I can't have a proper shave no matter what I try and it's affecting my mental health

[Thfa1]

This is gonna be a long post. I am 21 years old and I never had a father figure growing up. No one taught me how to shave or anything. I tried literally everything I could find on the internet but my neck always turns out be a red mess with ingrown hairs. I put soo much effort and time and money on shaving and the result is always the same. It’s destroying my mental health, I always feel furious right after a shave in the bathroom. I’m having anger issues just because of this. And it’s even hurting me more because after all the experimentation, the result is same.

I used DE safety razors, Mach3 razors and electric shavers. I tried shaving with those after a shower, after a steam bath. Used the hot towel technique. Tried washing my face with really cold water right after a shave. Always used an aftershave lotion-cream, there isn’t one time that I didn’t use an after shave cream. I tried all of the Nivea products and many other brands. I tried using moisturizers before a shave. I tried using a shave soap, shaving cream, shaving gel and even shaving foam for shaving. I tried all those stuff with products below. I literally tried all of the combinations just to see if it would work.

Disposable Razors: Trash.

DE Safety Razors: Tried with many different blades for about 4 months. The problem is my hair grows in all kind of directions on my neck; up-down-left-right etc. so I just can't have a shave where I go against the grain no matter how hard I try. Also, since the head is not moving, it does a terrible job on the contour of my neck. I watched 30+ video and read everything I could find. It doesn’t work. I have already sunk soo much time and effort into this and I won’t waste any more time or money on this.

Mach3 Razors: Best non-electric razor experience and yet it still doesn’t work. Just like the safety razor, mach3 has to go against the grain in some spots around my neck because hair grows in all kinda directions. And the results are no different.

Rotary Electric Shaver(Phillips): By far the best one, but still messes up my neck. Firstly, I passed on foil shavers because people said rotary shavers are better for those who have hair growing all kinda directions. First dry shave is amazing, no nicks-cuts or anything it’s just perfect. But the next day dry shaving is terrible; all my neck red. And when it comes to wet shaving, my neck is red all day. Wet shaving with the electric razor second day is worse, the third day is even worse and the fourth day, well I think you know it. Electric razor was the best one among the products but my neck is still a horrible mess.

My last step is to see a dermatologist. But if I do that I will have to pay a fortune because of insurance related stuff, I won’t discuss it here because it’s a whole different problem. I’m in a really special situation that I will have to pay a lot of money just see a doctor. But if I can’t find any solution I will pay that money and see a doctor. Please, please let's just keep the discussion about shaving.

So, at this point do you have any suggestions for me? I feel desperate.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

Shaving related ingrown hairs are the result, usually, of shaving too close. When you say you can't get a proper shave, what do you mean by "proper"? Baby butt smooth? How many passes on your neck are you taking?

Perhaps less passes with a razor that has a blade guard to prevent shaving below the surface of the skin on your neck is the solution.

 

[FarmerTan]

I'm an RN and a Cosmetologist. Let me think on this a bit. It can be especially tough on a man, especially a younger one, to not look our best, at least it was for me. My first thought though is to use a pivoting head cartridge with a lube strip, and not shave every single day. Unless your job requires it.

 

[Invicta]

Welcome to B&B.
Watching videos can be confusing as they don't always give you correct information; so stay away from them. Let us know which DE razor you are using. It may help just doing a single pass for now till your technique improves. It may be your skin sensitivity does not allow you to shave against the grain; this may improve in time.
You need a consistent blade angle with the DE so watch the angle; this may help:Blade Angle | Badger & Blade
Good preparation will help you achieve a comfortable shave; against there is helpful information in the Shave Wiki: ShaveWiki | Badger & Blade
Don't force the razor, let the blade do the work and don't press hard against the skin.

 

[Leverspro]

Sorry to hear of your problems. I hope you can keep it all in perspective. If all of your limbs work, your heart and your lungs and your vital organs then you have a lot to be thankful for. But that's not the advice you're looking for. I think everyone has swirls on their neck, that is, hairs that grow in every direction so there is no clear with the grain pass. But there is usually one pass that is least aggressive. Try a North to South pass with a very light touch, just the weight of the razor and then stop. Don't avoid so called aggressive razors, but use just one pass with a very efficient razor. Personally, I've found the Karve B plate to be just right. But cheaper options exist with vintage razors.
Don't give up, you'll figure it out. Every shave is a learning experience.

