Giving up hope for fixing my ingrown hair problem!

[jjking54]

Hello!

My routine before shaving:

1. Putting safety razor, blade and brush into hot water while I am showering.

2. Hot shower.

3. Assemble the blade onto the razor and fixing a good lather with my shaving brush.

4. Letting the cream stay on for about 1-2 minutes, before the shaving begins.

5. Shaving with the grain, never against it. First round done.

6. Rinse with hot water on my face and applying new shaving cream on my face, while doing this I leave my razor with the blade in the hot water.

7. Shaving with the grain once again and when everything is set and done, rinse with cold water on my face. Finally applying a aftershave.


My current setup:

Merkur 34C
Tabac Orginal Soap
Merkur Super Platinum, I tested about 8 brands and this gives me the least problems.
Edwin Jagger Shaving Brush
Nivea Men Sensitive After Shave Balm

Couple of thoughts ... why are you warming the blade and razor in hot water? I have to wonder if the heat of the blade isn't making things worse, because it seems like such an outlier. I've never heard of anyone doing that.

Here's what helped me, and I endured neck bumps and ingrown hairs for YEARS before switching to DE shaving. Like you, I STILL had problems when I switched to a DE. Here's what helped me.

1. ABSOLUTELY no pressure. NONE. If you think you're shaving without pressure, I'll challenge you to go even lighter. And make sure your angle is right.
2. Stop using Nivea Balm. I know a lot of guys use it without issue, but I've come to realize that I need an astringent routine AFTER my shave in order to assist in healing and facefeel. I used a balm for years and once I stopped, my neck bumps were gone.
3. Adopt an astringent post shave routine. Cool water rinse, followed by a splash of good quality witch hazel. I love Thayer's Medicated. Finally, an alcohol based aftershave splash. Consider something like Fine aftershaves or Clubman. I started using Clubman when I first switched to splashes over balms and had great success. Whatever you use, by and large, doesn't matter as long as it has some alcohol in it. I prefer the Fine stuff now, or Barrister and Mann aftershaves, because I enjoy their scents and my facefeel is better over Clubman.
4. Take a day off between shaves. Oh ... and ONLY one pass. That's really all you need.

You can experiment with other things ... in time I found out that my dad's old Ball End Tech Gillette gave me the absolute best shave of all the razors I tried, so now it's the one I reach for when I shave.

Good luck!

 

[xxvaleria]

Check out this thread

A gift for men with folliculitis

 

[mars]

Warming the razor and blade in hot water before shaving is not at all unusual or uncommon. Now, doing the blade separate from the razor seems a little odd.

Couple of thoughts ... why are you warming the blade and razor in hot water? I have to wonder if the heat of the blade isn't making things worse, because it seems like such an outlier. I've never heard of anyone doing that.

Here's what helped me, and I endured neck bumps and ingrown hairs for YEARS before switching to DE shaving. Like you, I STILL had problems when I switched to a DE. Here's what helped me.

1. ABSOLUTELY no pressure. NONE. If you think you're shaving without pressure, I'll challenge you to go even lighter. And make sure your angle is right.
2. Stop using Nivea Balm. I know a lot of guys use it without issue, but I've come to realize that I need an astringent routine AFTER my shave in order to assist in healing and facefeel. I used a balm for years and once I stopped, my neck bumps were gone.
3. Adopt an astringent post shave routine. Cool water rinse, followed by a splash of good quality witch hazel. I love Thayer's Medicated. Finally, an alcohol based aftershave splash. Consider something like Fine aftershaves or Clubman. I started using Clubman when I first switched to splashes over balms and had great success. Whatever you use, by and large, doesn't matter as long as it has some alcohol in it. I prefer the Fine stuff now, or Barrister and Mann aftershaves, because I enjoy their scents and my facefeel is better over Clubman.
4. Take a day off between shaves. Oh ... and ONLY one pass. That's really all you need.

You can experiment with other things ... in time I found out that my dad's old Ball End Tech Gillette gave me the absolute best shave of all the razors I tried, so now it's the one I reach for when I shave.

Good luck!

 

[MursesAnonymous]

Google BUPERINST 1000.22B or "Navy PFB"...form the pictures and your description you more than likely have what the military calls
PSEUDOFOLLICULITIS BARBAE (PFB) or you guest it - ingrown hairs from shaving. The instruction (BUPERINST 1000.22B) gives some ok guidelines to use. I don't recommend the Rentin-A (burns and besides you may need a prescription for it anyway) and you can use Neosporin for the Vioform-HC.

The best thing for it...don't shave (sucks if you enjoy wet shaving, but it is what it is). Most civilian doc's won't even know what PFB is unless they have a military background (pretty sure the diagnosis "PFB" was invented by the military due to shaving requirements/think I read that in one of my Derm books).

My patients that have a serious case say that they can tolerate straight shaves every 2-3 days without irritation. I haven't confirmed this medically. Take it for what its worth. Also, I'm a straight user so I push it every chance I get.

