I'd also stick with the Tech until he works through all the other options. But I personally can't get a BBS from a Tech without getting irritation because it's so mild. So if I want a close shave from a Tech, I have to blade buff like mad, add passes, etc. and that gives me irritation from all that extra action. Or I can get a comfortable shave with no irritation, but not a very close one. And this sounds pretty similar to what OP is describing. It's very possible that I'm not that good at shaving, but going more aggressive is an easy cheat for me.
I'd also stick with the Tech until he works through all the other options. But I personally can't get a BBS from a Tech without getting irritation because it's so mild. So if I want a close shave from a Tech, I have to blade buff like mad, add passes, etc. and that gives me irritation from all that extra action. Or I can get a comfortable shave with no irritation, but not a very close one. And this sounds pretty similar to what OP is describing. It's very possible that I'm not that good at shaving, but going more aggressive is an easy cheat for me.
What about your skin? Is your skin sensitive to other things like touch or clothing? Do you notice whelps to blotches from jackets or masks?
I'm a nurse and I didn't think of this! Well done with the elementary question!
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- #24
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Benjamin Moran
I discovered the quote button finally... To answer your question, no. I can’t remember the last time anything but my razor caused skin irritation. I could roll around in Poison ivy like a dog and it doesn’t do a thing for me.
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Thank you! I have about one good question a month so I think I'm all tapped out.
Have other razors caused similar irritation?
Now I am going to say something no one else has said in this thread. Could be blade angle. Just my .02.
If you came from carts and they didn't bother you like this, that could be your culprit. Carts with pivoting heads make the job easier and your brain can shave your face on auto pilot because it doesn't have to put a lot of effort into the action.
If you play around with the angle and you still have issues, maybe you should look into electric razors. No reason to punish yourself. Us clowns will still enjoy your contributions to this forum if you turn away from the light.
Amen. Carts ARE wet shaving. As I say on here all the time: if Gillette Sensors were still cheap you folks would never have met me.Have other razors caused similar irritation?
Now I am going to say something no one else has said in this thread. Could be blade angle. Just my .02.
If you came from carts and they didn't bother you like this, that could be your culprit. Carts with pivoting heads make the job easier and your brain can shave your face on auto pilot because it doesn't have to put a lot of effort into the action.
If you play around with the angle and you still have issues, maybe you should look into electric razors. No reason to punish yourself. Us clowns will still enjoy your contributions to this forum if you turn away from the light.
You are welcome!
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- #28
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Benjamin Moran
Have other razors caused similar irritation?
Now I am going to say something no one else has said in this thread. Could be blade angle. Just my .02.
If you came from carts and they didn't bother you like this, that could be your culprit. Carts with pivoting heads make the job easier and your brain can shave your face on auto pilot because it doesn't have to put a lot of effort into the action.
If you play around with the angle and you still have issues, maybe you should look into electric razors. No reason to punish yourself. Us clowns will still enjoy your contributions to this forum if you turn away from the light.
Never going to happen. It’s DE or die. I will get it dialed in. The burn is a nuisance but after half an hour my face looks and feels normal. Small price to pay when you found your zen.
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You'll get it. If you aren't easily irritated by chemicals (soap) I'd be pretty sure it's your angle. Or blade? I can have reactions sometimes to different coatings on blades. But try to shave with the cap of the razor closer to your face instead of the handle closer to your face.
Can you get an irritation free shave, **guaranteed**, if you only do a single WTG pass shave?
Ok, irritation and razor burn are almost always the result of poor technique. I'm going to say 99.9 percent of the time, so this is going to be your problem. Switching blades, razors, etc aren't going to solve your problem as there are no magic tools that won't give you irritation with poor technique. With technique I'm talking about using in improper angle or too much pressure. This is what you are doing wrong. You're not alone as it's what we all do wrong when starting out.
You ever hear the old adage "It's a poor mechanic that blames his tools"? Same deal here, switching your hardware and software are likely part of your problem as well. Every time you switch it up you're likely slowing your progress. Pick one setup and stick with it while you're learning. Done deviate from it for at least a month.
It's going to take you a month or so of shaves to retrain your muscle memory from the cart razors. We all grew up smashing a cart razor into our faces and dragging it to clear the stubble. While Gillette might tell you so to sell their products, this is not "The best a man can get". You are going to be doing the same smash and drag thing (to some extent) with a de razor without even realizing it. This is what you need to avoid.
My recommendation would be to choose the soap you like the best along with a good performing blade (maybe Astra SP) and your favorite brush and razor and use that setup daily for at least a month. Follow your shaves with a good aftershave balm and forget all about perfection for a while. Don't blade buff or try to get a perfect shave. You'll get good enough shaves that nobody will know that they are less that perfect but you. Your goal is to get a decent shave that is comfortable. No irritation or razor burn. Your shaves will get better as the days go by and before you know it you'll be getting perfect shaves. It kinda sneaks up on you and all of a sudden your shaves are so much better.
You do have to focus on your technique though. Put the cap on your face and lower the handle angle until you just start hearing it cut as you start your first pass. This is the angle you want and the angle is important as you're scraping a very sharp object on your face. Too much angle and it's like your scraping paint off a house, too little angle and you're not cutting anything. Pressure is just enough to keep the razor on your face and nothing more. Practice this with every shave and focus on what you are doing.
You can pick up an alum block for around six bucks as an excellent learning tool. Just wet it with some cold water and rub it on your face after each shave. Where it stings a little, you used too much pressure or an improper angle. Where it feels good you did well. Rinse your face after the alum, before you apply your aftershave.
