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Noob shaving advice

Hi everyone. Apologies if my issue has already been covered, but I failed to find a thread that would fit.

I've been having shaving trouble and straight up googling the issue failed to yield solid results. I'm a dry shaver only, I use the Phillips Series 3000 (rotary). Yet I haven't had a clean and damage-free shave in months. The problem area is the neck, a very sensitive place. I'm essentially forced to choose between leaving an ugly mess of hairs the razor failed to get, or shave clean but end up with both painful discomfort and insane redness.

I've recently started using shaving oil and while it has made the experience a bit more comfortable, it didn't solve the problem entirely.

The guide's I've studied also suggested shaving once every, say, two days. However, this option isn't available since a) the razor clearly has more difficulty removing longer hairs and b) despite my arms and legs looking like Bigfoot's, my unshaven facial hair looks like something going through puberty.

I regularly purchase new blades for my razor (with the last update being around December).

Every single guide I've checked claims foil razors are superior to rotary ones. And while my Philips S3000 was often at the top of the rotary tier in those rankings, the price gap between it and whatever the top foil razor was was quite noticeable. Which kinda begs the conclusion that, yes, foils ARE superior.

Essentially, the point of my coming here is to ask for advice. I wanted to make sure that I'm not missing some crucial aspect of shaving before I buy a more expensive razor (since if the problem is me and not the equipment, the issue will persist).
 

ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
Welcome to the forum from Australia. We have a few great members here who are very knowledgeable on Electric/Rotary razors/shavers and they might be able to help you out. Just bare with us for a little while with all the different time zones around the world.
 
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ylekot

On the lookout for a purse
Welcome aboard! I cannot be of any help as I have never had good luck with an electric razor but someone should be along presently.
 
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You didn't say why the Phillips 3000 rotary was failing to shave the hairs on your neck. Is it because the hairs there grow flat against your skin ? From what I have read foil shavers do less well shaving flat lying hairs than rotary shavers do.

I would suggest you give wet shaving a go. Get a good cartridge razor first, something like the BIC three blade disposable, ( no point shelling out on all the gear if wet shaving doesn't work for you ) and some shaving soap or cream ( the canned shaving cream isn't very good ) and a shaving brush ( boar or synthetic ) would be useful as it helps to make the lather. As you have sensitive skin I would recommend shaving with cold water as it reduces inflammation. Witch Hazel as an after shave splash is also very good for soothing the skin and reducing inflammation.

The main thing with wet shaving is to use a light touch with the razor against your skin as you shave. Try to use just enough touch to glide the razor over your skin and no more. Don't shave over areas repeatedly where you have already shaved the lather off. So shave once and lather your face again for a second pass. Shave with the grain first and then across the grain, the third and final pass is against the grain to achieve a very smooth shave but as you have sensitive skin I would skip the third pass, at least until your skin inflammation settles down.
 
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You didn't say why the Phillips 3000 rotary was failing to shave the hairs on your neck. Is it because the hairs there grow flat against your skin ? From what I have read foil shavers do less well shaving flat lying hairs than rotary shavers do.

I would suggest you give wet shaving a go. Get a good cartridge razor first, something like the BIC three blade disposable, ( no point shelling out on all the gear if wet shaving doesn't work for you ) and some shaving soap or cream ( the canned shaving cream isn't very good ) and a shaving brush ( boar or synthetic ) would be useful as it helps to make the lather. As you have sensitive skin I would recommend shaving with cold water as it reduces inflammation. Witch Hazel as an after shave splash is also very good for soothing the skin and reducing inflammation.

The main thing with wet shaving is to use a light touch with the razor against your skin as you shave. Try to use just enough touch to glide the razor over your skin and no more. Don't shave over areas repeatedly where you have already shaved the lather off. So shave once and lather your face again for a second pass. Shave with the grain first and then across the grain, the third and final pass is against the grain to achieve a very smooth shave but as you have sensitive skin I would skip the third pass, at least until your skin inflammation settles down.
I've been avoiding non-electric razors my whole life but since push has come to shove, guess it's finally time I give it a go. Thanks for the detailed instructions
 
You dont say if you've changed anything in your life, diet, medication, more stress that kinda thing. Im mainly a wet shaver but do use a Philips one blade once or twice a week. I've found over the years that if my meds are changed my facial skin shows it more, redness after shaving, ingrowns that kinda thing. Same if I have a few too meat heavy meals in the same week too. Also You say you changed the blades in December, are the new ones genuine parts or from some ebay or AliExpress seller? It may just be a case of the blades have become blunt a little quicker than you'd of though.
 
