I cannot for the life of me get a comfortable shave. Cartridge or safety razor, nothing seems to clip these wires that grow out of my face comfortably. And it's not just that, but every time I have a ton of ingrown hairs. Is there any reassurance to be had, if not it's beard time fellows.
On the brink of calling it quits.
- Thread starter teh tardnoggle
- Start date
It is clear that you are feeling very frustrated, but don't give up. The last I heard, you were getting something close to a DFS with VdH soap and a VdH brush.
Can you tell us more about the prep that you are doing? For a comfortable shave, I think prep is all-important. Have you tried Kyle's prep? http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9745
Can you tell us more about the prep that you are doing? For a comfortable shave, I think prep is all-important. Have you tried Kyle's prep? http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9745
What about a single WTG pass with a straight razor? You'll probably be permanent 5 o'clock shadow man, but hey some people dig it.
- Thread starter
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Had two good shaves then I got a little lazy and didn't shave for the rest of the week. It was super stressful at work. Too the clippers to it to hack it down today, took a nice hot shower dried off lathered up and went to it. Did a 4 pass W, W, X, X and that's when I noticed all of the ingrowns from the last shave. That's the pain problem, not so much the razor burns but the ingrowns. I'm just frustrated...
i had the same frustrations. then i tried an injector. you can find 'em inexpensively 'used' here or ebay as they're no longer being made, doesn't matter which model they all shave the same--smoothly and effeciently. it was like someone turned the lights on for me personally first time i tried one.
they still make the blades, try amazon, drugstore.com or many local drugstores.
there's a number of dedicated injector shavers here and more detailed reading to be found. imho, injectors are a far superior shaving tool to the gillettes...
g'luck!
they still make the blades, try amazon, drugstore.com or many local drugstores.
there's a number of dedicated injector shavers here and more detailed reading to be found. imho, injectors are a far superior shaving tool to the gillettes...
g'luck!
Where exactly are the ingrowns?
When I first started with a DE it was great it got rid of my ingrowns then I started to get them around neck and in the same spot around my laugh lines.
I have thick curly facial hair.
Someone on here I think posted a link to a blank face picture and told me to draw the direction off my hair.
From doing that I realized that around my laugh lines and my neck the hairs grew in a kazillion directions in a 1" area.
If memory serves me right I only shaved with the grain (majority of hairs). under my neck for a month and the kept them to a minimum. Now I have to save religsouly every night or I get ingrowns.
I also have tried a straight and had near miraclous results. No ingrowns for as long as i can remember.
When I first started with a DE it was great it got rid of my ingrowns then I started to get them around neck and in the same spot around my laugh lines.
I have thick curly facial hair.
Someone on here I think posted a link to a blank face picture and told me to draw the direction off my hair.
From doing that I realized that around my laugh lines and my neck the hairs grew in a kazillion directions in a 1" area.
If memory serves me right I only shaved with the grain (majority of hairs). under my neck for a month and the kept them to a minimum. Now I have to save religsouly every night or I get ingrowns.
I also have tried a straight and had near miraclous results. No ingrowns for as long as i can remember.
Given you've made it clear you can get away with being unshaven work, I'd take it easy.
4 passes is far too many, and doubling up passes in the same direction is just the land of diminishing returns. Try shaving regularly with just 1 or 2 passes, and as ever prep, pressure and angle rule.
4 passes is far too many, and doubling up passes in the same direction is just the land of diminishing returns. Try shaving regularly with just 1 or 2 passes, and as ever prep, pressure and angle rule.
Ever thought of giving a straight a shot?
Just take it easy, use fewer passes and stick going WTG.
There is only 4 things that are required for a great shave-
If you are getting ingrowns its from poor prep, a not sharp enough brand of blade or your techniq is off.
One of the gents mentoned Kyles prep, a great place to start.
- Prep
- Lather
- A Sharp blade
- Technique
If you are getting ingrowns its from poor prep, a not sharp enough brand of blade or your techniq is off.
One of the gents mentoned Kyles prep, a great place to start.
I would suggest giving it some more time. I had terrible ingrown hairs and I can't say that things are perfect on my neck, but it took quite a while before my ingrown hair problem disappeared. Don't go ATG where ingrowns appear, make double sure that you're using a light touch, and try to do a light two-pass shave everyday. I find that it's when I don't shave daily that I end up having problems.
Lastly, some people find it helpful to use a salicylic wash before shaving. An astringent like witch hazel post-shave may help. I use Bump Fighter post-shave, and feel that it's helped out.
Lastly, some people find it helpful to use a salicylic wash before shaving. An astringent like witch hazel post-shave may help. I use Bump Fighter post-shave, and feel that it's helped out.
I gotta say go with a straight. If you're like me you'll find it might be the only thing that works. I tried DE shaving for the first time, for about 2 weeks. I gave it up 3 weeks ago. I'm still working out some ingrowns, of which I haven't had any since I gave up shaving with cartridges.
You can beat this!!!!
I had horrid ingrown hairs all over my neck all of my life. In December I switched to a DE and changed my prep and they are gone now. GONE! I researched it to no end, and came up with a formula that basically melded info and advice from a variety of trusted people.
It worked for me.
I implore you to read this, I just posted it a few days ago.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=133840
I'm glad something worked out for you, but 2 weeks, pardon the pun, is barely scratching the surface. That's not any way to know whether DE was ever going to help or not.
You need time, patience and practice. Prep and Technique is king, the tools don't do it by themselves. x10 with a straight for most people.
The smoothest shave I have experienced to date started with a step that I haven't seen mentioned yet. The night before, I washed my face with Noxema and a face cloth, applied a gentle hydrating lotion, then to bed. The next morning I washed my face again then prepped for my shave in the usual manner: hot face cloth held on the beard for a minute or two, apply Shave Secret, and apply VDH lather. Shaver was a Merkur Slant loaded with a Red IP. The full-day's growth of beard, which contained more gray follicles than I care to admit, was cut cleanly and smoothly with no drag using only the weight of the razor. I believe that applying the hydrating lotion to my beard the night before was the key (plus the magnificent Merkur Slant).
Don't give up and focus on blade angle! I can do in one pass what took me 3 when I was starting out.
give it a honest shot for one week: take a hot shower first to loosen up those hairs, and shoot for only 2 passes.. for the ATG pass put any kind of lotion on under your shaving cream, hold the razor by the fingertips, and intensely work on the blade angle.. it might not get you a BBS but it should be largely irritation free
BEWARE hot water! Too hot and your face will swell, you will cut your hairs your face will shrink back when it cools and drag back "contamination" back into your skin causing much of your problems. Best of luck and do not give up. 
Try a 1912 GEM. The time it takes to get proficient with them is much quicker than a straight, and I've read several very experienced members say they shave much like a straight. I've never used a straight so I can't compare the two, but I can say the GEM's really, really work well.
This is an interesting idea. I, too, like the injector quite a bit. Two passes (one WTG, one XTG) with an older injector will definitely give you a Socially Acceptable Shave (SAS) and it much easier than shaving with a DE. Also, the blade glides across the face much smoother than does a cartridge. Might be the answer for you.