Unless you get super red skin (like sunburn red), the area feels hot like just that area has a fever, and/or you have a large amount of pus coming out (cellulitis-i.e. skin infection) a Derm doc is probably a waste of money.

Disclaimer: this is just recommendations I have from my non-medical school experience treating military guys for 15 yrs. I can practice medicine on AD military folks (kind of like a PA) but have no civilian credentials...take what I say as educated suggestions.

Surprised the Navy isn't recommending they take Motrin, change their socks, or hydrate. That was the standard answer for every ailment there was for the longest time.


Pseudofolliculitis barbae it is. I did some research into this when I started also. A few things will help greatly.

1) Dont try to shave too close. Don't pull your skin taut or shave against the grain. Trimming the hair too close to the skin allows the hair to curl and grow back into the skin, which creates the problem.
2) Exfoliate daily. I use a large facial brush and soap and exfoliate in the shower after my skin has had a little time to soften. This removed dead skin and will gradually release the trapped hair.
3) The use of alpha-hydroxyl acid, glycolic acid, or retnin containing products daily was shown in medical case studies to drastically reduce the occurrence of ingrown hairs when used in about 8% concentration if I remember correctly. I can't remember the exact numbers but I think it was over 80% clearance. You can get toners and face lotions with glycolic acid in them, and they work just fine. Dollar Shave Club also sells some Miracle Repair Serum which is a glycolic acid lotion and it works very well. Apply a glycolic or other AHA containing lotion daily as a moisturizer.
4) Use an aftershave that fights inflammation. Witch hazel is one of the better ones for me personally. Just stay away from the Thayers, as most people find the store brands work better.
5) Make sure your blades are sharp and you're minimizing the number of passes whenever possible. Irritation of the face means the skin around the hair follicles will become inflamed, which causes them to swell above the level of the cut hairs, which allows the hairs to become trapped.

I used all of this and found a routine that worked for me and I've been ingrown hair free for over a year now.

 

[MursesAnonymous]

Check out this thread

A gift for men with folliculitis

Looking at the ingredient list for this stuff, notice glycolic acid is about the 4th or 5th item down, which would likely put it at or under 10%

 

[Snackbar]

Hello everybody and WOW!
I gotten very good advice from several people and it is amazing.

The progress I have done so far:


1. Changed to cold shaving.

This has reduced the amount off ingrown hair (red dots) on my neck area after the actual shave and also for the day after that.


2. Changed razor to a Merkur 37C.

This razor is more a "tug" razor it doesnt shave off as good as my previous 34C but honestly I have no idéa if it has changed the ingrown hair problem at all.

3. Bought a bunch off DE Blades

About 21 brands in total and so far only tested Lord (OK) and Merkur (Much better for the neck area), the selection off brands and razor are still going on and it will take me some month(s) to see which one suits me best.



The problem is still there guys all due even if it put no pressure at all on the neck area the ingrown hair will occur after some hours.


Today I will shave so I will take a pic before shaving and one after shaving with a last one that will show my neck area after one day off not shaving (the day after results).




EDIT: I will also change my aftershave to the "The Cool Fix" and update everybody.
The pictures will probably arrive in later today in a new post.

 

[rabidus]

Shim the 34C.

Check link below!

Was looking for some definition and help

 

[Snackbar]

Shim the 34C.

Check link below!

Was looking for some definition and help

I read the whole thread and have no idéa why this would change my problem or solve it...but will try and post with the pictures in a new post.

 

[rabidus]

You need a rigid blade that's going to slice your stubble cleanly.

I gave a friend of mine a postwar Tech, which is one of the best razors ever made, and his bumps are pretty much all gone. Little by little I noticed his neck clearing up.

I've never used a slant and probably never will. I only use razor that supports the blade fully with the baseplate.

My top two razors are the Gillette '48 Aristocrat and Postwar Tech. Rounding third and forth are the Colonial General with Kai mild PINK blades and Schick injectors.

There a few modern DE razors that I recommended in the other thread.

Try not to cut too much off the shim as possible, the wider the better.

 

[Esox]

I agree with rabidus Following his advice has helped me a great deal.

The tug you're feeling is quite likely the blade flexing in the razor. A shim may help stiffen the blade up and lessen the tuggy feeling. I might also suggest a blade more known for it's sharpness. Polsilver SI are my favorites being nearly as sharp as a Feather but much smoother on my skin. The stiffer the blade, the less tugging you should feel because the blade cant flex when it contacts and starts to cut the stubble. The sharper the blade, the easier it can cut. Combine both a rigid and sharp blade, and together they work more easily and effectively.

 

[Bookie]

Beard map
Mild razoor sharp blade or mid aggressive razor mild blade.
Beard map

My beard grows upwards from the bottom of the neck to the middle of the neck , then from the jawline to the middle downwards.
I was always having an issue when shaving until I learned about beard mapping.
Now my lower neck which was the problem is the only area that gets one more pass xtg without irritation with whatever razor I use, from Shavette, DE or cartridge