine - except for 2 or 3 days later when the hair on my face starts growing back.. my hair always feels really sharp coming back through my sensitive skin and causes irritation,zits, and bumps.. I have recently tried a philips electric shaver and it was the same situation.

I pretty much gave up on close shaves and have stuck with using a hair clipper to take it down to a 5-o'clock shadow look..

Anyhow, someone suggested i try a safety razor as they said it cuts above the follicle and my hair wouldn't break the skin growing back ? After looking into DE shavers i thought maybe an adjustable on a really low setting might work ?

Can anyone give me any input on this ? Sorry for the long post - but any thoughts or recommendations would be highly appreciated, as i would one day love to be able to get a somewhat close shave without having to look forward to the painful and ugly next few days.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Huy]

Welcome! You came to the right place! Check out the newbie forum for lots of good info. This thread is also very good to start off with: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=42266

First off ditch the canned stuff and get real cream/soap and use a brush. You'll get instant improvement. Second you can start off with an easy double edge razor, a good one is the ever popular Merkur Heavy Duty (HD) or gillette tech. You can get some blades at walmart for about 1.50 for a 10 pack of personna and try to get a blade sampler pack to know which one is right for you. Lastly get some aftershave product to soothe your skin after the shave. Read through the forum and ask questions if you need any help.

 

[TheRuckus13]

As any user will tell you, look up Mantic59 on YouTube he is a member of B&B and SMF, and has TONS of videos and tutorials on DE shaving on his YouTube channel. He will also send you in the right direction on what you need in the razor and brush sense, because if you're anything like I was you have no idea where to begin.

 

[crankymoose]

Welcome to B&B
+1 on both the tutorial link above and watching Mantic's videos


I don't recommend an adjustable for new guys as there is too great a temptation to adjust it daily which will cause mixed results some good some not so good, I suggest an old Gillette SS or a Merkur fixed head for at least the first month til you get it down, you can always (and will ) upgrade to other razors later

 

[thirdeye]

The advise above is all very good and Jim is on key.It is way to tempting for newbie to mess around with settings on an adjustable. There are many other things you should concentrate on first. Little to no pressure and blade angle are both very important. One you got these figured out, then maybe you want to consider the adjustable.

Welcome to B&B and enjoy the shave!!!

 

[wchnu]

Welcome to the show... I agree with all that was said, and will say again a nice Gillette Tech or SuperSpeed is great for the newbie. Hope you enjoy the shaving as much as we do.


Fuzzy

 

[swartzkip]

an ss , or even beter a blue tipp ss with a mild blade and a WTG shave might be the way to go. Also: browse the forums and look for pre shave options.

 

[mark3d]

yes either putting conditioner on your whiskers while you shower or use a shave oil (like somersets) it made a big difference for me

 

[guitarslinger]

every video or recommendation is going to recommend a Merkur DE razor, BUT, for my face, the old Gillette adjustables have been a total Godsend.

Merkurs have not been as smooth, for me at least.

Plus, get a blade sampler. That can't be stressed enough.

 

[FlyingLotus]

Do you guys think that shaving with a safety razor will change how my hair grows back through my face though ?

My problem isn't the shaving itself, but the hair growing back is painful and causes my skin to suffer. Just wondering if anyone else has that problem, and if DE shaves will help ? (before i spend the $$ on the tools)

 

[thirdeye]

Do you guys think that shaving with a safety razor will change how my hair grows back through my face though ?

My problem isn't the shaving itself, but the hair growing back is painful and causes my skin to suffer. Just wondering if anyone else has that problem, and if DE shaves will help ? (before i spend the $$ on the tools)

Well, the problem with the 3, 4 even five headed monsters is that they pull the whisker out and cut it and the left over whisker retracts under the skin. Also, the irritation causes the skin to swell just a little so the whisker is even deeper under the skin.

When shaving (not cutting) the whisker is shaved of at the surface of the skin, not pulled out.
Also, the use of AS can help tighten the skin and keep the minor irritation swell down.

