If you are getting neck irritation, either you are having trouble with your shave soap or your shaving technique. Unless you have a skin condition that requires treatment by a medical professional, eventuallly you should be able to get an irritation-free shave. It took me a few years of practice and evaluation of several dozen shaving soaps before I was finally able to shave with zero irritation. I now get an irritation-free shave nearly every time. However, if I make the mistake of going back to low end soaps, my face will regret it.
Neck irritation and modern cartridge razors - Not what I expected!
- Thread starter beepbeep
- Start date
If you are getting neck irritation, either you are having trouble with your shave soap or your shaving technique. Unless you have a skin condition that requires treatment by a medical professional, eventuallly you should be able to get an irritation-free shave. It took me a few years of practice and evaluation of several dozen shaving soaps before I was finally able to shave with zero irritation. I now get an irritation-free shave nearly every time. However, if I make the mistake of going back to low end soaps, my face will regret it.
any translucent soap.
your might find nivea.
i order ach brito glyce from gifts & care in spain.
push come to shove, just about any slick soap would work almost as well.
or you could simply pre-lather with your arko, let it sit for a minute, rinse it off, then repeat for the shave.
if you try, let us know how it goes.
It’s essentially a rubber strip about the size of a 2012 smart phone. You apply some shave cream and run the cartridge over the rubber 15-20 times after every use. It may be snake oil but I can’t argue with the longevity of my M3 carts. More info on YouTube and the RazorPit www site. AFAIK there is no damage to the cart.
Hello everyone!
Yesterday, I bought a Gillette Mach 3 razor that came with two cartridges just for the fun of it since it was on sale in the store. I've been shaving exclusively with safety razor and brush for almost 10 years now. Right from when I started shaving!For only a brief period of a couple months I used a cartridge razor when I started shaving. The experience at the time was fine but the cartridges wouldn't last very long, but they were store brand so perhaps that had something to do with it.
I switched to safety razors not long after starting and My trusty Merkur 34C has been my workhorse for all those years. Only recently have I acquired a King C. Gillette razor (King C. Gillette blades are awesome btw) as well as a vintage Gillette that I found at an antique market.
Now coming back to the topic:
Yesterday's shave with the Gillette Mach 3 was actually quite pleasant. It didn't feel tuggy and I got a great shave out of it. Perhaps not quite as close as I could get with a safety razor but very much nice and comfortable. The thing I noticed immediately is absolutely no irritation whatsoever, especially on my neck. Usually I do two pass shaves, first WTG, then XTG (this is usually even only a bit of a cleanup pass anyways) On my neck I always get slight irritation when I use my safety razor, and if I shave daily it gets really bad. I've tried so many things that have been suggested on the forums here but none seem to do much for whatever reason.
I was really surprised yesterday, especially after also having tried a Fusion 5 a week or two ago and abandoning it not even halfway through the shave because it was just painful to use (brand new cartridge).
I could see myself using the Mach 3 for the neck area if it works so well.
Some details from yesterday's shave:
- Merkur 34C with King C. Gillette blade (used to clean up some edges)
- Gillette Mach 3 with a brand new cartridge
- Some Omega boar brush that I have long forgotten the name/number of
- Proraso Green Preshave (not sure how helpful this stuff is, I only bought it and used it for the first time yesterday. Smells nice though...)
- Arko Soap stick
- Nivea Fresh kick after shave
So, some questions/discussion points:
- What has your experience been with neck irritation for both cartridge razors as well as safety razors?
- What can I possibly do to stop it from happening when I use a safety razor?
- How long can I expect one of these Mach 3 cartridges to last?
- Are there better cartridge razors than the Mach 3? I've seen this one pop up quite a bit over the years in threads.
I hope you all have a nice Sunday! Thanks in advance
Using a DE on your face and a Mach 3 on your neck would be a perfectly good solution. If you only use the Mach 3 on your neck, it will probably last better than if it is mowing tough face stubble.
I've got a thick-skinned face and thin-skinned neck, so what is good for my face is rough on my neck, and comfortable neck-shaving razors tend to lack the necessary horsepower on my face.
The Wilkinson black plastic (delrin) razor is as mild a DE as you can get, so would be an inexpensive way to try a neck-dedicated DE.
If you haven't already tried it, the Rockwells and a plate change might be the answer.
Have you tried SE razors?
The OREN has a floating blade that picks up difficult hair on my neck like no other razor i have. It is not good for several days of growth in my opinion though. The Vector is a more premium offering, but is just amazing.
I stopped chasing bbs on my lower neck with DE razors, it was not worth it. The only way i could get close was to do some buffing with a mild razor, or use a more efficient razor with a steeper angle.
Open blade shaving works better for me, but i like to have options.
The OREN has a floating blade that picks up difficult hair on my neck like no other razor i have. It is not good for several days of growth in my opinion though. The Vector is a more premium offering, but is just amazing.
I stopped chasing bbs on my lower neck with DE razors, it was not worth it. The only way i could get close was to do some buffing with a mild razor, or use a more efficient razor with a steeper angle.
Open blade shaving works better for me, but i like to have options.
- Thread starter
- #26
I haven’t no. I have never seen them around here in the EU (Belgium) and they seem rather expensive to get from the states.
