What was said above...
If you are starting wetshaving, it might be 'normal' to get razor burn...
If you are starting wetshaving, it might be 'normal' to get razor burn...
My dermatologist said . . .
- Thread starter winterkid
- Start date
I'm sorry to post one after another, I am just baffled. I mean this is ridiculous. I suppose all those years of training mean s@#t??? REALLY??? AM I READING THAT POST RIGHT????
You are SERIOUSLY asking what makes a DOCTOR able to give you medical advise??? REALLY????????????????????
You are SERIOUSLY asking what makes a DOCTOR able to give you medical advise??? REALLY????????????????????
While one or two posts may make a wild or unsubstantiated claim, I think you'll find that the majority here have recommended following the doctors advice, getting a second opinion, and taking remedial action to remove the source of irritation to begin with.
That sounds pretty responsible to me.
You will always have a fringe element that makes observations and recommendations that are outside the "norm".
But these fringe observations are really not so different as those who would post in an internet forum seeking medical advice to begin with.
People certainly have no obligation to make a post seeking advice from unqualified peers, and they also have no obligation to follow the advice given in response to the request.
Well, I guess you are right. I'm sorry, even though I'm fairly young I guess I'm an old fashioned guy and sometimes get surprised by what I find online.
And, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart everyone who has given advise based on common sense (that was not sarcasm)
Yep, I understand what you mean completely!
I'm amazed at what you read sometimes.
Thankfully, it seems as if we do have some sane people here at B&B!
Well, sane except for the Aquisition Disorders.
The big problem many members have with dermatologists, is that upon hearing about single-blade wetshaving the doctor will adamantly order them to return to multi-blades and canned products. Often, this is despite noticeable improvements in skin health. I know that I CANNOT use a Fusion without feeling serious pain and breaking out in huge red bumps from from my collar to my ears.
What would you do if your doctor ordered you to return to something that caused symptoms? You would likely find a new doctor.
To the op: If you were given a prescription, then you should probably use it. Cleocin would indicate that you have an infection. After that, keep trying and refining your wetshaving until you no longer have burn, unless it is a tingling or a rash which means you are allergic to your products.
What would you do if your doctor ordered you to return to something that caused symptoms? You would likely find a new doctor.
To the op: If you were given a prescription, then you should probably use it. Cleocin would indicate that you have an infection. After that, keep trying and refining your wetshaving until you no longer have burn, unless it is a tingling or a rash which means you are allergic to your products.
This is analogous to runners seeking podaitrists. If you're a runner, and your podaitrist isn't one, be wary of his advice. He doesn't run, doesn't understand running, and doesn't understand runners. "Stop running" is not what runners want to hear.
Likewise, a dermatologist who doesn't understand wet shaving, has never used it, and doesn't know how it works is not necessarily the best qualified to give shaving advice.
If the statement had been, "This gel is better than your soap for the following reasons..." then there would be rationale behind we could all follow.
So, yes, I suggest finding another dermatologist, and asking them before you book the appointment, "How do you shave?" You may want to ask your current the same question.
Likewise, a dermatologist who doesn't understand wet shaving, has never used it, and doesn't know how it works is not necessarily the best qualified to give shaving advice.
If the statement had been, "This gel is better than your soap for the following reasons..." then there would be rationale behind we could all follow.
So, yes, I suggest finding another dermatologist, and asking them before you book the appointment, "How do you shave?" You may want to ask your current the same question.
At the risk of being non-gallant ... you asked a woman how to shave your face? 
You do realize that most of them shave their legs by squirting on whatever glop they find in the shower stall and proceeding to hack away with whatever razor they find in the drawer under the sink, don't you? That's one reason I shaved with a straight razor for many years after marrying, because it only got borrowed ... once.
Now, had you asked her whether you'd done a pleasing job of it, as regards to smoothness, then I would not doubt the soundness of your logic. Otherwise ...
All in good fun,
Gaston
You do realize that most of them shave their legs by squirting on whatever glop they find in the shower stall and proceeding to hack away with whatever razor they find in the drawer under the sink, don't you? That's one reason I shaved with a straight razor for many years after marrying, because it only got borrowed ... once.Now, had you asked her whether you'd done a pleasing job of it, as regards to smoothness, then I would not doubt the soundness of your logic. Otherwise ...
All in good fun,
Gaston
At the risk of being non-gallant ... you asked a woman how to shave your face?
Now, had you asked her whether you'd done a pleasing job of it, as regards to smoothness, then I would not doubt the soundness of your logic. Otherwise ...
