Merkur 37C and irritation in the neck

[Alex23]

Hello folks,

I've been shaving for about 6 months with a DE Merkur 23c which I like.
I use Kai blades and a Kent soap, Cella cream or RazoRock soap, all with tallow in them.
I then apply an unscented aftershave balm.

I occasionally get slight redness/irritation on my neck. Using special lotions for redness such The Cool Fix doesn't really help. I might try witch hazel later....

Now, I heard very good things about the Merkur 37c slant razor. People say it cuts beard very easily requiring less passes for a BBS shave (I currently do 4 passes with my Merkur 23c). However I did talk to someone who said he had a bit of redness around the neck with it. My questions, is, according to what I explained earlier, do you think I could run into the same issue with this razor ? Does anybody had that redness in the neck issue using it ?

Thanks you !

 

[coonskinner]

It helped me.

 

[RightAJ]

Can't comment on the Slant, but I have recently come to realize that I have some very odd 'swirl' patterns of hair growth on certain areas of my neck. Apparently my dad has the same issue. I used to (and still sometimes do) have some redness if I don't take care of these spots gently, but a bit more focus on growth patterns may help if that is the issue.

aj

 

[Early Morning]

You might be slightly allergic to the almond essence or perfume that is added to Cella. It tends to give me a red rash on my neck 100% of the time. If some other product is responsible for the irritation, let it drop out of your rotation and use whatever works best.

With the neck area, it helps to really stretch the neck so the skin is pulled taut. This tends to flatten out some of the areas where raised skin and bumps are more common. Also, if the growth is very thick, it helps to slow down and use shorter strokes.

 

[mjoneson]

I have funky patterned neck hair so I have to go through it section by section. Ever try a little pure jojoba oil as a sort of preshave by chance? Worked wonders for me and it is pretty cheap...

 

[coonskinner]

Can't comment on the Slant, but I have recently come to realize that I have some very odd 'swirl' patterns of hair growth on certain areas of my neck. Apparently my dad has the same issue. I used to (and still sometimes do) have some redness if I don't take care of these spots gently, but a bit more focus on growth patterns may help if that is the issue.

aj

I have the same problem.

There is about a two or three inch area on the right side of my neck that is left red and a little irritated looking most of the time after I shave. I have been on a quest to put that irritation to rest for a long time.

It used to be most of my neck on both sides.

The best results I have gotten have been with more efficient razors and going over that area with very short, light strokes using extreme care regarding pressure.

Fairly early in my wet shaving journey getting the Merkur Slant was a big breakthrough.

I have since expanded my stable of effective razors to include some vintage NEWS, and Razorock Stealth Slant and an Old Type.

When I go back and use a Super Speed or my DE 89, I just don't try for a super close shave on my neck or i will have a bunch of irritation to deal with.

 

[Peter_A]

A very aggressive razor with the steep-angle approach works wonders for me on my neck area (where I am also prone to get irritation). I also only do 2 passes (WTG & XTG) plus touch-ups using this approach, and that helps quite a bit.

That being said, my Merkur 37C also gets the job done well.

 

[edw]

Try a less sharp and more forgiving blade. Gillette indians black and greens, israeli Personna or even Derby.

I love this razor and I have great results with almost all blades in this razor but sometimes the sharpest ones gives me a lot of irritation in the neck.

 

[HeadlongFlight]

Wow. I just got my worst DE cut to date (granted, out of 60 or so) with my second 37C shave. Mostly a moment of carelessness on my part, but ouch! It actually removed a tiny piece of skin. No, that didn't bleed or anything!

It certainly isn't making friends with my neck, either. Think I need to put it down for a few days.

 

[Alex23]

Hello all,


Thank you for your detailed responses and great advices.
Getting the perfect shave is definitely a process of trial and error.


Here is some more information/answers to some posts...
I don't think that the almond sent in cella is giving me the irritations as I had the irritations with other soaps.
I'm not sure that a less sharp blade might help. I tried the persona med preps before and I also had the same issue. I think that sharper blades allows me to buff less.


The other suggestions might indeed make a difference. I got some pure witch hazel that I'll try applying with a cotton pad and see what happens...


I also have a general sense from the responses that a 37C will work fine for me as it doesn't seem to be correlated to any irritations for other users but only gives a close shave with less effort.


Thanks all !

 

[Dmitry the Siberian]

Merkur 37c works wonders on my armpits, but after a week run on the beard it started giving me the worst irritation to date. I tend to do WTG and XTG on the face with the 37c and then go for a BBS ATG pass using a DE89. Saves me some time and gives less irritation in comparison to a three-pass shave using only the slant. Same applies to the neck.
Although it does work well on a three day stubble, removing it swiftly and comfortably on the first WTG pass, it's not suitable for me to use it every day, my alum block and aftershave lotion give me the worst bite and red skin all over my face.

Probably I'm not that experienced. Got it because of its reputation for being gentle and effective.
Of course, I replace the blades very often and pay close attention to the blades position against the top cap. I also apply little to none pressure while using the slant in every direction and prepare my beard with a hot towel or a good shower.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

I have a 37c that I intend to sell if/when I get around to it, precisely for the same problem you have with it. If I use it regularly I will wind up with an irritation on one portion of my neck. I can sometimes have that same issue with my Fatip open comb but never have that probelm with any of my other razors (RazoRock Old Type, EJ DE89, Merkur Progress, Feather AS-D1). I'm sure it's a combination of my technique and the slanted blade, but I don't find that I get a better shave from the 37c than the other razors, so I just don't use it anymore.