Need help! Getting BOAR brush burns!

[Your Majesty]

I've been using 2 omega boar brushes nearly everyday since end of July, alternating between the 2.

At first, I thought the reddishness and burn come down to them being not broken in. But today I got a pretty bad burn at my collarbone area and I don't even shave that part of my face.

So how do I solve this?

1) Don't mash down hard and just paint it on?
2) Get a badger? They are expensive and also made of animal hair. If it also burns me, it's a waste of my money.
3) Go back to my old omega S10018 synthetic? Too little backbone and too much splay in this one.
4) Are there any cheap omega with some backbone? Omega brushes are cheaper and more easily available here. S10065 maybe?

This really sucks big time. I was so looking forward to using boars regularly and now this has to happen. I've got a feeling these 2 might end up being paper weights because of those damn brush burns I've been getting.

 

[rasoio]

I use alternatively the Omega S10018 (synthetic) and 10018 (boar), I don't find this latter abrasive at all - with my use pattern that is.
You sure it's not an allergic reaction to the soap, possibly?
Otherwise you may just use the synthetic exclusively for some time, or switch to another, taller boar.

 

[Your Majesty]

I use alternatively the Omega S10018 (synthetic) and 10018 (boar), I don't find this latter abrasive at all - with my use pattern that is.
You sure it's not an allergic reaction to the soap, possibly?
Otherwise you may just use the synthetic exclusively for some time, or switch to another, taller boar.

Can't be the creams or arko soap since I've been using them for a year or so. Only old spice lime did not agree with me. The rest are fine.

 

[rasoio]

Then you're too strong

 

[Akis]

Probably the brushes need more shaves to brake in properly. I had a boar that took more than 80 shaves to "feel" right. Give it some time.

Alternately you can get a -not brake the bank- synth for the shaving creams and at the same time use the boars only to hand lather so you can brake them in.

 

[Clay S]

I've had problems with synthetics causing burns in unusual situations, but never natural bristles.

I assume your soaking for couple of minutes at least, might try longer to reduce backbone slightly. You might try a little lighter touch. IIRC, you like a lot of scrub, something's gotta give though, less splaying/pressure/backbone.

 

[Your Majesty]

I've had problems with synthetics causing burns in unusual situations, but never natural bristles.

I assume your soaking for couple of minutes at least, might try longer to reduce backbone slightly. You might try a little lighter touch. IIRC, you like a lot of scrub, something's gotta give though, less splaying/pressure/backbone.

I did soak for 5 min everytime. I think I'll just go into a routine with my synthetic mixed in. I really hate to ditch my 2 boars.v

 

[Clay S]

I did soak for 5 min everytime. I think I'll just go into a routine with my synthetic mixed in. I really hate to ditch my 2 boars.v

You aren't using multiple brushes during the same shave? That was my unusual situation with synthetics.

 

[Edinburgh]

Bowl lather for a while and see what happens. You won't sacrifice the quality of your lather, and then you can be far gentler on your face as the brush makes contact to apply and distribute the lather.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Use a lighter touch. Try paint strokes. Bowl lather.

Yaqi makes nice synthetic brushes.

 

[Mempho]

Most likely a combination of things. I find Arko a harsh soap. Try a cream or a glycerin soap instead. Bowl lather. Use an aftershave, like witch hazel. Use a moisturizer every day. Aveeno is a good choice. Avoid scented products. Use sunscreen. I think the key is better skin care, not a different brush.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I’ve gotten brush burn before as well. It can happen with about anything, I’ve even gotten it from synthetics when I have a soap that I’m face lathering that just doesn’t want to foam up. If you have a brush that tends to irritate your skin tying to face lather, try a palm or bowl lather instead.

 

[BigJ]

Probably the brushes need more shaves to brake in properly. I had a boar that took more than 80 shaves to "feel" right. Give it some time..

+1! This is also my bet. It takes time to break in a boar, worth the effort in the end.

 

[Cino]

Bowl lather for a while and see what happens. You won't sacrifice the quality of your lather, and then you can be far gentler on your face as the brush makes contact to apply and distribute the lather.

