Constant ingrown hairs

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I had a bout of blind pimples (red, irritated and with no heads) in this Summer, which was something that used to happen from time to time whenever I shaved for extended periods of time.

I learned a few things about the steps that suit me in shaving, these might help you or not but it is worth sharing:

# I stopped chasing BBS, that helped.

# I discard blade as soon as I feel it to be a bit tugging, that means a DE blade will last me anywhere from 2 to 8 shaves.

I like using Feather blades, Gillette Nacet, Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum and Shark Super Chrome blades.
# I changed the order of aftershave items to - alum rub (occasionally), Witch Hazel, aftershave balm (unscented) and finally alcohol based aftershave (occasionally).

# I also use Hyaluronic acid with my aftershave balm to hydrate my skin as needed.

# I clean my shaving gears after every shave, it might seem redundant but in case of skin irritation, flare ups and bumps it helps to eliminate as many factors as possible to be sure of the reason for irritation.

# I shifted to more efficient razors and that actually helped me.
I use Game Changer 84 Open Comb, Wunderbar and Feather Artist Club Kamisori style razor with Feather Professional blades (Single Edge).

# I shave alternative days to eliminate the chance of skin irritation.

# I use warm towel as pre shave prep for my face, that helps in getting a close and comfortable shave.

Cold water shave doesn't agree with my skin for longer periods of time, it is OK for an occasional day.

# I use Clubman Pinaud Shaving Cream as pre shave for when my skin needs some help.

In short, do observe what factors help you and change one factor at a time.

Definitely visit a Dermatologist, a professional advice is always best.

RazoRock Wunderbar and Feather Artist Club Kamisori style razor provides the best shave among the dozen or so razors that I've tried.

 

[TheBeast]

I had a bout of blind pimples (red, irritated and with no heads) in this Summer, which was something that used to happen from time to time whenever I shaved for extended periods of time.

I learned a few things about the steps that suit me in shaving, these might help you or not but it is worth sharing:

# I stopped chasing BBS, that helped.

# I discard blade as soon as I feel it to be a bit tugging, that means a DE blade will last me anywhere from 2 to 8 shaves.

I like using Feather blades, Gillette Nacet, Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum and Shark Super Chrome blades.
# I changed the order of aftershave items to - alum rub (occasionally), Witch Hazel, aftershave balm (unscented) and finally alcohol based aftershave (occasionally).

# I also use Hyaluronic acid with my aftershave balm to hydrate my skin as needed.

# I clean my shaving gears after every shave, it might seem redundant but in case of skin irritation, flare ups and bumps it helps to eliminate as many factors as possible to be sure of the reason for irritation.

# I shifted to more efficient razors and that actually helped me.
I use Game Changer 84 Open Comb, Wunderbar and Feather Artist Club Kamisori style razor with Feather Professional blades (Single Edge).

# I shave alternative days to eliminate the chance of skin irritation.

# I use warm towel as pre shave prep for my face, that helps in getting a close and comfortable shave.

Cold water shave doesn't agree with my skin for longer periods of time, it is OK for an occasional day.

# I use Clubman Pinaud Shaving Cream as pre shave for when my skin needs some help.

In short, do observe what factors help you and change one factor at a time.

Definitely visit a Dermatologist, a professional advice is always best.

RazoRock Wunderbar and Feather Artist Club Kamisori style razor provides the best shave among the dozen or so razors that I've tried.

Great tips. I will see what I can do to improve my preparation and pre-shave routine and I'll get inspired by your exprience.

 

[Ron R]

Yup, seems impossible. I am currently looking into trying a shavette. I'm thinking about Parker SRX.

A real good combination for a shavette is a AC clone or something along that line because you will enjoy the blades better possibly when learning how to use one. The guarded blade will shave close enough and prevents the blade from digging in for a cut. I really enjoyed my shaves after using these blades. I only get about 6 good shaves and toss it.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Jack Goossen]

Are you refering to the issue of the pressure used while shaving? Well I trained for two years from day one to not apply any, but I will keep trying.