I never tried BBS on the neck. Even a single pass with DE usually ends up in some mild form of irritation. I think I have my technique and lather making down after all these years but I’ll keep experimenting.
Neck irritation -Until you try a WilkinsonSword/Schick Protector 3 you won't know what your missing
The lower neck area seem to be a problem area for many, including me. I assume you have tried different blades in your razors. The Perma sharp blade works really well for me in all my razors. The Gillette yellow also seem to leave the skin in a better state then most of the blades i have tried.
The DE blades are in my opinion for the most part not that grate. SE blades are stiffer and can be better for the skin in my opinion. If you inspect these blades under a microscope you can really see a difference at the apex. I do not know what they do to deburr these blades, but compared to a DE blade there is a noticeable difference.
Some get good results using cold water. Might be something to consider. I live in the South West of Norway, so i like a hot shave during the winter, but might do it during hot summer days or if i shave after a workout. I guess the climate in Belgium is not that different.
- Thread starter
- #29
Gillette perma sharp and yellows are some of my favorites.
I’ll have to see if I come across a SE razor. That might be the key to it all.
Like you I usually prefer a warm/hot shave but I’ve done the occasional cold one without much difference. I’ll have to try it again because it’s been a while.
With a safety razor I do still get a little bit of irritation on the trouble spot of my neck with some of my razors, but generally I don't with Gillette Old Types and a Gillette Platinum blade. I still feel like I need to take a day off or 2 once in a while with the Old Type.
After I started straight razor shaving I was finally able to get accustomed to the no irritation/smooth neck life with shaving 7 days a week.
After I started straight razor shaving I was finally able to get accustomed to the no irritation/smooth neck life with shaving 7 days a week.
Orange Mythus, nice razor.
YMMV is indeed interesting.
Cartridges never bothered me much and I can even shave with an electric (and do so from time to time) and not get much irritation. Made the move to DES shaving initially to reduce may plastic footprint and to have something fun to try and master during the pandemic.
After almost a year of DES shaving I took a Gillette SkinGuard on a few trips. Techniques developed from DES shaving, along with much better creams and soaps, seemed to improve cartridge results substantially and now I am considering adding the SkinGuard to my regular rotation as it results in less irritation overall for me. However, that will only be true if I can get enough shaves on a cartridge to feel like I am not adding too much single use plastic back to the world.
Good luck!
Cartridges never bothered me much and I can even shave with an electric (and do so from time to time) and not get much irritation. Made the move to DES shaving initially to reduce may plastic footprint and to have something fun to try and master during the pandemic.
After almost a year of DES shaving I took a Gillette SkinGuard on a few trips. Techniques developed from DES shaving, along with much better creams and soaps, seemed to improve cartridge results substantially and now I am considering adding the SkinGuard to my regular rotation as it results in less irritation overall for me. However, that will only be true if I can get enough shaves on a cartridge to feel like I am not adding too much single use plastic back to the world.
Good luck!
- Thread starter
- #33
I haven't tried the SkinGuard yet. Is it compatible with a Fusion handle or is it a special one? Might try it out myself too.
I also like the reduced waste aspect of DE shaving. Some other users have recommended stropping cartridge blades to make them last longer. I'll have to try that out with the current Mach3.
@beepbeep - yes it's my understanding that the SkinGuard Cartridge fits on the Fusion handle. I've never tried the Fusion, though my brothers swear by them. Have not run the Mach 3 in 20 years but hear good things about them on B&B. I should add that I have already obtained about 12-15 good shaves with the SkinGuard over a long intermittent time frame with easy towel stropping. 2-passes superior to trying to make 1 work.
DEs: any mild DE I have had has been irritation-free. Currently, Rockwell 6SR1,R2 . Carts: disaster.
Shave only with the grain. Use watery lather. Use a fresh, sharp blade.
Cannot comment, last use in my teen years.
If you prefer carts and had issues with some brands, look for fewer blades. In your case, 1-2 blades.
For me carts got minor irritation around the neck.
DE was ok, but very tricky to go ATG under the chin without irritation. I often just did 2x across the grain instead. Still overall a much better shave than carts.
I was very surprised that I have zero irritation anywhere with SR shaving, which I started recently. Of course using SR's have other challenges
DE was ok, but very tricky to go ATG under the chin without irritation. I often just did 2x across the grain instead. Still overall a much better shave than carts.
I was very surprised that I have zero irritation anywhere with SR shaving, which I started recently. Of course using SR's have other challenges
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
Irritation free SR shaving does not occur for everyone but it sure seems to be the case with most SR shavers on B&B - myself included.....
I was very surprised that I have zero irritation anywhere with SR shaving, which I started recently. Of course using SR's have other challenges
@TheBeast is not there yet. He is getting closer.
Drums fingers and laughs evil laugh mawmawmaw
You are thinking of the Gillette Fusion Skinguard cart that has two blades, not three. I can say it’s probably the best cart ever. However my 39c Sledgehammer with a Nacet blade gives the best results.
Jason.
Actually, I was thinking of the Gillette 3. It fits on the fusion handle so the pivot is more from the center of the cartridge rather than the very bottom of the cartridge like the Mach3.
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