 

[BigJ]

Sorry!

A few suggestions:
1. It’s only shaving, so don’t let it affect your mental health! We are here to help!!
2. Give us a detailed run-down on what DE hardware and software you were using and on what you tried.
3. Read through the B+B Wiki: much better than most any other source of information.

Stick with this and you will get results!!

 

[DCRIII]

Perhaps find a good barber in your area that does shaves. Along with getting a nice shave, they might be able to share tips and tricks that'll help you shave more effectively between visits.

 

[azwetshaver]

First thing, take a step back and relax. Shaving should not affect your mental health.

I started using DEs because of ingrown hairs and irritation. There is a solution for you.

I will stick with the DE as that's what worked for me to resolve those problems. Give us a run down of your DE shaves. How many passes? Any pressure? Any blade buffing? What cream or soap? What razor(s). Do you have to shave every day?

 

[ackvil]

First, welcome to B&B.

Your beard pattern is similar to mine. Have you mapped the grain of your beard on your neck? If not, I recommend you do this so you can determine what is WTG and ATG. Like you, the grain of my beard particularly on my neck changes in so many directions and then in spots swirls so that a WTG pass in meaningless. I look to see in what direction my beard grows the most and that becomes my WTG pass realizing that in some spots it may be XTG and ATG. I then use a very light touch in going in that direction. For me, the ONLY way I can get a decent shave is to do a 4-pass shave. For me, the first pass is N to S. The second pass is from the center of my face to each ear. The third pass is from my ears to the center of my face. And my final pass is from S to N. However because each pass goes against the grain in parts it is vital that you use a very light touch and pay close attention to the angle in which you hold the razor.

Irritation usually is caused by poor blade angle and too much pressure on the razor. The neck is a tricky area to shave because keeping the right blade angle and little pressure is a challenge. The usual advice is to let the weight of the razor do the job - not put pressure on the blade. To put that in action I have found that using the two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can without it falling from your hand. I have found that using the right grip on your razor goes a long way in keeping pressure off of the blade. The wiki deals with holding a razor and may help you. You may have to click on each photo to load it.

For information about blade angle, look here in the wiki.

To get an irritation-free shave takes some work. First off, you need to use a shaving soap or cream that provides good lubrication. Then you must be sure you have sufficient water in your lather. For some guides on lathering, take a look at the lather tutorials in the Wiki. Also, take a look at this post.

I hope this helps. We can provide more guidance if you answer some of the questions above.

 

[Horned Tiger]

Perhaps visit a barber, not a stylist, and ask for tips...or ask him or her to show you how to shave.

I never had a father figure either. Had to learn myself.

Addendum: Also, what blade do you use with your DE? Blades come in different sharpness. I use Astral which is less sharp than say Dorco and Treet.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have no idea how you feel or exactly what to tell you, but some things you said rang some of my bells.

You've already gotten some good advice.

Electric razors do a good enough job on my face, but they eat my neck alive! Never again.

I can get a pretty good shave on my face with most razors, but my neck is much more difficult. Still, my neck problems are mostly related to my wonky beard growth directions. Fortunately I don't get ingrown hairs like my friend Joel @Johnnynroy and other guys.

Unlike most gentlemen on B&B cartridge razors work okay for me and their edges last a long time for me (even though they tug they still shave okay), but I don't use them at all anymore. I've tried many many razors (DE, SE, AC, injectors) and mostly now settled on straight razors.

Why straight razors? In a word. Comfort. My straight razors shaves may not be as close or smooth as my best safety razor shaves but they are consistently very comfortable. However, I'm not advising you to take up the straight razor. It's a huge rabbit hole and a crazy undertaking. If you decide to do it, many guys would help with advice and such, but it's a huge learning curve, etc.

Let me say just a few things which may or may not help you at all.

Some soaps are better than others. Really they are. If you're in the US the best soaps I know of are the Grooming Dept line. There are many other very good soaps - SV, Wickham 1912, WSP Rustic soaps, etc. - and you should be using one.

Probably the very best preshave is the one by Grooming Dept. Even if you use another soap, this preshave will help. I've used a bunch of preshave products and found all of them worthless as shave improvement tools except for this one. It really helps.