Thank you for your answer. I am kind of afraid of what that might do, since my skin does not react to aggressive blades really well. And since a new razor is a considerable investment for me (student budget), plus seeing how much I have spent already for stuff I can't use, I'm really skeptic about this. Also, my second razor, the R89 was wholeheartedly recommended to me at first so I thought I was done with buying new razors. I would love to get new ones if I knew I would love using it, don't get me wrong, but I have to keep in mind that could be money thrown away since it doesn't have to solve anything. BUT I have been considering as a christmas gift for myself a Merkur Progress - adjustable seems like the best deal for my money.

I am willing to send you the little Fatip open comb.
You don't need a very sharp blade in an aggressive razor, so that should not keep you from trying.
I'm sure one of the gents here could advise what milder blade to load in the Fatip.
It would be sent from the Netherlands, so would take a little while to arrive if you live in the US.

 

[TheBeast]

QUICK UPDATE

My neck is getting better and healing after releasing some ingrowns last friday.

I have decided to pull the trigger on some new gear:
- Muhle R41 (open comb seems to have helped some guys to get rid of ingrowns)
- Parker 31R Shavette
- a lot of you have praised shavettes, I don't the budget for Feather Artist Club and special injector blades and need to use up my stock of DE blades)
- buying an AC clone from aliexpress doesn't really seem like the greatest ide for me personally
I have made sure that the store accepts returns and I will not think twice about getting my money back if those two doesn't work. I really don't like the idea of spending 50 bucks and getting no results. So I got myself an early christmas gift to try out for 14 days and then I will decide if I will keep or return them.

 

[TheBeast]

I am willing to send you the little Fatip open comb.
You don't need a very sharp blade in an aggressive razor, so that should not keep you from trying.
I'm sure one of the gents here could advise what milder blade to load in the Fatip.
It would be sent from the Netherlands, so would take a little while to arrive if you live in the US.

OH MY GOD!!! That is absolutely wholesome and generous of you. THANK YOU so much for the offer. Actually, we are nearly neighbors. I am located in Slovakia. I would absolutely love to try out the razor if you are willing to lend it to me!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

@TheBeast

I have read through this thread very carefully, and have a few different suggestions for you to try. Some may sound counterproductive at first, but bear with me...

Lather:
You say you make it thick and slick. Thick lather can sometimes "mute" the shave feel. A thinner lather, both in terms of density and applied thickness, might give you more feedback in hand and months face, as to what is happening.

With that aside, I think I might have an idea what is going wrong for you. I am going to guess that you are suffering from hair breakage.

1) You say you are a Uni student, so I am going to assume (rightly or wrongly) that your facial hair hasn't reached full strength/density yet.
2) You are doing a hot shower, facial cleanser AND pre-shave. That is a lot of prep, and might actually be OVER softening both the hair AND over softening the skin.
3) You are trying to cap ride with a particularly mild razor. A good razor, but one which is very angle sensitive.

If you haven't already read my guide here, I would recommend it.

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

In there, it explains about the risks of riding with the blade lifted off the skin, instead of shearing cleanly at the base.

For some people, having the blade cut "high", from having the razor too steep or too shallow, can tug on the hair and cause inflammation at the root.

In your case, this may be happening too, or you might actually be snapping (instead of cutting) the overly weakened "young" hair. A fractured hair shaft, combined with overly softened skin, might well be causing these ingrown hair problems.

As such, my recommendations to you are threefold.

First, ease back off the prep. Aim to leave the skin less vulnerable, and the hair more brittle than soft.

Second, aim for a thinner, wetter lather, to give you a better feel of what's happening in the shave.

Third. Keep the blade at the base of the hair. The R41 might actually help you with this. Being a more aggressive razor, it's more forgiving of angles errors, but less forgiving of pressure. (See my guide at the above link for more details on this). You are probably unlikely to shave high with the shavette too.

I think between these three steps, you will eliminate a lot of your problems. If so, and the new razors help, that means you haven't actually found the right angle with the R89 yet, and you may one day be able to get the shaves you want with that razor. Do try the others first though, as I think avoiding hair fractures is a bigger issue for you, than avoiding the occasional nick or weeper.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on

 

[Darth Scandalous]

I have no scientific basis for this, beyond my suspicions, but I've been using argan oil as a post shave. Argan oil is supposed to strengthen hairs, and my theory is that stronger hairs don't get trapped below the surface and ingrow. It also moisturizes my skin in a nongreasy way and is anticomedonegenic (is that a word?), in other words it supresses pimples.