All in good fun,
Gaston
+1.... kinda lol. I understand that she is a doctor, and has had upwards of a decade of training in her field, not to mention however much clinical experience she must have. At the same time, however, it's just a little weird having someone who doesn't shave their face tell you how one is supposed to shave one's face. It's like when I go to the AOS store in the mall and the general manager starts telling me all this ridiculousness (It's ridiculousness regardless of her gender, if a man told it to me I'd probably call him on his crap) about wetshaving. Don't take it the wrong way, but whenever someone who doesn't grow facial hair gives me advice on how to shave facial hair I'm inclined to take it with just a pinch of salt, regardless of the circumstances.
But in the end, I'd listen to what the doctor said. That or get a second op.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #52
You guys are funny! I don't think anyone meant to offend anyone else. We're just talking out loud here 
. That's healthy.
I'd have to agree with the idea of getting a 2nd op if it continues. Rome wasn't built in a day and getting the perfect match os razor/brush/soap/aftershave isn't as simple as a 3 step program. That may work in sermons or self help books, but shaving seems to be more mysterious and personal.
Here are the things I've gained from all of your comments- for which I am grateful=, as well as the steps I am willing to take right now:
1. Dr. Advice- Using the prescriptions as written and respecting her professional skills. Sure, she's never shaved her face, but for the benefit of the doubt I'll stick with her RX for a month or so. Heck , I have the rest of my life to get wetshaving down to an art. What's 30-40 days?
2. Brush- I snagged an antique brush of Ebay and began refinishing it a few weeks ago. So I've expedited my refinishing and ordered a high quality Silvertip from The Golden Nib. The brush looks so so, but hey its mine and has my own handy work in it. I'm betting stepping up from a cheap Col Conk brush to this new one will help somehow.
3. Soap- I'm still working that out. I got into wetshaving for the financial and ecological aspects. So I'm not keen on dumping a bunch of money on fancy soaps. however, I am researching the best ones and have listened to each of your comments. The jury is still out on this one, but I'm leaning toward something natural and sensitive. I love Menthol, but i;m not sure that will be an everyday soap like a Proraso. It would make a great Father's Day gift and I'll toss it on every so often just for the pampering of it.
4. Aftershave- Like mentioned above, I'm using the RX as perscribed for now. There are some great ones out there that I am also exploring since I have a month or so before I'll be back to it. I love that part of wetshaving, so its fun to explore the options.
5. Blades- Mantic, on the Shave Tutor (YouTube) recommended a blade sampler pack on one of his videos. That also sounds fun. There's also a really cool thread in B&B of some guys testing various blades over time. Good Stuff!!!
Thanks again everyone for your thoughts. Keep them going if you feel the need.
oh well, staff meeting is about over now, so I better get back to looking like I'm working.
Later.
. That's healthy.I'd have to agree with the idea of getting a 2nd op if it continues. Rome wasn't built in a day and getting the perfect match os razor/brush/soap/aftershave isn't as simple as a 3 step program. That may work in sermons or self help books, but shaving seems to be more mysterious and personal.
Here are the things I've gained from all of your comments- for which I am grateful=, as well as the steps I am willing to take right now:
1. Dr. Advice- Using the prescriptions as written and respecting her professional skills. Sure, she's never shaved her face, but for the benefit of the doubt I'll stick with her RX for a month or so. Heck , I have the rest of my life to get wetshaving down to an art. What's 30-40 days?
2. Brush- I snagged an antique brush of Ebay and began refinishing it a few weeks ago. So I've expedited my refinishing and ordered a high quality Silvertip from The Golden Nib. The brush looks so so, but hey its mine and has my own handy work in it. I'm betting stepping up from a cheap Col Conk brush to this new one will help somehow.
3. Soap- I'm still working that out. I got into wetshaving for the financial and ecological aspects. So I'm not keen on dumping a bunch of money on fancy soaps. however, I am researching the best ones and have listened to each of your comments. The jury is still out on this one, but I'm leaning toward something natural and sensitive. I love Menthol, but i;m not sure that will be an everyday soap like a Proraso. It would make a great Father's Day gift and I'll toss it on every so often just for the pampering of it.
4. Aftershave- Like mentioned above, I'm using the RX as perscribed for now. There are some great ones out there that I am also exploring since I have a month or so before I'll be back to it. I love that part of wetshaving, so its fun to explore the options.
5. Blades- Mantic, on the Shave Tutor (YouTube) recommended a blade sampler pack on one of his videos. That also sounds fun. There's also a really cool thread in B&B of some guys testing various blades over time. Good Stuff!!!
Thanks again everyone for your thoughts. Keep them going if you feel the need.
oh well, staff meeting is about over now, so I better get back to looking like I'm working.
Later.
We do have far more experience and expertise in this situation than that Dermatologist.
If it was a medical condition causing pain or risking life, my advice to the poster would be "consult a doctor and listen to them" or "get a second opinion" if he didn't agree with the doctor.