Your preshave routine doesn't need to be more elaborate than a shower with a face wash. I do everything after the shower with cold water, but I do nothing elaborate. Just get the GD Preshave.

Pictured is the group I use. The serum is excellent (as an immediate post shave product after every shave for me). My moisturizer is Cremo; I use it only sometimes.



In the morning when I get up I sometimes (if I'm having any skin issues or discomfort) apply Equate which is a Noxzema knock off but better than Noxzema. Get it from Walmart. I leave it on (so it dries some) until washing my face in the shower. If your skin is super dry or damaged shea butter before bed helps.


For really badly irritated razor burn skin and such The Cool Fix is the bee's knees. It burns like hell for a few seconds but then feels great and helps a lot. I rarely if ever need it anymore but I wouldn't be without it.



I'm very hesitant to advise you to try anymore DE razors. Many are better than some, but it's a huge trial and error process (believe me on this) and none may be right for you. One that is cheap and much better than most is the Schick Krona; a good looking one on eBay, like mine, might be $10 (mine was that price including shipping). It's a boring but good razor. Again, not advising you to buy one, but it could be right for you. Could be right is a very big word, as you know.



Instead I'm suggesting you switch gears and try an injector. Here's a post I did on my favorite safety razor. The open to clean E-2 is not always easy to find (and some are much better, like mine, than others). The Type L-3 (pictured above with emphasis on the great handle) is easier to find. Other Type L Schick injectors shave just the same as the L-3. Joel, mentioned above, knows a lot about injectors I don't know much about, and other gentlemen also do; Joel is now shaving with a non-injector I believe.

Part of what I'm trying to tell you is that most gentlemen end up experimenting a lot with razors and other gear. Some guys will tell you it's all about the technique and not about the tools. They say the razor you use pretty much doesn't matter. To them it's the shaver and his technique and skill.

They are wrong in my view. The razor matters. Skill and technique may matter more, or less, or equally but not all razors are the same. Finding the right one is very challenging unless you get lucky quickly.

Bad technique will negate a good razor. Not saying you have bad technique but you might.



This is the learning curve.

Switching gears again. Forget about great smooth and close shaves for a month or two. Focus 100% on getting a Damn Comfortable Shave.

• That's comfortable during the shave.
• It's also comfortable immediately after the shave.
• The comfort extends until the next shave.

That is job number 1. Always. Forever.

You will receive and read a slew of advice. Some of it will be great. Some will be bad maybe. None will be the advice you will wish you'd given yourself when you look back in a couple of years knowing what you will know then and wishing you'd known it now.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Hyloworks]

Cold water from start to finish and do a one pass shave with a DE. If you haven't tried an alum block, I would highly recommend giving it a shot. They are cheap and work wonders. All of my skin issues literally disappeared when I started taking warm not hot showers and then cold water shaving. It's worth a shot. YMMV. Cheers!

 

[Billy T.]

Help us help you. Type of growth? gear you use? how often do you shave? have you mapped your beard? do you use proper angle? do you use lots of pressure?

 

[Chevyguy]

Help us help you. Type of growth? gear you use? how often do you shave? have you mapped your beard? do you use proper angle? do you use lots of pressure?

Good questions Billy. Hopefully he will comeback and give us some of that much needed info so we can help him.

Clayton



Sent from my LM-V350 using Tapatalk

 

[AshleyC]

I think if that was happening to my neck now, it would be because I am trying to force the issue.

Pressing down into the skin with the razor. Multiple swipes over the same piece of skin in the same direction.

I also second using a block of alum as an aftershave rub. It is antiseptic, and it does not evaporate.

www.birchbox.com/guide/article/advanced-shaving-techniques

I rarely mess with j-hooking, but I often employ "The Gillette Slide".

 

[mtnredhed]

I will add that my neck has NEVER liked a close shave by any means of shaving. Not quite swirls, but it goes in 3 different directions and the area near my Adam's apple will bump up with ingrowns if I try to get too close.

That noted, being content with a slightly less close shave in some areas has made a world of difference for me. I use a straight, but I take a mild DE or 2 blade "comfort" disposable when I travel. Only two passes. Good beard prep to soften and maybe cold water pre shave rinse will keep from getting too close. Light touch.

 

[Thfa1]

First of all, I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking your time and trying to help me.

