How do you guys deal with razor bumps/ingrown hairs

[Slapo]

I have a trouble area on one side of my neck where I seemed to be getting bumps almost at random.
After a lot of observation, trial and error, here's what I found out.

• Prep makes a substantial difference - if I clean my face with plain bar soap (sodium hydroxide, animal/vegetable fat and nothing else if possible) before shaving, it reduces bumps massively.
• A single pass on the trouble area is enough for a close an presentable shave there. The direction is between across and against the grain, although this might be different for you.
  
• Blade flex is a source of a bunch of issues. When in doubt, use a shim both over and underneath a blade to reduce blade flex.
• Technique and angle matter. On my trouble spot, the hair seems to curl so it lies almost flat on the skin. When using a head with a safety bar/closed comb, I found it worthwhile to engage the safety bar, i.e. use a steeper angle. A Tech style head should be pretty good for this.
• Make sure it's not the shaving chemicals (software) that irritate your skin or get into pores so it could just look like they're bumps. When unsure, cleaning skin with soap an then using shaving oil (or a well filtered olive/coconut/sunflower/almond/apricot kernel oil/a bunch of other, gentle oils work just fine) with water splashed on it for extra glide help me rule out the soap.
• Metal allergy is also a possibility.
  
• Taking notes of what worked and what didn't might help you spot trends (obvious, I know, but having it written down makes it easier).

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[nimaranjbar]

Since you asked for suggestions on routine, I share mine. I used to suffer from occasional ingrowns and bumps. I have eventually settled on a certain routine that has proven I live a razor bump free life:
I shave in the morning but my routine starts at night before I go to bed:
- I wash face with face wash (Kiehl's Facial Fuel)
- Wipe my face with toner on a cotton pad. Wait 5 mins (meanwhile I brush me teeth).
- Apply Kiehl's Razor Bump relief on beard are. Wait 5 mins.
- Apply a facial Serum (Kiehl's Age Defender). Wait 5 mins.
- Apply moisturizer (Kiehl's Age Defender or Weleda).

In the morning:
- Wash face (normally while showering).
- Scrub my face (thrice a week). I use NYR facial scrub which is gentle and is designed as a pre shave scrub.
- Apply Pre shave (Proraso or EJ or both!). Massage it in for 2 mins. Wait for 5 mins. Then rinse.
- Apply lather (often super lather of my soap of the day+KMF cream..the KMF adds extra slickness).
- Shave (3-4 passes).
- Alum
- Thayer's (Alcohol free if my AS is alcohol based or with Alcohol if my AS is Alcohol free)
- AS (Alcohol based or Alcohol Free)
- ASB or moisturizer.

During the day, normally at 3-4 pm I wipe my face with a tea tree wipe.

Perhaps its too much, but it firsty this routine has proven to work great for me and secondly I enjoy it.
Hope this helps (and I wish your face a quick recovery)

 

[slybrewguy]

I find less is more for me as a whole but here are a few things that have drastically helped ME, ymmv but it doesn't hurt to try new things:

-slant razors or open comb (or both!)
-sharper blades
-don't use a blade more then 2 times (typically am using astras so $0.05 a shave is fine with me)
-alum bloc, alum bloc, alum bloc. This stuff has saved my neck
-alcohol based AS can be your friend, no balms or creams. My skin is still oily even after alum the alcohol as
-stay away from temperature extremes. I've tried hot water and cold water and both have their drawbacks, I get my best shaves with regular room temp water
-skipping days of shaving usually makes it worse for me. If I have irritation or any ingrowns I won't chase a BBS and will just take a good shave. But the key is to still shave, removes minor layers of skin helping the hairs not want to dig in as hard

If you have a really stubborn ingrown this here is a freaking magical potion to make it reduce drastically and go away entirely within a day: aspirin! I buy the cheapest store brand aspirin and if I get an ingrown I'll break it in half, wet my skin, wet the pill, and gently rub it around until the bump has a white paste on it. Leave it there to dry. No joke my friend... Within two hours the redness will be mostly gone and size reduced and by the next day the bump will be gone and the hair exposed enough for you to pull out.

You also can mix a few crushed aspirin in a spray bottle with witch hazel. Great for razor burn and ingrowns and acne and blemishes.

 

[Mikali]

I use a exfoliator gel from Nivea for Men, about 2-3 times a week.
Furthermore as said above try to use as less possible pressure, and try to avoid to touch your face with your hands throughout the day ! Seems silly but I started to notice that I touched my face quite a lot and since I was mindfull about it I tend to have a lot less irritation.