To anyone who says "she's a doctor, her advice is sacrosanct", I say please remember the following:
• Doctors sometimes give people very poor (or very poorly-informed) advice—hence the thousands of malpractice suites which are conducted each year
• Razor burn is not a life-threatening condition (at least not for me—if it was, I'd seriously consider not shaving at all).
I deal very closely with a lot of these folks (wife works in a medical environment) and, like in any field, there are some doctors who are really very good, and others who are not much more than prescription writers (the latter group would literally be unable to perform their jobs without the constant assistance of the drug companies' sales reps).
Obviously, whether or not to follow the doctor's advice is up to your own discretion. You don't need medical training, however, to ask yourself some common sense questions about any advice that you are given. Like based on what did the doctor give you this advice? Did she read the list of ingredients in your shave soap / balm and tell you "x, y, and z are often allergenic in people with sensitive skins"? Did she ask about your history with this problem, and whether it has been improved or aggravated by your new practice of wet shaving? The simple fact is that no one can confidently offer advice from an uninformed vantage point—lack of knowledge about a specific situation can negate pretty much any amount of education.
Bottom line: you shouldn't blindly follow the doctor's advice, or mine, or anybody's. If you can afford it, go get a second opinion (and remember to take your shaving kit with you when you go).
• Doctors sometimes give people very poor (or very poorly-informed) advice—hence the thousands of malpractice suites which are conducted each year
• Razor burn is not a life-threatening condition (at least not for me—if it was, I'd seriously consider not shaving at all).
I deal very closely with a lot of these folks (wife works in a medical environment) and, like in any field, there are some doctors who are really very good, and others who are not much more than prescription writers (the latter group would literally be unable to perform their jobs without the constant assistance of the drug companies' sales reps).
Obviously, whether or not to follow the doctor's advice is up to your own discretion. You don't need medical training, however, to ask yourself some common sense questions about any advice that you are given. Like based on what did the doctor give you this advice? Did she read the list of ingredients in your shave soap / balm and tell you "x, y, and z are often allergenic in people with sensitive skins"? Did she ask about your history with this problem, and whether it has been improved or aggravated by your new practice of wet shaving? The simple fact is that no one can confidently offer advice from an uninformed vantage point—lack of knowledge about a specific situation can negate pretty much any amount of education.
Bottom line: you shouldn't blindly follow the doctor's advice, or mine, or anybody's. If you can afford it, go get a second opinion (and remember to take your shaving kit with you when you go).
I'm not a doctor, but I play one on the Internet.....
My advice:
Use much less pressure when shaving! This is key to a low irritation shave.
Follow the advice about doing a 3 pass shave, map out whisker growth patterns, etc.
Use only sharp razors! New blades, etc.
Use ALUM after shaving. This stuff is naturally anti-bacterial, and will tighten you up like nobody's business.
Your dermatologist's last name wasn't Williams by any chance was it?
My advice:
Use much less pressure when shaving! This is key to a low irritation shave.
Follow the advice about doing a 3 pass shave, map out whisker growth patterns, etc.
Use only sharp razors! New blades, etc.
Use ALUM after shaving. This stuff is naturally anti-bacterial, and will tighten you up like nobody's business.
Your dermatologist's last name wasn't Williams by any chance was it?
I guess a man can't be a gynecologist, then? I mean, if a woman can't give advice about shaving your face......And a person without children can't be a pediatrician?
C'mon, people. None of us saw what the guy's neck looked like. Maybe he has folliculitis, and that's why the doctor gave him the cleocin.
I think what's getting people riled up is the doctor's suggestion to go back to using a gel. In all likelihood, she said that because she made the assumption that something in his current lather was irritating his face. Agreed that it would make more sense to look at the ingredient list and have a good rationale for the recommendation, but a dermatologist probably doesn't have time to do that unless you bring your soap or cream with you and show it to her on the spot.
I would follow the doctor's advice as to the prescription medications, for sure. I would also either try a gel for awhile or switch to the most hypoallergenic cream or soap you can find and see what happens.
C'mon, people. None of us saw what the guy's neck looked like. Maybe he has folliculitis, and that's why the doctor gave him the cleocin.
I think what's getting people riled up is the doctor's suggestion to go back to using a gel. In all likelihood, she said that because she made the assumption that something in his current lather was irritating his face. Agreed that it would make more sense to look at the ingredient list and have a good rationale for the recommendation, but a dermatologist probably doesn't have time to do that unless you bring your soap or cream with you and show it to her on the spot.
I would follow the doctor's advice as to the prescription medications, for sure. I would also either try a gel for awhile or switch to the most hypoallergenic cream or soap you can find and see what happens.
Dermatologists are snake oil salesmen.
Ok, not really. My buddy also wetshaves and his father is a dermatologist. He's never caught any flak from him about it.