Shaving related ingrown hairs are the result, usually, of shaving too close. When you say you can't get a proper shave, what do you mean by "proper"? Baby butt smooth? How many passes on your neck are you taking?

Perhaps less passes with a razor that has a blade guard to prevent shaving below the surface of the skin on your neck is the solution.

I don't even want a bbs shave at this point, just a formal enough shave for a job. When using DE razors; Let's say I wait 3-5 days after the previous shave so that my neck isn't a red mess. Then trim it short. Then do 1-2 passes with very little to no pressure and there's still a lot of hair left because of the contour of my neck. And if I do 3-4 passes with even less pressure, my neck is a bit red. In best case scenario, I have a perfect shave without any nicks or irritation during the shaving but 4-5 hour later my neck is all red and many ingrown hairs are visible during the following days. I do 2 passes max with electric razors and the result is the same.

So even if I have a perfect shave(which is rare), it all goes downhill 4 hours after the shave.

I'm an RN and a Cosmetologist. Let me think on this a bit. It can be especially tough on a man, especially a younger one, to not look our best, at least it was for me. My first thought though is to use a pivoting head cartridge with a lube strip, and not shave every single day. Unless your job requires it.

That's the thing, I will get a job that requires a daily shave.

Welcome to B&B.
Watching videos can be confusing as they don't always give you correct information; so stay away from them. Let us know which DE razor you are using. It may help just doing a single pass for now till your technique improves. It may be your skin sensitivity does not allow you to shave against the grain; this may improve in time.
You need a consistent blade angle with the DE so watch the angle; this may help:Blade Angle | Badger & Blade
Good preparation will help you achieve a comfortable shave; against there is helpful information in the Shave Wiki: ShaveWiki | Badger & Blade
Don't force the razor, let the blade do the work and don't press hard against the skin.

I actually read all the sources you linked before. My skin sensitivity didn't improve at all, I had a beard for a long time and I have been trying to have a proper shave for more than 1 year, I'm not even kidding. At best, I'm having a perfect shave but 4 hours later my neck is all red and the following days comes with ingrown hairs, making it impossible to shave daily. I have tried many aftershave products, nivea being best one, is still no good.

Sorry to hear of your problems. I hope you can keep it all in perspective. If all of your limbs work, your heart and your lungs and your vital organs then you have a lot to be thankful for. But that's not the advice you're looking for. I think everyone has swirls on their neck, that is, hairs that grow in every direction so there is no clear with the grain pass. But there is usually one pass that is least aggressive. Try a North to South pass with a very light touch, just the weight of the razor and then stop. Don't avoid so called aggressive razors, but use just one pass with a very efficient razor. Personally, I've found the Karve B plate to be just right. But cheaper options exist with vintage razors.
Don't give up, you'll figure it out. Every shave is a learning experience.

I always used the weight of the razor and nothing else because that was what everyone adviced. Going north to south, no matter how lightly, caused the worst experience actually. I've had some many ingrown hair.

Sorry!

A few suggestions:
1. It’s only shaving, so don’t let it affect your mental health! We are here to help!!
2. Give us a detailed run-down on what DE hardware and software you were using and on what you tried.
3. Read through the B+B Wiki: much better than most any other source of information.

Stick with this and you will get results!!

I tried Wilkinson and Merkur(borrowed it) razors and about 6-7 different blades. Blades are astra, wilkinson, derby, shark and some others. Astra was the best one for me. Both razors felt like pretty much the same except Merkur was a little bit smoother. I have been trying to have a proper shave for 1 year and I read everything I could find but nothing works, hence the long post. Again at best, I'll have a perfect shave followed by irritation and ingrown hairs after 4 hours.

Perhaps find a good barber in your area that does shaves. Along with getting a nice shave, they might be able to share tips and tricks that'll help you shave more effectively between visits.

I will try to find a turkish barber.

First thing, take a step back and relax. Shaving should not affect your mental health.

I started using DEs because of ingrown hairs and irritation. There is a solution for you.

I will stick with the DE as that's what worked for me to resolve those problems. Give us a run down of your DE shaves. How many passes? Any pressure? Any blade buffing? What cream or soap? What razor(s). Do you have to shave every day?