 

[Mtn Man]

I have battled ingrown hairs my entire shaving life. Constant battle. I have gone from Sensor to Mach 3 to DE to Straight and now float between DE and Straight. I find for me it is the prep and technique that seem to matter more than the razor I use. I use a good facial scrub that takes off dead skin. Ask the girl at the drug store. I think it needs to contain "salacilic acid" sp? Brand doesn't matter there are lots that do the same thing.
I only shave WTG and slight XTG on jaw. I do not get BBS but this cuts down on in-growns dramatically. I find for me if a razor is not aggressive enough I have to go XTG more to get CCS and then I get more in-growns. The Kai blades seem to have more protrusion and get more on the first pass for me if I am using a less aggressive razor.
What it seems to come down to with my face is If I cut the hair below the skin line I get ingrowns. If I cut them at or above I get less.
Hope any of that might be useful info.

 

[Mtn Man]

If you have a really stubborn ingrown this here is a freaking magical potion to make it reduce drastically and go away entirely within a day: aspirin! I buy the cheapest store brand aspirin and if I get an ingrown I'll break it in half, wet my skin, wet the pill, and gently rub it around until the bump has a white paste on it. Leave it there to dry. No joke my friend... Within two hours the redness will be mostly gone and size reduced and by the next day the bump will be gone and the hair exposed enough for you to pull out.

You also can mix a few crushed aspirin in a spray bottle with witch hazel. Great for razor burn and ingrowns and acne and blemishes.[/QUOTE]

Slybrewguy,
We must of been typing at the same time. Asparin is "acetylsalicylic acid" maybe it is similar to the chemical in the facial scrubs. Anyone out there smarter than me and know?

 

[slybrewguy]

If you have a really stubborn ingrown this here is a freaking magical potion to make it reduce drastically and go away entirely within a day: aspirin! I buy the cheapest store brand aspirin and if I get an ingrown I'll break it in half, wet my skin, wet the pill, and gently rub it around until the bump has a white paste on it. Leave it there to dry. No joke my friend... Within two hours the redness will be mostly gone and size reduced and by the next day the bump will be gone and the hair exposed enough for you to pull out.

You also can mix a few crushed aspirin in a spray bottle with witch hazel. Great for razor burn and ingrowns and acne and blemishes.

Slybrewguy,
We must of been typing at the same time. Asparin is "acetylsalicylic acid" maybe it is similar to the chemical in the facial scrubs. Anyone out there smarter than me and know?[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure you are correct. I saw sharpologist do it then PAA put up a idea about it so I gave it a try and it worked great

 

[Brandon191]

A guy I watch on Youtube "Another Cut Above" uses The Cool Fix and seems to really like it.

 

[Surgeon]

I get ingrowns when my hairs are cut too short and close to the skin.

My solution is therefore, if you are like me: settle for a good shave and forget the perfect or bbs or whatever else. DE shaving is closer than cartridges so leave it at that. Just do one pass with the grain. Maybe an extra one across once in a while but that's it. I've tried everything else but in many places my hair grows too parallell to my skin. There's nothing I can do about it. If you're like me, just try that for a while and see if it works.

 

[drbabar]

Like your regimen. I use many of the same products, in particular, I like the Kiehl's stuff. I'm going to look into the NYR scrub.

Since you asked for suggestions on routine, I share mine. I used to suffer from occasional ingrowns and bumps. I have eventually settled on a certain routine that has proven I live a razor bump free life:
I shave in the morning but my routine starts at night before I go to bed:
- I wash face with face wash (Kiehl's Facial Fuel)
- Wipe my face with toner on a cotton pad. Wait 5 mins (meanwhile I brush me teeth).
- Apply Kiehl's Razor Bump relief on beard are. Wait 5 mins.
- Apply a facial Serum (Kiehl's Age Defender). Wait 5 mins.
- Apply moisturizer (Kiehl's Age Defender or Weleda).

In the morning:
- Wash face (normally while showering).
- Scrub my face (thrice a week). I use NYR facial scrub which is gentle and is designed as a pre shave scrub.
- Apply Pre shave (Proraso or EJ or both!). Massage it in for 2 mins. Wait for 5 mins. Then rinse.
- Apply lather (often super lather of my soap of the day+KMF cream..the KMF adds extra slickness).
- Shave (3-4 passes).
- Alum
- Thayer's (Alcohol free if my AS is alcohol based or with Alcohol if my AS is Alcohol free)
- AS (Alcohol based or Alcohol Free)
- ASB or moisturizer.

During the day, normally at 3-4 pm I wipe my face with a tea tree wipe.

Perhaps its too much, but it firsty this routine has proven to work great for me and secondly I enjoy it.
Hope this helps (and I wish your face a quick recovery)