Neck irritation and switching from cartridge razors

[taiga]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to get some thoughts from members here on dealing with neck irritation. Ever since I started shaving I've been using cartridge razors (Gilette ProGlide) and I've switched from 5 blade to 2 blade "sensitive" cartridges. As long as I remember I've had trouble with ingrown hairs and bumps and nicks and irritation on my neck.

Some questions regarding on what I should change first:

1. Should I try and use a different shaving cream?
2. Should I try a different brand of cartridge razors?
3. Should I forget about cartridge razors and instead swap to DE safety razors?

In regards to my neck map, I haven't exhaustively mapped it out yet, but in general I do WTG, then very slowly ATG. I'm able to get BBS by doing that for my face, except for my neck. I do the same process with my neck, but just slower. One problematic area on my neck is the area just below my jaw, where the only way to get BBS is by doing XTG from right to left.

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[CANES]

I get irritation no matter what I use if I go ATG on my neck. I have just learned not to do it.

Sorry, this probably isn't the advice you're looking for, but a bunch of guys will come along shortly giving advice on prep and razors. For my skin, none of that truly matters. I've tried everything over the last 30 years of shaving. My skin just can't handle it.

Good luck, though! Hopefully you'll get some good tips here shortly!

 

[JCarr]

Some common things that cause irritation are:

Too many passes.
No protection during repeat or additional passes.
Protection/Lather inadequate.
Too much pressure used.
Chasing BBS with too mild a razor.

Cold water shaving helped me. Cold water splash before and after and for rinsing your razor during the shave.

Every time you shave, you should use the same routines and patterns. A chaotic, irregular shave regimen invites mistakes and unknowns.

Too many passes invites irritation. Know when to stop and in the beginning...don't chase BBS. BBS comes with time and experience. It also comes regularly when you find the razor and blade that's right for you.

Along with the above in reference to passes...lather with every pass. Don't skimp on this important point. The lather is the protection when you shave. To make strokes and passes without it invites nicks, cuts and irritation.

 

[StewB]

Agree with @JCarr - usually I get neck irritation due to too much pressure, insufficient prep, or too many passes. Shaving the neck without irritation is probably the trickiest part and takes practice.

 

[BigJ]

Great advice above!

To answer your specific questions:
1. I would look for a protective cream/soap with the fewest possible ingredients, then learn to make rich lather using plenty of product plus plenty of water.
2. I never did that well with carts, which was a big part of my reason for moving back to ‘traditional‘ wet shaving.
3. Sure! Just recognize that there will be a learning curve.

 

[Alex Jr]

On top of all above, try bullfrogging.

An unconventional way to get BBS on the neck

Howdy B&Bers, what I am about to share with you is strongly YMMV. I have long been in search of a BBS shave on my neck. I never shave ATG as weepers and ingrown hairs are commonly the result. I have what I would consider sensitive skin, and medium-coarse dark hair. I was in the experimenting...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Phoenixkh]

First of all.. welcome to B&B. This community has a wealth of information. You'll find your way before you know it.

I don't have any advice other that to try and relax. It's easier said than done when you are first starting out. Then, before you know it, your technique will improve as you continue to pay attention like you are doing now. It is a process, but people here will guide you along the way.

 

[JCarr]

Some questions regarding on what I should change first:

1. Should I try and use a different shaving cream?
2. Should I try a different brand of cartridge razors?
3. Should I forget about cartridge razors and instead swap to DE safety razors?

My apologies for not addressing your specific questions.

What shaving soap/cream are you currently using?

Cartridges work for some folks, but when I was using them, because they're so lightweight, they taught me to press down...which is wrong. Shaving with a safety razor of some kind...the tool has some weight to it, even if it's Aluminum or Titanium, and you can let the weight of the razor provide its own pressure.

Your third question is hard to answer as much of this is personal preference or what works for you. In my journey, I eventually left the cartridge razors behind and set sail for safety razors. I landed on the double-edge shore and have been there ever since. Some folks try single-edge safety razors and some even go the straight razor route. Eventually, we find the place which works for us. Much of this is trial and error...learning as we go and searching for a better, if not a perfect, shave.

You're going to find a lot of good things here. That's the beauty of B&B and all of the wonderful whacky members. Hang in there. You'll definitely get the help you need in these forums. I sure did!

Happy Shaves!

 

[Dngolden]

Neck irritation is a common issue. I have some of that myself on my throat area. A couple of thoughts in response to your questions.
1. You may want to try a single blade system, whether a cartridge or otherwise. Gillette makes an excellent single blade cart , although you have to order it from eBay from India. Maggards also has them. Gillette Guard Single Blade Cartridge Razor - https://maggardrazors.com/products/gillette-guard-single-blade-cartridge-razor. Traditional injectors, the one blade, and newer models like the leaf, all use single blade with only a modest learning curve compare to cartridges.

2. Ditch, trying against the grain grain. On my throat area, I have tried everything from straights, traditional DE, injectors and the cartridges a named above. If I am really careful, I can shave against the grain on my throat with a straight razor without irritation, but none of the others. it’s just not worth it.

 

[taiga]

Some common things that cause irritation are:

Too many passes.
No protection during repeat or additional passes.
Protection/Lather inadequate.
Too much pressure used.
Chasing BBS with too mild a razor.

Cold water shaving helped me. Cold water splash before and after and for rinsing your razor during the shave.

Every time you shave, you should use the same routines and patterns. A chaotic, irregular shave regimen invites mistakes and unknowns.