2 passes and 3 passes have pretty much the same results. Even if I get a great shave, my neck is all red after 4 hours and I get ingrown hair following days. I have been trying to have a proper shave for 1 year and my skin is still the same, no improvement at all. For the razors, I used Wilkinson and Merkur(borrowed it) razors and used about 6-7 different blades. Blades are astra, wilkinson, derby, shark and some others. Astra was the best one among those. No pressure, just the weight of the razor. Different brands of creams and soaps I could find in my country. And yes I will have to shave every day in the future.

First, welcome to B&B.

Your beard pattern is similar to mine. Have you mapped the grain of your beard on your neck? If not, I recommend you do this so you can determine what is WTG and ATG. Like you, the grain of my beard particularly on my neck changes in so many directions and then in spots swirls so that a WTG pass in meaningless. I look to see in what direction my beard grows the most and that becomes my WTG pass realizing that in some spots it may be XTG and ATG. I then use a very light touch in going in that direction. For me, the ONLY way I can get a decent shave is to do a 4-pass shave. For me, the first pass is N to S. The second pass is from the center of my face to each ear. The third pass is from my ears to the center of my face. And my final pass is from S to N. However because each pass goes against the grain in parts it is vital that you use a very light touch and pay close attention to the angle in which you hold the razor.

Irritation usually is caused by poor blade angle and too much pressure on the razor. The neck is a tricky area to shave because keeping the right blade angle and little pressure is a challenge. The usual advice is to let the weight of the razor do the job - not put pressure on the blade. To put that in action I have found that using the two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can without it falling from your hand. I have found that using the right grip on your razor goes a long way in keeping pressure off of the blade. The wiki deals with holding a razor and may help you. You may have to click on each photo to load it.

For information about blade angle, look here in the wiki.

To get an irritation-free shave takes some work. First off, you need to use a shaving soap or cream that provides good lubrication. Then you must be sure you have sufficient water in your lather. For some guides on lathering, take a look at the lather tutorials in the Wiki. Also, take a look at this post.

I hope this helps. We can provide more guidance if you answer some of the questions above.

I have read sooo much stuff related to this topic and nothing I have read worked for me. No matter how light I go(I literally only use the weight of the razor) results are no different. I have tried mapping the grain but since it grows in different directions on certain spots it's impossible go atg.

Perhaps visit a barber, not a stylist, and ask for tips...or ask him or her to show you how to shave.

I never had a father figure either. Had to learn myself.

Addendum: Also, what blade do you use with your DE? Blades come in different sharpness. I use Astral which is less sharp than say Dorco and Treet.

I've experimented with about 7 different blades. Astras were the best ones.

I have no idea how you feel or exactly what to tell you, but some things you said rang some of my bells.

You've already gotten some good advice.

View attachment 996150

Electric razors do a good enough job on my face, but they eat my neck alive! Never again.

I can get a pretty good shave on my face with most razors, but my neck is much more difficult. Still, my neck problems are mostly related to my wonky beard growth directions. Fortunately I don't get ingrown hairs like my friend Joel @Johnnynroy and other guys.

Unlike most gentlemen on B&B cartridge razors work okay for me and their edges last a long time for me (even though they tug they still shave okay), but I don't use them at all anymore. I've tried many many razors (DE, SE, AC, injectors) and mostly now settled on straight razors.

Why straight razors? In a word. Comfort. My straight razors shaves may not be as close or smooth as my best safety razor shaves but they are consistently very comfortable. However, I'm not advising you to take up the straight razor. It's a huge rabbit hole and a crazy undertaking. If you decide to do it, many guys would help with advice and such, but it's a huge learning curve, etc.

Let me say just a few things which may or may not help you at all.

Some soaps are better than others. Really they are. If you're in the US the best soaps I know of are the Grooming Dept line. There are many other very good soaps - SV, Wickham 1912, WSP Rustic soaps, etc. - and you should be using one.

Probably the very best preshave is the one by Grooming Dept. Even if you use another soap, this preshave will help. I've used a bunch of preshave products and found all of them worthless as shave improvement tools except for this one. It really helps.

View attachment 996140

Your preshave routine doesn't need to be more elaborate than a shower with a face wash. I do everything after the shower with cold water, but I do nothing elaborate. Just get the GD Preshave.

Pictured is the group I use. The serum is excellent (as an immediate post shave product after every shave for me). My moisturizer is Cremo; I use it only sometimes.