I can't say that I've had zero ingrowns, as my chin is still a problem sometimes, but it definitely makes them less severe and they clear up faster.

 

[Col Rides To France]

Well done for asking for help. Many knowledgeable people here.

I too have suffered terribly with ingrown hairs. Especially right side- mid neck. I have local surgery 2x to remove infected hairs that I tried to dig out.

You are on the right track my journey to eliminate ingrowns has taken 40 years!!!
1. If possible shave only in the evening. (This has made a HUGE difference) apparently it takes a while for the face to wake up. If I shave very early in the morning I get bumps still.

2. dont shave 2 days in a row.
3. You might think you have mapped your beard- I thought I had but I was wrong. Try again. Take special notice on the worst part. I would bet a small area badly affected grows in a different direction. Notice how the blade feels (drags?) feel like going against the grain on velvet?
4. Do 2 passes. Just think beard reduction. Don’t try to get it all in 1 go.
5. The lightest lighted touch ZERO. Pressure so you almost drop the razor. (That’s why you have 2 really light passes
6. Preshave CREAM after the shower... lots... then wait 2-3 full minutes for to soak in.

7. Then I now use ARKO stick (cheap)& dab of proraso cream... big lather... really paying attention to scrubbing into the neck... this raises gets the hairs out. Boar brush is best (also cheap) as the boar has more backbone.
8. I now use a fatip open slant and Astra sp blade. Or Gillette Silver Blue.

Good luck young man. Hope this helps. Oh and an extra dab of preshave cream between passes rub palm of hand to feel where you missed, and gives freedback on beard mapping..

 

[TheBeast]

@TheBeast

I have read through this thread very carefully, and have a few different suggestions for you to try. Some may sound counterproductive at first, but bear with me...

Lather:
You say you make it thick and slick. Thick lather can sometimes "mute" the shave feel. A thinner lather, both in terms of density and applied thickness, might give you more feedback in hand and months face, as to what is happening.

With that aside, I think I might have an idea what is going wrong for you. I am going to guess that you are suffering from hair breakage.

1) You say you are a Uni student, so I am going to assume (rightly or wrongly) that your facial hair hasn't reached full strength/density yet.
2) You are doing a hot shower, facial cleanser AND pre-shave. That is a lot of prep, and might actually be OVER softening both the hair AND over softening the skin.
3) You are trying to cap ride with a particularly mild razor. A good razor, but one which is very angle sensitive.

If you haven't already read my guide here, I would recommend it.

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

In there, it explains about the risks of riding with the blade lifted off the skin, instead of shearing cleanly at the base.

For some people, having the blade cut "high", from having the razor too steep or too shallow, can tug on the hair and cause inflammation at the root.

In your case, this may be happening too, or you might actually be snapping (instead of cutting) the overly weakened "young" hair. A fractured hair shaft, combined with overly softened skin, might well be causing these ingrown hair problems.

As such, my recommendations to you are threefold.

First, ease back off the prep. Aim to leave the skin less vulnerable, and the hair more brittle than soft.

Second, aim for a thinner, wetter lather, to give you a better feel of what's happening in the shave.

Third. Keep the blade at the base of the hair. The R41 might actually help you with this. Being a more aggressive razor, it's more forgiving of angles errors, but less forgiving of pressure. (See my guide at the above link for more details on this). You are probably unlikely to shave high with the shavette too.

I think between these three steps, you will eliminate a lot of your problems. If so, and the new razors help, that means you haven't actually found the right angle with the R89 yet, and you may one day be able to get the shaves you want with that razor. Do try the others first though, as I think avoiding hair fractures is a bigger issue for you, than avoiding the occasional nick or weeper.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on

Oh wow! that is one hell of a comment. Great info! To give you even more insight into my situation, I have made my way up to this stage and procedure - meaning I started shaving like this: 1. warm water splash, 2. thin lather (didnt really know how to make it as thick as today), 3. shaving with what angle felt the best. Those shaves weren't the greatest.
The way I shave now, gave me the best results so far and I have tried numerous variations of leaving out certain things I did to find out if that was what caused the issue.
I will look into your reply and I will apply your tips and let you know. Thank you!