My experience has been thus:
Before I started wetshaving I would get razor burn, shave bumps, etc. I also would get acne on my face from time to time. I thought that using AS Balm and preshave oil would increase the occurrence of acne, but the effect has been the complete opposite. I now not only have zero razor burn and shave bumps, I haven't had a zit on my face in near two months. My face feels awesome too. Soft, moisturized, and my skin looks pink and healthy.
Your dermatologist is a noob. (Not really, your skin is probably different than mine and they may have a point.)
Ok, not really. My buddy also wetshaves and his father is a dermatologist. He's never caught any flak from him about it.
My experience has been thus:
Before I started wetshaving I would get razor burn, shave bumps, etc. I also would get acne on my face from time to time. I thought that using AS Balm and preshave oil would increase the occurrence of acne, but the effect has been the complete opposite. I now not only have zero razor burn and shave bumps, I haven't had a zit on my face in near two months. My face feels awesome too. Soft, moisturized, and my skin looks pink and healthy.
Your dermatologist is a noob. (Not really, your skin is probably different than mine and they may have a point.)
I would never advocate disregarding the advice of a doctor, as they are hired/consulted for their expertise. Doctors are fallible human beings but they are still doctors nonetheless. However, to not evaluate their input and blindly follow their directives is equally as inadvisable as relying upon complete strangers for medical advice. As someone that lost a cousin about year ago due to mis-diagnosis of his ailment, I am wary to accept anyone's advice, expert opinion or not, without some consideration. If you believe the advice is unsound, counterintuitive or somehow inconsistent, by all means seek out a qualified second opinion.
Last edited:
i'm not about to debate whether your derm's advice is solid or not.
after all, how would i know?
what i will suggest are a few things that might help with the burn:
1) use a hot towel on your face prior to shaving. the softer your whiskers, the easier they'll be to cut and this can help to lessen irritation.
2) use some basic isopropyl alcohol in a travel-sized spray bottle to spritz your razor blade a few minutes before usage. the evaporating alcohol will kill any bacteria in the blade, reducing the chance you transfer it into nicks in the skin created by shaving.
3) i would use a very simple cream or soap, avoiding heavy perfumes or dyes. perhaps something like a basic glycerin soap. both mama bear and em's place make versions with tea tree oil, which is a natural anti-microbial and anti-fungal agent which is very good for skin. speick or any kind of sensitive skin cream formula would work well too.
4) no pressure on the blade, and until you have a handle on this, avoid going against the grain or side to side. i'd also keep to 1 or 2 passes.
5) use a good simple after shave balm...something with aloe and witch hazel to help cool the burn.
6) temporarily avoid any kind of alcohol splash or aftershave. alcohol is good for sterilizing nicks, but it can also dry and irritate razor burned skin.
hope your situation improves....hang in there
after all, how would i know?
what i will suggest are a few things that might help with the burn:
1) use a hot towel on your face prior to shaving. the softer your whiskers, the easier they'll be to cut and this can help to lessen irritation.
2) use some basic isopropyl alcohol in a travel-sized spray bottle to spritz your razor blade a few minutes before usage. the evaporating alcohol will kill any bacteria in the blade, reducing the chance you transfer it into nicks in the skin created by shaving.
3) i would use a very simple cream or soap, avoiding heavy perfumes or dyes. perhaps something like a basic glycerin soap. both mama bear and em's place make versions with tea tree oil, which is a natural anti-microbial and anti-fungal agent which is very good for skin. speick or any kind of sensitive skin cream formula would work well too.
4) no pressure on the blade, and until you have a handle on this, avoid going against the grain or side to side. i'd also keep to 1 or 2 passes.
5) use a good simple after shave balm...something with aloe and witch hazel to help cool the burn.
6) temporarily avoid any kind of alcohol splash or aftershave. alcohol is good for sterilizing nicks, but it can also dry and irritate razor burned skin.
hope your situation improves....hang in there
Last edited:
Sounds like your dermatologist is towing the party line - as propagated by Proctor & Gamble. While she has a decade+ training, the all important Doctor degree, etc., she heard "wetshaving" or "shaving soap" and defaulted to Edge gel. IMO she lost all credibility right there.
Ask her why she recommended Edge gel over what you're currently using (and if she's even heard of what you're using) and antibiotic cream without testing for infection. Yet another doctor indiscriminantly spewing antibiotics when one day we might need them for something important?
However, if you're still getting razor burn after a year, something is amiss. Talk to your dermatologist, maybe try to educate her, and let us know how it goes. Good luck.
Ask her why she recommended Edge gel over what you're currently using (and if she's even heard of what you're using) and antibiotic cream without testing for infection. Yet another doctor indiscriminantly spewing antibiotics when one day we might need them for something important?
However, if you're still getting razor burn after a year, something is amiss. Talk to your dermatologist, maybe try to educate her, and let us know how it goes. Good luck.