View attachment 996141

In the morning when I get up I sometimes (if I'm having any skin issues or discomfort) apply Equate which is a Noxzema knock off but better than Noxzema. Get it from Walmart. I leave it on (so it dries some) until washing my face in the shower. If your skin is super dry or damaged shea butter before bed helps.

View attachment 996142
For really badly irritated razor burn skin and such The Cool Fix is the bee's knees. It burns like hell for a few seconds but then feels great and helps a lot. I rarely if ever need it anymore but I wouldn't be without it.

View attachment 996160

I'm very hesitant to advise you to try anymore DE razors. Many are better than some, but it's a huge trial and error process (believe me on this) and none may be right for you. One that is cheap and much better than most is the Schick Krona; a good looking one on eBay, like mine, might be $10 (mine was that price including shipping). It's a boring but good razor. Again, not advising you to buy one, but it could be right for you. Could be right is a very big word, as you know.

View attachment 996148

Instead I'm suggesting you switch gears and try an injector. Here's a post I did on my favorite safety razor. The open to clean E-2 is not always easy to find (and some are much better, like mine, than others). The Type L-3 (pictured above with emphasis on the great handle) is easier to find. Other Type L Schick injectors shave just the same as the L-3. Joel, mentioned above, knows a lot about injectors I don't know much about, and other gentlemen also do; Joel is now shaving with a non-injector I believe.

Part of what I'm trying to tell you is that most gentlemen end up experimenting a lot with razors and other gear. Some guys will tell you it's all about the technique and not about the tools. They say the razor you use pretty much doesn't matter. To them it's the shaver and his technique and skill.

They are wrong in my view. The razor matters. Skill and technique may matter more, or less, or equally but not all razors are the same. Finding the right one is very challenging unless you get lucky quickly.

Bad technique will negate a good razor. Not saying you have bad technique but you might.

View attachment 996144

This is the learning curve.

Switching gears again. Forget about great smooth and close shaves for a month or two. Focus 100% on getting a Damn Comfortable Shave.

• That's comfortable during the shave.
• It's also comfortable immediately after the shave.
• The comfort extends until the next shave.

That is job number 1. Always. Forever.

You will receive and read a slew of advice. Some of it will be great. Some will be bad maybe. None will be the advice you will wish you'd given yourself when you look back in a couple of years knowing what you will know then and wishing you'd known it now.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Thank you for taking your time and writing this long post Jim. Electric razor does wonders for me but the problems start after 4-5 hours after the shave. My neck(and only my neck, no problems on my cheeks) get irritated and goes all red, and following days I get many ingrown hair. Making it impossible for me to shave daily. I'm not in US so some of those products are unbeknownst to me, but I have tried so many brands but still. A straight razor is a whole new investment of money and time and honestly, after one year of trying so everything, I can't jump into it and fail again. I just want to be able to have a simple shave, I don't even care about bbs. Just to be able to shave daily for my job.

Cold water from start to finish and do a one pass shave with a DE. If you haven't tried an alum block, I would highly recommend giving it a shot. They are cheap and work wonders. All of my skin issues literally disappeared when I started taking warm not hot showers and then cold water shaving. It's worth a shot. YMMV. Cheers!

I tried cold water it was no different for me. But I may gofor an alum block. Do you think is it any good for ingrown hairs?

Help us help you. Type of growth? gear you use? how often do you shave? have you mapped your beard? do you use proper angle? do you use lots of pressure?

Type of growth:
I wait 2 to 5 days so my neck heals, then trim it with a trimmer down to about 1 days worth of growth usually. If I'm gonna use the electric razor I won't trim it, just shave with the razor.

gear you use:
Razors are Wilkinson and Merkur(borrowed it) razors. Blades are astra, wilkinson, derby, shark and some others(about 7 different blades). Astra was the best one for me. Both razors felt like pretty much the same except Merkur was a little bit smoother. I have experimented with safety razors for about 4-5 months.

how often do you shave:
I want to be able to shave daily for a job.

have you mapped your beard:
Yes but at some spots, the hair literally grows in all kinda directions, going atg is impossible for me.

do you use proper angle:
Yes, I had read most of the articles shared here and many many more, watched a lot of video just to make sure I'm doing everything right.

do you use lots of pressure:
Just the weight of the razor, and sometimes experimented with very very very little pressure.