My experience is that foil shavers are best for every day, rotary best for longer whiskers, so it surprises me that the rotary is not working on your multiple-day beard.

I never got a clean shave with either, but ended up settling for a while on using a rotary a couple times a week after I retired (didn't need to shave every day).

I always used William's 'Lectric pre shave, and always stretched my skin, especially on my neck, to be able to get as much of the hair as I could, but I stopped before over shaving which would cause redness and irritation.

If I had any rough spots, I would just touch up with a cartridge razor.

Bottom line: I never got a really close shave using an electric, but for me it was critical to stop before I irritated my skin, especially on my neck. Repeatedly shaving over that area trying to get it smooth always led to major redness and irritation.
 
Welcome. First thing is the neck irritation. Electric razors generate heat which can cause irritation. Combined with the natural tendency to push harder trying to get those difficult hairs.

Shave the neck area first. Slow down. Slow down. Let the razor do the work gently moving over the area. Shave another area and come back to the problem area if having difficulty.

There is no harm in using something like Williams as @gpjoe mentioned. Might work for you.

Now to straighten out a big misconception many have. There is no one best type of electric shaver or one best model. Each of us have different facial angles, skin types, etc. all factors that influence the shaving experience. So if you are having significant irritation then consider trying a foil. Might be a better experience for you.

Shave every day if possible. Electrics perform best with 1 or 2 days growth. More than that and the longer whiskers can be difficult to shave off.

About me. Shaved off and on with electrics for decades. Close to 50 years, mostly when I traveled. Was a dedicated DE shaver for quite some time. Also used carts. Switched to all electric last year and haven't looked back. I can focus on the joy of aftershaves and colognes instead of the enormous clutter of DE shaving products.

Electric shavers today are much better than their predecessors of 20 years past. So try a few things out. I have used top of the line everything, and things in between. Foil, rotary, et al. The best shaver for me of what is available is the Braun Flex 360 series. There are several models available at different price points if you are interested.

Less powerful shavers are counter intuitive but are often times better. Less speed is less heat and friction, both major contributors to irritation.

You might also try using plain old warm water and soap to clean the razor heads. Could be the cleaning solution is adding to the irritation though Phillips makes a really great cleaning solution.

There is no one best shaver or method. Faces change as we move through life as well. What worked 20 years ago may not be so great now. Keep us posted and let me know if I may be of further assistance.
 
Welcome, and excellent advice from @ctr and @StewB. Concur with all, and also agree with the suggestion to shave wet with shaving soap and water- I shave almost exclusively wet with all my electrics. Same prep, lather and post-shave that I use with a DE, for a shave almost as close. Rotaries are not known for their comfort, but the Philips is a pretty good rotary, so I agree as well with the observation that you might be pressing too hard - and slowing down sometimes also helps. And as you surmise, a foil shaver might give you a more comfortable shave - but as noted, an electric is designed to trim shorter beards, so shaving daily actually improves the experience. You might try one of the less expensive Brauns (S5, S7) to see if you find an improvement - again, almost always more comfortable than a rotary. Although - and an important "although" - a rotary generally does a better job at picking up longer or stray hair. With a foil, you might need to use the trimmer to knock down hair that the foils consistently miss before going over them again. And to repeat - a light touch. You won't get a BBS shave with an electric, no matter how hard you press, so no point in chasing it. And you really don't need to. Almost any electric today is capable of delivering a close (enough), comfortable shave with little effort. Good luck and post back!
 
So, I'm still a noob and trying to find my groove with all of this. I'm a daily shaver (military) and I think I found my routine. I start my week on Sunday night with a nice DE shave from my weekend growth. Then I switch to my Braun 7 Series after that on Tuesday morning.

When I use my Braun, I still do a little pre-shave routine (hot shower, face wash) and I use Cremo shaving cream. WOW! What a difference. Cremo is so slick and you just have to use a little water on your fingers to re-lather up some spots and my Braun goes right over it. Then a nice AS and balm and done. Maybe 10 minutes total. Hope that helps!
 
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