More irritation from a DE?

[SUNA]

I have been finding that I get more irritation from a DE than a cartridge. I think it has to do with the number of passes. With a cartridge I would do a 2 pass (WTG and ATG) and be BBS. Now I have to do 2-3 passes plus touch ups.

Maybe I have extra sensitive skin...but I find that I get more irritated with a shave from a DE. I'm a night shaver...so the irritation goes away by morning though. Plus I still find that if I do not use a brand new blade in a DE each time...I get more irritation. Feathers, Bleues, etc. I get one great shave per blade.

Having said that I would get irritation from a cartridge...just not as bad.

Any input?

PS I have even tried hot toweling for close to 10 minutes to soften my beard. Lathered on some Castle Forbes and sat there. Still can get irritated. I may try shaving before showering and see if that works.

 

[Defend Tacoma]

I think maybe trying to shave before a shower and with no hot towel treatment might be a good exercise. Also make sure you are not using pressure on your razor. Are you comfortable that you are getting a good lather as well?

 

[SUNA]

Zero pressure...as for lather...I can make Dream Whip look like water.

My lathers are wicked of late (been working on them). Plus the soft water system I just bought has been a tremendous help!

 

[DE Shaver]

It's not only possible that a DE razor is giving you more irritation, it's very likely you get more irritation with a DE razor. DE shaving is more dependent on user skill due to the fact you have to adjust your blade angle and pressure as you shave. Cartridge shavers often develop bad habits that are minimized/mitigated by the cartridge systems. However, with a DE razor, you don't have the underlying safety engineering that modern cartridges tend to have. So, if you have a little too much pressure, you'll feel it with a DE razor.

 

[Go West Young Man]

I noticed early on that I was getting regular irritation and couldn't figure out why.
It finally came down to 2 things

1. Yes, you are using pressure. I didn't think I was, but I was. Try using half the pressure you are now, you might be surprised by how little you can get away with.

2. Grain. Study your grain of growth again, even if you're 100% sure you have it right, you might need to adjust your first passes slightly. Early XTG/ATG is a major cause of irritation.

 

[sodajerk]

Sounds like lather quality is not your problem unless you're not relathering - don't cheat! Don't overlap a new stroke over the one you just did, either. Watch this closely and see if it helps.

If I use too much pressure, my nick count goes way up. Check your angle carefully - point the handle straight out and move it down until the blade just starts to cut.

All that stuff may be old hat to you so try this - shave without a blade. Crazy I know but I can't think of anything else for you to try. If you have any irritation afterwards, you have sensitive skin.

By the way, how many months have you been DE shaving? It took me a good 6 months before I had everything under control and started to get great shaves every time.

 

[Geordon]

I think that it sounds like you're having a problem with either angle, pressure, or both. IF you were getting the same irritation from carts, then it's almost definitely not a razor issue, but rather a technique problem. I don't know your razor, but I know that my current razor is moderately heavy, so I can literally let the weight of the razor provide all the pressure that I need.

Also, remember that, especially with a DE, you are not trying to get a clean shave with one pass, the goal is reduction with each pass, so it makes sense that you might need more passes with a DE than with a cart.

I would suggest going back to the basics of blade-angle and zero pressure. Aim for about a 30 * angle on the blade and adjust from there.

Good luck!

 

[Alfredo Becerra]

I know this is a very crazy and radical concept, but maybe a DE is not right for your skin. Maybe a cartridge is the best way for you to go.

Don't force it. Try a few other things and give it a few days but, if it doesn't work for you then it doesn't work for you. There's nothing wrong with a cartridge razor if your skin likes it better.

YMMV, IMHO, BFF, LMAO, LOL, etc.

 

[SUNA]

DE's are weird for me...I never got ingrown hairs with a cartridge...but I do with a DE. It's completely opposite for others.

 

[DE Shaver]

DE's are weird for me...I never got ingrown hairs with a cartridge...but I do with a DE. It's completely opposite for others.