 

[scarysharp]

I own a slightly modern Gillette adjustable with the long black handle and plastic under the razor top just above the number dial. There are variables that will influence an adjustable razor's performance each will be unique to individual shavers. How long since the last shave or whisker growth. Moisture in whiskers. Shaving soap VS shaving cream. Shaving soap made my skin burn. Using the exact same blade and razor I washed the shaving soap off and used my favorite shaving cream the burn went away while shaving. Weight of razor. Personal shaving skills. How sharp or dull the razor blade is. I would suggest the #1 setting to start out. I rarely set the razor over a #1 1/2 setting WTG and never ATG. I rarely hold the adjustable razor handle at the exact same angle for all of the numbers because the razor blade distance to safety bar changes.

 

[FlyingLotus]

This weekend I picked up a Murker HD long handle, brush, Truefitt & Hill 1805 creme, and Baxter after shave.. My first shave was great - thanks for everyone's help!

 

[allenavery]

I used to get ingrown hairs like mad when I used cartridge razors. For a year or two, I used a Braun electric, but that didn't help all that much. The switch to DE made all the difference--the blade cuts rather than drags. Using these older shaving tools also made me think more about the "engineering" aspect of shaving--I actually paid attention to the direction the hairs were growing in, and how speed, pressure, and the number (and direction) of passes to get the stubble off. True, I find it easier to nick myself here and there, but it's very rare that I get an ingrown hair.

 

[The Zook]

Before you spend a bunch of money, I wonder if a Bic Metal disposable would be a good suggestion to check the waters of single blade shaving?

Then again, I believe in software over hardware any day of the week... something tells me it's prep and product and not so much the razor itself causing the problem here.

 

[SRock]

Welcome to the B&B. This crew is amazing. The advice and direction you will find here is second to none. These people are world class!

 

[cvac]

I just started DE shaving as well.

I never liked the 3+ blade cartridge razors and I had problems with the 2 blade cartridge razors like you described, but mostly because I was shaving against the grain. I would get bumps and ingrown hairs all the time.

If you shave only with the grain (even with a 2 blade cartridge), you should get much less irritation and ingrown hairs. Your shave won't be as close but you will be much more comfortable. Another thing: the harder you press down with your razor (or if you stretch the skin when shaving) the more likely you are to cut the hair below the skin (which creates bumps and ingrowns). Even with a cartridge, the B&B maxims of "no pressure" and "fewer strokes" is dead on. Many shavers press down or stretch the skin to get a closer shave - big mistake.

If you can't find Bic Metal razors locally, the Bic Sensitive is another single blade disposable razor. That might be a cheap way to try out a DE esque experience.

In my experience with the DE thus far (about 5-6 shaves - I don't shave every day if I can help it) irritation from hair growing back, bumps, etc. is just about non-existent. I still never shave against the grain though I'm beginning to experiment with across the grain shaving on the second pass. Note that when learning how to DE shave you will still get some occasional nicks and razor burn (esp. at first) because the technique is completely different compared to a cartridge razor.

Definitely watch the Mantic videos and read the newbie instructions. Lots of helpful info there.

FWIW it's worth I started with a vintage Gillette adjustable razor. I'm glad I did b/c I really like the razor. The forum guys are right about the temptation to adjust, but I've been able to keep it under control b/c I'm paranoid about cutting my face. I don't think you could go wrong with a fixed head razor if that's what you end up getting. Based on handling the new Merkur adjustables in a store the other day, I tend to think the old Gillettes were much better made and better designed, IMHO.

 

[Milton]

My whole life ive avoided shaving, I have always used a cartridge razor, ive tried the mach3's, quattros, disposables - anyways, they all have been fine - except for 2 or 3 days later when the hair on my face starts growing back.. my hair always feels really sharp coming back through my sensitive skin and causes irritation,zits, and bumps.. I have recently tried a philips electric shaver and it was the same situation.

I pretty much gave up on close shaves and have stuck with using a hair clipper to take it down to a 5-o'clock shadow look..

Anyhow, someone suggested i try a safety razor as they said it cuts above the follicle and my hair wouldn't break the skin growing back ? After looking into DE shavers i thought maybe an adjustable on a really low setting might work ?

I was pretty much in the same boat as you (irritated skin, keeping the 5 o'clock shadow look to avoid shaving). I broke down and bought a DE after my electric razor broke down finally.

If you are prone to acne, and even if your not, I'd recommend Thayer's Lavender Witch Hazel. Fantastic stuff. Very good with sensitive skin IMHO.