Every day I am more in awe of RayClem’s knowledge. I feel like we should get together and commission a statue.
It definitely could be, but it’s somewhat odd to me that it’s on both of my cheeks right above the jaw line. Very itchy and the entire patch of cheek is red, not just the bumps.Like one of RayClem's points, the Nacet is a significantly sharper blade than some of the ones you mention, e.g. Astra SP. I am wondering if you might be getting a bit of razor burn by unintentionally pushing too hard or going over the area too many times.
The only time I had razor irritation, not quite burn, it was because I went from a smooth/dull blade to a very sharp different blade, but still went over the same areas too many times, like I needed to with the smooth blade. The sharper blade caused irritation, which for me was itchiness.
Could it be razor burn for you?
It definitely could be, but it’s somewhat odd to me that it’s on both of my cheeks right above the jaw line. Very itchy and the entire patch of cheek is red, not just the bumps.
Well I'm going to try to focus on the pressure going forward as I may be using too much. It does seem that when I really concentrate on minimal pressure I have a lot less or even zero irritation. If this issue is just my technique and I can get that dialed in I'll be very, very happy. I've been very reluctant to change anything in my routine as I want to nail down what the issue is. If it's simply technique this will open the door to venturing out and trying new soaps with fragrance!If your irritation starts just above the jawline, that is a good indicator that you are shaving with too much pressure. Your cheeks are fairly elastic. If you push on them, they will give. When you get to the jawline, there is very little give due to the bony structure beneath. Thus, your skin will get trapped between the blade and the bone.
Hold the razor lightly between your fingers. You do not want to be so loose that you drop it or lose control of the direction in which the razor is moving. But you do not want a death grip on it. You want to control the razor but apply only enough pressure to keep the blade in contact with your skin.
@RayClem and @spacemonkey42 noted that pressure could be the culprit. Subconsciously, you could be applying less pressure when using base plate 6 because of your brain's awareness to the blade gap differentials.After my second shave with the Personna Reds I can safely say I have had absolutely zero issues with irritation. Now, I have been really focusing on technique so that could be the reason. Another thing that I was thinking about is this. When shaving with the Winning Razor, Gillette Tech and the Rockwell 6C on on milder plates I was getting the irritation, but I my last two shaves have been using plate 6. Is it possible that my skin didn't like the mildness of these razors and I'm better off using more aggressive blade gaps?
After my second shave with the Personna Reds I can safely say I have had absolutely zero issues with irritation. Now, I have been really focusing on technique so that could be the reason. Another thing that I was thinking about is this. When shaving with the Winning Razor, Gillette Tech and the Rockwell 6C on on milder plates I was getting the irritation, but I my last two shaves have been using plate 6. Is it possible that my skin didn't like the mildness of these razors and I'm better off using more aggressive blade gaps?
I subconsciously have a habit of not paying attention as much as I should when I go mild. When I use a more aggressive razor I focus on the pressure much more so as not to nick myself. I feel like that may be my issue. I’ll continue using the aggressive plate and focus more. Assuming that will work I believe I was using too much pressure. Hopefully that’s the case which opens up my world to a wider array of razors.Often when shaver use a razor that is rather mild, they will try to compensate by adding pressure. When shaving with a more aggressive razor, they get more blade feel and back off on the pressure. Whether you are using an aggressive or a mild razor, you should consciously avoid using pressure. Also a sharper blade in a razor tends to make it more aggressive. d
I am unusual in my shaving technique in that I often use four different razors equipped with four different blades. I will start off with a more aggressive razor with a less sharp blade for my first pass just to knock down the overall beard growth. Then as I go to the XTG and ATG passes, I will use less aggressive razors with sharper blades. Then I will do a 4th clean-up pass with a combination of XTG and ATG strokes with buffing using a very mild razor with a super sharp blade such as a Nacet. That clean-up pass witll remove any stubble missed by the earlier passes. In every case, however, I try to minimize pressure. I have very sensitive skin that won't tolerate pressure from the blade.
Keep an eye on Above the Tie, he frequently has vintage re-plates ready to go. I think there are couple others...Well I think I have figured it out … a nickel allergy, not stainless steel. I was using vintage Gillettes for a while and they’re nickel plated. Every time I switched to my Rockwell 6C the bumps would go away. I sold the vintage Gillettes because I was hooked on the Rockwell. Fast forward a few weeks and I picked up a Gillette Slim because I missed using it. After 3 days of using it, guess what … itchy, red bumps again. I stopped using it and went back to the Rockwell and no more bumps. Crazy! I liked using the Slim but unless I have it replated in something other than nickel I guess I’ll just stick to aluminum and chrome plated razors. Currently have a BST to get rid of a bunch of vintage Gillettes. I’ll have to see if sticking to non-nickel razors alleviates the issue.