THIS.
Also, use more product. This combined with bowl lathering will allow you to break in the brushes with more lubrication and less face time. Eventually the brushes will soften up and distribute lather better. I find new boar brushes, even some new badger brushes, a little harsh too.

 

[maclean3]

+1! This is also my bet. It takes time to break in a boar, worth the effort in the end.

That's what I'm thinking too, from what you've said it's less than a month old?
If you have a soap or cream that you don't care for, use it to break in your brushes. When I was breaking in my SOC boar and Omega '98 I lathered each one every day until I hit the 90 day/lather mark - the common consensus for fully breaking in the SOC. I did that regardless of what brush I was using, some days it was one of those boars, other days it might be a badger but those boars got lathered, cleaned and towel buffed everyday. I used up two tubes of Proraso cream, two pucks of VDH and two or three Stirling samples - none of which I liked to use for shaving. Give it time to break in and continue using your other brush/brushes until it breaks in to something more skin friendly.

Badgers don't have to cost a fortune to be nice brushes. You seem to like some backbone so I'd think Silvertips wouldn't be what you'd like anyway. Check out some Best/Finest or 2 band brushes, they're usually cheaper than Silvertips and offer more backbone. Boars can be really skin friendly while still offering good backbone and scrub - once they're broken in. It sounds like you're still dealing with the scritch from a new brush. Good luck with it.

 

[Your Majesty]

Guys, I'm already bowl lathering......

 

[Volare]

Good advice provided by @Clay S

Try soaking it for twice as long and run it under the tap thoroughly, ensuring the bristles are "soaking wet" before use. This should soften the bristles more and make it feel more comfortable.

Note, those small Omega boars can feel very firm during the initially stages and at times, they might appear to be a little subborn when splaying. Use light pressure for now and just let the tips do their job. As mentioned by others in the posts above, the tips will definitely soften over the next dozen or so uses. Your brushes will also open-up and splay more effortlessly. Based on my experience, small Omega boars will always be a little scrubby (IMO, pleasantly scrubby, but this might prove to be a case of YMMV).

 

[seattleshaver]

Unless you just happen to be allergic to something, it sounds like technique to me. I've never had brush burn with boar or badger brushes. I mainly use an inexpensive boar brush.

If your face is wet and the lather is decent and you are using a light pressure it's pretty hard to irritate your face with a brush. If the lather isn't wet enough and if you are mashing the brush into your face I'm sure you could irritate you face so... don't do that.

I notice that some of the YouTube videos give the impression that the lather has to be super thick and that you need to spend several minutes brushing your face in every direction.

You don't need to be thinking about cleaning or scrubbing your face with the brush. Just use light strokes as all you need to do is to get your face covered with the lather and then shave.

 

[Your Majesty]

I don't think I'm allergic to anything. And if I use painting strokes, the lather won't be properly worked in, right? Since it's just a layer of lubrication on top of the hair.

 

[maclean3]

I don't think I'm allergic to anything. And if I use painting strokes, the lather won't be properly worked in, right? Since it's just a layer of lubrication on top of the hair.

Kind of depends on the direction you're painting. Think of it like shaving passes, you can paint the lather on WTG and it'd be more likely to just sit on top of your beard. Go XTG or ATG and theoretically it should raise the whiskers and get the lather worked it better.

You mentioned some irritation lower down on your collar bone, that sounds like an allergic reaction. Personally, I can't use anything with lavender or lilac in it because of a severe allergy. You might try an unscented soap and see if that helps. I bought a tub of Chiseled Face "Natural" (unscented) so I could focus on the quality of the soap itself without the distraction of scents getting in the way, it's a wonderful soap base that performs as well as anything I've used. Catie's Bubbles has "Le Nude" with no added fragrance or essential oils, I've been happy with the two soaps I've tried from them. I'm sure plenty of other soap makers offer their own unscented soaps as well.

Try giving the boar some time to break in without using it for a while (like my earlier post), I think you'll be impressed with the change once it reaches it's potential.