 

[TheBeast]

I have no scientific basis for this, beyond my suspicions, but I've been using argan oil as a post shave. Argan oil is supposed to strengthen hairs, and my theory is that stronger hairs don't get trapped below the surface and ingrow. It also moisturizes my skin in a nongreasy way and is anticomedonegenic (is that a word?), in other words it supresses pimples.

I can't say that I've had zero ingrowns, as my chin is still a problem sometimes, but it definitely makes them less severe and they clear up faster.

Yup, I had argain oil and used it without any change. Mind you, it was an oil with small content of argan oil, since pure argan oil is immensly expensive. But thanks for the tip anyways! I remember how I found out about the benefits of argan oil and the next day I bought a bottle.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Yup, I had argain oil and used it without any change. Mind you, it was an oil with small content of argan oil, since pure argan oil is immensly expensive. But thanks for the tip anyways! I remember how I found out about the benefits of argan oil and the next day I bought a bottle.

It's fortunately relatively cheap here and a little goes a long way.

 

[TheBeast]

Well done for asking for help. Many knowledgeable people here.

I too have suffered terribly with ingrown hairs. Especially right side- mid neck. I have local surgery 2x to remove infected hairs that I tried to dig out.

You are on the right track my journey to eliminate ingrowns has taken 40 years!!!
1. If possible shave only in the evening. (This has made a HUGE difference) apparently it takes a while for the face to wake up. If I shave very early in the morning I get bumps still.

2. dont shave 2 days in a row.
3. You might think you have mapped your beard- I thought I had but I was wrong. Try again. Take special notice on the worst part. I would bet a small area badly affected grows in a different direction. Notice how the blade feels (drags?) feel like going against the grain on velvet?
4. Do 2 passes. Just think beard reduction. Don’t try to get it all in 1 go.
5. The lightest lighted touch ZERO. Pressure so you almost drop the razor. (That’s why you have 2 really light passes
6. Preshave CREAM after the shower... lots... then wait 2-3 full minutes for to soak in.

7. Then I now use ARKO stick (cheap)& dab of proraso cream... big lather... really paying attention to scrubbing into the neck... this raises gets the hairs out. Boar brush is best (also cheap) as the boar has more backbone.
8. I now use a fatip open slant and Astra sp blade. Or Gillette Silver Blue.

Good luck young man. Hope this helps. Oh and an extra dab of preshave cream between passes rub palm of hand to feel where you missed, and gives freedback on beard mapping..

Thank you so much, great tips! I am glad you were able to find a solution and now can even teach me to do so!
Yup, I shave in the evening so I don't go out with irritated neck. I never shave 2 days in a row because the one time I tried it, it was terrible. I am looking at my pattern every day and I try to somehow force my skin and beard to tell me what the heck it needs! Actually, before a wedding I attended I did two passes HOPING it would give me a few hours of really clean look and no redness and it actually went better than I expected so I will try some more. I am using proraso preshave and letting it soak while I load and desinfect the razor and load my boar brush with soap.
So again, I will go through this carefully and try everything. Thank you!

 

[Col Rides To France]

Good luck. Light touch light...

Christmas is coming, change of blade may also really help... Gillette Saloon pack really smooth for me, Astra Sp (green) Nacet & Gillette silver blue ask Santa for blades.

 

[TheBeast]

Good luck. Light touch light...

Christmas is coming, change of blade may also really help... Gillette Saloon pack really smooth for me, Astra Sp (green) Nacet & Gillette silver blue ask Santa for blades.

Well unfortunatelly, we do not celebrate christmas in our household. The reasons which I don't agree with at all, don't need to be further discussed. Since I'm living in the house of my parents, I have to abide by their rules. So no santa for me. But hey! I always order any new blade I can get my hands on right away if it is reasonably priced with low or none (ebay) shipping cost. And I just ordered myself a nice gift as well in the form of a new razor and a shavette.

 

[TheBeast]

I may have done this at the start of the thread, but anyways, I decided to share a picture of my most troublesome area. This is taken 4 days after the shave and is mostly healed. All the hairs that were trapped are either plucked completely or pulled from under the skin to grow out and to be shaven. @AimlessWanderer

 

[AimlessWanderer]

This is taken 4 days after the shave and is mostly healed. All the hairs that were trapped are either plucked completely or pulled from under the skin to grow out and to be shaven. @AimlessWandererView attachment 1374450

Yeah, I'm going to stick with my theory, for now. It's not easy to be sure on my phone, but those hairs don't all look cleanly cut.