You ever hear the old adage "It's a poor mechanic that blames his tools"? Same deal here, switching your hardware and software are likely part of your problem as well. Every time you switch it up you're likely slowing your progress. Pick one setup and stick with it while you're learning. Done deviate from it for at least a month.
It's going to take you a month or so of shaves to retrain your muscle memory from the cart razors. We all grew up smashing a cart razor into our faces and dragging it to clear the stubble. While Gillette might tell you so to sell their products, this is not "The best a man can get". You are going to be doing the same smash and drag thing (to some extent) with a de razor without even realizing it. This is what you need to avoid.
My recommendation would be to choose the soap you like the best along with a good performing blade (maybe Astra SP) and your favorite brush and razor and use that setup daily for at least a month. Follow your shaves with a good aftershave balm and forget all about perfection for a while. Don't blade buff or try to get a perfect shave. You'll get good enough shaves that nobody will know that they are less that perfect but you. Your goal is to get a decent shave that is comfortable. No irritation or razor burn. Your shaves will get better as the days go by and before you know it you'll be getting perfect shaves. It kinda sneaks up on you and all of a sudden your shaves are so much better.
You do have to focus on your technique though. Put the cap on your face and lower the handle angle until you just start hearing it cut as you start your first pass. This is the angle you want and the angle is important as you're scraping a very sharp object on your face. Too much angle and it's like your scraping paint off a house, too little angle and you're not cutting anything. Pressure is just enough to keep the razor on your face and nothing more. Practice this with every shave and focus on what you are doing.
You can pick up an alum block for around six bucks as an excellent learning tool. Just wet it with some cold water and rub it on your face after each shave. Where it stings a little, you used too much pressure or an improper angle. Where it feels good you did well. Rinse your face after the alum, before you apply your aftershave.
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- #32
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Benjamin Moran
I can get an irritation free shave with one pass in any direction but my Air Force career requires me to be BBS every day and one pass doesn’t achieve that, sadly.
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Have you tried first pass ATG?
Is the irritation everywhere? Random? Neck only?
My first guess would be blade angle. I've never had the blade skip over part of my face, and I use as little pressure as I can muster.
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- #35
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Benjamin Moran
I haven’t tried first pass against the grain lately so maybe I’ll add that to the list of things I need to revisit. And the irritation is almost everywhere so I think some of these other members are right, it’s a technique issue.
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I use Neutrogena Razor Defense Face Scrub in the shower as a first pre-shave step then PAA's Cube 2.0 as a second step pre-shave. It mas made a huge difference.
So I just reread your original post and encountered the "I've been at this for five years" part. With that in mind I'd definitely recommend the alum block to see what you're doing wrong as whatever issues you're having should have likely worked themselves out by now. You're definitely doing something wrong though if you're getting irritation and razor burn after every shave.
In the mean time if you want some relief from irritation and razor burn do try a product called The Cool Fix from Shaveworks. A small bottle is around ten bucks and that's probably all you'll need to last you a good long time. You apply it to irritated razor burned skin, it stings like hell for about five seconds and it's like the razor burn never happened. It's like a magic reset button. It's not an alternative for proper technique but it'll get you out of a bind and take the irritation away completely so that you're shaving the next day. Even after the absolute worst razor burn.
In the mean time if you want some relief from irritation and razor burn do try a product called The Cool Fix from Shaveworks. A small bottle is around ten bucks and that's probably all you'll need to last you a good long time. You apply it to irritated razor burned skin, it stings like hell for about five seconds and it's like the razor burn never happened. It's like a magic reset button. It's not an alternative for proper technique but it'll get you out of a bind and take the irritation away completely so that you're shaving the next day. Even after the absolute worst razor burn.
Perhaps using cool-to-cold water for your shave could help prevent or mitigate your irritation?
Remember, too, to let your soap or cream soak into your bristles for 2-3 minutes before you apply the razor. Gillette themselves used to counsel this in the minimal instructions for their razors, while of course suggesting their own brand of shaving cream. It absolutely does work. If the soap or cream gets a little dry during that 3 minutes, just rinse it off and re-apply before wielding the razor.
If you've tried these things, then perhaps it is angle or lack of necessary pressure. The others here will know more than I will.
Remember, too, to let your soap or cream soak into your bristles for 2-3 minutes before you apply the razor. Gillette themselves used to counsel this in the minimal instructions for their razors, while of course suggesting their own brand of shaving cream. It absolutely does work. If the soap or cream gets a little dry during that 3 minutes, just rinse it off and re-apply before wielding the razor.
If you've tried these things, then perhaps it is angle or lack of necessary pressure. The others here will know more than I will.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I wrote this guide for newbies, but there may be something in the first four posts here for you too. The fourth post has a bit of a troubleshooting section which draws from what's discussed in the first three.
www.badgerandblade.com
The Wanderer's Guide To DE Shaving
Part One I was self taught with a DE razor 25 years ago, and had to figure out a lot of things the hard way. I learned a lot of things over the years, but wish there had been an experienced DE shaver who could have taught me the basics early on. This guide is offered so that you can get to...
www.badgerandblade.com
I‘m with Eben Stone. Try a more aggressive razor with one of the sharper blades from your stash and do only a one pass shave to see were this leads. You mentioned Mühle, a R41 and a Gillette Perma Sharp would give ME a damn fine one pass shave. If I do 3 passes with this setup it lasts for 36 hours. Good prep and skin stretching were also mentioned above.
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