I think if that was happening to my neck now, it would be because I am trying to force the issue.

Pressing down into the skin with the razor. Multiple swipes over the same piece of skin in the same direction.

I also second using a block of alum as an aftershave rub. It is antiseptic, and it does not evaporate.

www.birchbox.com/guide/article/advanced-shaving-techniques

I rarely mess with j-hooking, but I often employ "The Gillette Slide".

I'll look into alum blocks.

I will add that my neck has NEVER liked a close shave by any means of shaving. Not quite swirls, but it goes in 3 different directions and the area near my Adam's apple will bump up with ingrowns if I try to get too close.

That noted, being content with a slightly less close shave in some areas has made a world of difference for me. I use a straight, but I take a mild DE or 2 blade "comfort" disposable when I travel. Only two passes. Good beard prep to soften and maybe cold water pre shave rinse will keep from getting too close. Light touch.

I don't even care about having a bbs shave anymore. Just close enough for a job that requires shaving daily. I've tried many combination of what you have said and result is still the same.

 

[Joshua223]

Someone already posted, but I thinking getting a shave from a barber is a good idea. I got my first beard line up this year from a barber and watching him work and feeling how he moved the blade made me change how I use a straight.
If you are partial to the electric at all I've heard the Philips One Blade works really well, and it is pretty cheap.

Trying to get a super close shave gets me in trouble, especially on my neck. I'm 30 and I'm just now making progress because I'm trying to experiment more. Sounds like you are making a lot of effort to try different techniques though. Shaving against the grain has always left my neck a razor bump covered, raw mess until recently. I started changing blades more frequently, riding the cap on my Gillette Slim more, and using less pressure. That is MY situation though.
I have a hard time with cartridges myself. I think I need to make my lather a thinner so it is lubricating the blade instead of being a obstacle between the blade and hair. Does that make sense?

Good luck and hope you find some useful information!!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

When I think of mapping the beard patterns on my neck it always reminds me of trying to map the shifting sands of the Sahara.

The beard map of my neck probably does not actually shift, but every time I map it the map is different. I think I have so many patterns and cross patterns and minor variations that an actual, useable beard map of my neck is impossible.



When I'm shaving with an easy to use razor such as my Schick Type E-2 I have an easy enough time of it when it comes to getting my neck smooth and close. I simple shave in every conceivable direction. The E-2 allows this and, with the E-2, I can do enough passes to get things smooth without a huge risk of overdoing things and ending up with a red or itchy neck.

I don't get ingrown hairs but an itchy neck is always a bad sign for me. Plus, the itching simply drives me nuts.



I am not in any way trying to get you to use a straight razor, but try a good injector. It's a whole other animal from a DE razor, but it's your choice of course. Vintage Schick injectors are not hard to find unless you are looking for something particular. Just explore the options discussed on B&B for advice, ideas, etc.

When I shave with a straight razor I'm unable to shave in all the directions my injectors make easily possible. Thus I must settle for a shave which is not as smooth or close on my neck. The bonus from the straight razor is an increased level of comfort in my shaves.

Probably most of us believe we're a bit unique but it's not true when it comes to our shaving and our skin and our whiskers. There's a very good chance someone has experienced what we're going through and successfully created a model we can follow. One member who comes to mind when I think of your ingrown hair issues in my friend, Joel. I'm posting here a linked list of some of his posts concerning his long battle with ingrown hairs. I know he's made major progress.

Joel's solutions may not be your solutions, but study what he and others have done, what's worked for them. It might help, but perhaps I'm wrong. One thing is sure; if what you're doing is not working you have to change something. It's a lesson I work on but I have yet to move beyond the apprentice level.

Hang in with this group, sir, and keep at it. All of us really are trying to help each other get better shaves and have fun with this shaving adventure life imposes.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[guitarslinger]

Op, you said the astra was your favorite de blade thus far. What were the other 6.

When I was first starting, getting the right blade was the quantum leap.

With the problems you’re having, I would keep it simple with a good can of foam.

I find that over zealous post shave routines add to my irritation by giving me zits and making me more likely to give me ingrown hairs. Keeping it simple with an alcohol based splash helps me.

I would also try shower shaving. This was a big leap in comfort and effectiveness.



Good luck!!