Actually, before a wedding I attended I did two passes HOPING it would give me a few hours of really clean look and no redness and it actually went better than I expected so I will try some more.

Interesting. That meshes nicely with what I was going to suggest next...

I'll do you some sketches if I need to, but hopefully words will paint a clear enough picture to start with.

Imagine sharpening a pencil with a knife... but a fair way back from the point. Imagine that blade going all the way through the pencil in one swipe at a sharpening angle. That is essentially what one pass with the grain shave will give you, a tapered cut, which leaves a long chamfered tail on the hair.

The theory with doing this to avoid ingrown hairs, is that when the skin and hair return to their normal level of hydration, that tapered tail stays outside of the follicle, and doesn't get snagged.

That theory doesn't work for everyone.

With a frizzy beard like mine, it can sometimes backfire on me. That tail is a sharp edge, on one side of the hair - specifically the side of the hair that is nearest the skin. For some people, they are better off "blunting" that sharp edge.

Imagine that pencil again, and imagine going two more passes in different directions. Now you have something that looks more like a conventionally sharpened pencil. The point is a duller "bullet tip" than it would be with one swipe, and the sharp point is not at the edge. This can/may (subject to skin and hair type) help guide a hair out of the follicle better if it retracts inside after the shave, and be less likely to stab it's way in from outside.

However... that's the NEXT step. worry about getting that first pass right, or as good as it can be, first, and then you can see if additional passes make things better or worse on YOUR beard.

Don't be tempted to try it yet, as if you change too many things at once, you won't know which changes are helping, and which are making it worse! Stick to the first step of cleaner cuts and avoiding hair fractures, which should hopefully get rid of most of the problems, and then look at whether additional passes make it better or worse later.

Of course, trying different pass diractions, means learning the razor angle all over again, so things might get a little worse before they get better on Step 2.

 

[TheBeast]

Yeah, I'm going to stick with my theory, for now. It's not easy to be sure on my phone, but those hairs don't all look cleanly cut.



Interesting. That meshes nicely with what I was going to suggest next...

I'll do you some sketches if I need to, but hopefully words will paint a clear enough picture to start with.

Imagine sharpening a pencil with a knife... but a fair way back from the point. Imagine that blade going all the way through the pencil in one swipe at a sharpening angle. That is essentially what one pass with the grain shave will give you, a tapered cut, which leaves a long chamfered tail on the hair.

The theory with doing this to avoid ingrown hairs, is that when the skin and hair return to their normal level of hydration, that tapered tail stays outside of the follicle, and doesn't get snagged.

That theory doesn't work for everyone.

With a frizzy beard like mine, it can sometimes backfire on me. That tail is a sharp edge, on one side of the hair - specifically the side of the hair that is nearest the skin. For some people, they are better off "blunting" that sharp edge.

Imagine that pencil again, and imagine going two more passes in different directions. Now you have something that looks more like a conventionally sharpened pencil. The point is a duller "bullet tip" than it would be with one swipe, and the sharp point is not at the edge. This can/may (subject to skin and hair type) help guide a hair out of the follicle better if it retracts inside after the shave, and be less likely to stab it's way in from outside.

However... that's the NEXT step. worry about getting that first pass right, or as good as it can be, first, and then you can see if additional passes make things better or worse on YOUR beard.

Don't be tempted to try it yet, as if you change too many things at once, you won't know which changes are helping, and which are making it worse! Stick to the first step of cleaner cuts and avoiding hair fractures, which should hopefully get rid of most of the problems, and then look at whether additional passes make it better or worse later.

Of course, trying different pass diractions, means learning the razor angle all over again, so things might get a little worse before they get better on Step 2.

Wow, talk about in depth analysation, I like this stuff! All of this is going to my list of possible solutions to try out - one by one. And I do have a list, literally on paper haha. Thanks again!

 

[Oliviamaynard]

Tend skin is a great product and works. Ingrown Hair Solution | Helps Reduce Razor Bumps - https://www.tendskin.com/

 

[BigJ]

Another vote for a dermatologist. Sorry, but it looks like you have tried most everything.