Are you stretching your skin as you shave? Over-stretching can induce ingrown hairs. As your stretch, you move the hair straight up and more of it projects out of the follicle. When you make a cut and release the skin, the hair retracts beneath the skin surface. This can cause ingrown hairs.

 

[americanarmsdealer]

I found that I got irritation for a while when I switched to a DE from cartridges. There was less irritation than what I got with a cartridge, but it was still there. When I started out, I stretched my skin, because I wanted to get as close a shave as I could with the fewest # of passes possible.

About a month in, I quit stretching my skin at all, and the irritation disappeared. Assuming I kept my technique solid throughout the shave, that is!

 

[Alfredo Becerra]

Here is the final solution/

1- Wait for a full moon

2- Make sure your angle is 30.5247844 degrees

3- Make sure you factor in Einstein's relativistic equations and other pertinent mathematical concepts

4- Shave in the opposite direction of the earth's apparent rotation in relation to the stars.

If this technique does not work for you then the super technical world of shaving, with all its engineering principles, is not for you.

 

[Legion]

Most likely a technique problem. The one thing you do not have to worry about with cartridges is blade angle. You just mash that thing into your face and the angle is taken care of by the cartridge. Not so with a DE. We have all been there, just practice and trust that it will improve.

I am going through the whole thing again with a straight, which is even harder to get right. I have all sorts of irritation when I am finished and I get frustrated. But then I think back to when I first started with a DE and my new bad straight shave is comparable to my old DE bad shave. And now I can use a DE as fast as a cartridge, in the dark, standing on my head and still get a BBS with no irritation. One day, if I stick with it, I'm confident I will be like that with a straight. Then I will be able to get those cool brands on my foearms and go walk the Earth, Kwai Chang Kane style.

Keep practicing, possibly experiment with different razors or blades, you will get it.

 

[SUNA]

I hope it's just technique or something...I have way too much invested to walk away from DE shaving!

 

[pezdaddy]

I am also getting irritation and am reading this thread with great interest. I think mine is a pressure problem though, though I'd swear I'm not putting any pressure on the razor Its not red or anything, just looks rough under certain lighting situations...like its been scraped. I would almost desribe it as liitle baby razor bumps. It's either pressure or my angle is too steep and I've been scraping my skin.

I've been using a cartridge all week, and while the shaves are not as good, the irritation is going away. It kills me because while I won't give up my brush and soaps, I'm not ready to give up the DE (too much invested).

 

[Deltaboy]

I got less problems when I shave after my shower.

 

[Drubbing]

I have been finding that I get more irritation from a DE than a cartridge. I think it has to do with the number of passes. With a cartridge I would do a 2 pass (WTG and ATG) and be BBS. Now I have to do 2-3 passes plus touch ups.

With improved technique you can get pretty close to BBS with 2 passes. I only do W/XTG most of the time. I don't bother shooting for closer (unless I've skipped a day); I take whatever the day's shave gives.

 

[closer]

It's not only possible that a DE razor is giving you more irritation, it's very likely you get more irritation with a DE razor. DE shaving is more dependent on user skill due to the fact you have to adjust your blade angle and pressure as you shave. Cartridge shavers often develop bad habits that are minimized/mitigated by the cartridge systems. However, with a DE razor, you don't have the underlying safety engineering that modern cartridges tend to have. So, if you have a little too much pressure, you'll feel it with a DE razor.

+1 Less pressure and proper blade angle solves a lot of irritation problems. Reduce pressure until you don't get any irritation. Then, work blade angle until you start cutting hair.

 

[tripper]

dont chase the ever skin-infriendly BBS if you are prone to ingrowns.

im 8 months in, and i've found that 2 WTG passes is what works for me. BBS-no. Healthy looking skin-yes.

 

[DavyRay]

If you have the razor at the right angle, it only takes enough pressure to keep the safety bar in contact with your skin. That is all. It should feel as you are not cutting anything, just scooping up the lather.