Too many passes invites irritation. Know when to stop and in the beginning...don't chase BBS. BBS comes with time and experience. It also comes regularly when you find the razor and blade that's right for you.

Along with the above in reference to passes...lather with every pass. Don't skimp on this important point. The lather is the protection when you shave. To make strokes and passes without it invites nicks, cuts and irritation.

Thanks for the reply. I learned to use lukewarm water originally, but I'll definitely try out cold water and see if that helps.

 

[Eric_75]

I never did that well with carts

When I switched from carts to DE my neck irritation disappeared. The right side of my neck was my problem area. Not anymore.

 

[taiga]

My apologies for not addressing your specific questions.

What shaving soap/cream are you currently using?

Cartridges work for some folks, but when I was using them, because they're so lightweight, they taught me to press down...which is wrong. Shaving with a safety razor of some kind...the tool has some weight to it, even if it's Aluminum or Titanium, and you can let the weight of the razor provide its own pressure.

Your third question is hard to answer as much of this is personal preference or what works for you. In my journey, I eventually left the cartridge razors behind and set sail for safety razors. I landed on the double-edge shore and have been there ever since. Some folks try single-edge safety razors and some even go the straight razor route. Eventually, we find the place which works for us. Much of this is trial and error...learning as we go and searching for a better, if not a perfect, shave.

You're going to find a lot of good things here. That's the beauty of B&B and all of the wonderful whacky members. Hang in there. You'll definitely get the help you need in these forums. I sure did!

Happy Shaves!

Thanks for the reply. I'm currently using alba botanica very emollient cream shave. I'll definitely take a look around and see what other members recommend. As for the application of pressure, I agree, I tend to place pressure when using cartridges.

 

[gpjoe]

Lots of good advice so I'll just concur.

You could try a DE razor and see if that helps, or stick with carts and abandon the ATG pass on your neck.

I've only been DE shaving for a year (almost) and the only time I get irritation or an ingrown is if I over-shave, chasing the perfect BBS result. I've said this before:

Part of your wet shaving technique is knowing when to stop.

You may never achieve a true BBS result, but you can certainly get a DFS (Damn Fine Shave).

 

[dmshaver]

Welcome to B & B, glad you've joined!

Another source of irritation is applying pressure with the razor. Don't apply any pressure, let gravity pull the razor down your skin, don't push into the skin at all with the razor. Applying pressure with the razor is a common cause of razor burn.

 

[kaufdrop27]

Grow a neckbeard! J/k I can’t go against the grain on my neck without it causing problems. With the grain only for me. Ymmv

 

[rudygu]

I can’t even think about going atg on my neck with a razor. In fact, I usually get one or two ingrowns if I carefully make one wtg pass. I’ve begun shaving around my Adam’s apple with a Phillips oneblade and this has mostly eliminated them. I can even make a very lightly pressured xtg/atg pass with it. I learned that by borrowing the “teen” model from my son. It’s around $20 on Amazon and very gentle for those trouble areas.

 

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[JWCowboy]

3. Should I forget about cartridge razors and instead swap to DE safety razors?

Yes.

 

[sanookd]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to get some thoughts from members here on dealing with neck irritation. Ever since I started shaving I've been using cartridge razors (Gilette ProGlide) and I've switched from 5 blade to 2 blade "sensitive" cartridges. As long as I remember I've had trouble with ingrown hairs and bumps and nicks and irritation on my neck.

Some questions regarding on what I should change first:

1. Should I try and use a different shaving cream?
2. Should I try a different brand of cartridge razors?
3. Should I forget about cartridge razors and instead swap to DE safety razors?

In regards to my neck map, I haven't exhaustively mapped it out yet, but in general I do WTG, then very slowly ATG. I'm able to get BBS by doing that for my face, except for my neck. I do the same process with my neck, but just slower. One problematic area on my neck is the area just below my jaw, where the only way to get BBS is by doing XTG from right to left.

Thanks in advance for any advice

Perhaps try to find an old school skilled barber who knows how to give a good straight razor shave. If that barber can get you close enough to your satisfaction without irritation then you’ll know it’s something in your technique. You might also at that point decide to try your hand at the world of straight razor shaving. It’s just a thought!

 

[V12Stu]

@taiga - welcome to the forum.

I feel a bit of an imposter replying to your questions; I used a cartridge razor for around 30 years but only made the move to DE safety razor shaving just before Christmas - so my experience is very limited compared to almost every other forum member here! And you have a lot of very good advice in this thread already!

What I can say, though, is that if I ever went ATG with my Mach 3 razor on my lower neck, I would regret it for days with ingrown hairs and uncomfortable bumps.

Having switched to DE shaving, I've researched a lot on this forum and learned from the research. My hairs lie so close to my skin on my lower neck that a WTG pass catches very little of the growth. So I've worked out that I can shave my lower neck diagonally XTG one way (so WTG but 45 degrees towards XTG), then diagonally XTG the other way, and then ATG using a variation of the bullfrog technique mentioned above but no buffing - just single, slow strokes and then move to the next stroke.

With this, I get pretty close to BBS - with no ingrowing hairs!

But - the most important part in this - I can only do this with zero pressure when applying the razor to my skin - it is literally just touching the surface at the correct angle. If I add any pressure at all, razor burn results (although no ingrown hairs....)

It's been quite a revelation for me.

So, in answer to your questions, in my extremely limited experience, I would suggest giving DE shaving a go and maybe not continually hunting for that magical BBS - DFS is good enough for most folks and reduces the chances of irritation.

Wish I'd made the change away from cartridge razors years ago.

Anyway - good luck - let us know what you decide and how you get on.