Plea for Help! - Is this razor burn/bumps/irritation Pics Inside

[milesandcoltrane]

Hi guys,

I've been having a pretty bad case of I-really-don't-know-what-this-is-called.

I get red bumps that ooze a little liquid (not sure if its puss but it oozes like a pimple but less - gross I know).

I've had ingrowns before, but they've stopped - at least I think they have gone away for now.

I've been DE shaving for years but only with water. For the past 2 months I've rediscovered proper wet shaving with a brush and shaving cream. Problem is, ever since I've gone down this road, I've been getting these oozy red bumps all over my cheeks.

It was quite apparent when I first started out with Omega/Proraso SC. But now with the Godrej Rich Foam that I just bought, it has become alot worse. (On top of that the Godrej burns and irritates my skin really bad, not sure if its the lanolin that's causing this?).

I don't think its my technique, well maybe it is but I'm not too sure. My razor is a crappy plastic and alu Chinese knock-off. It's quite an agressive razor with a pretty large blade gap.

The Omega boar, which I've broken in considerably (taking the hair dryer to it every night after I shave - split ends and all), is still very prickly on my skin. The 2nd pass brush down is horribly painful at times.

Apologies for the crappy pics. Only have my iPhone at hand right now.

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[Groat]

Perhaps it's some kind of allergic reaction if it has only recently started after using certain soaps and creams.

 

[ackvil]

Rather than experiment, I would see a dermatologist ASAP.

 

[joglander]

I can't tell from your pic, but is there any chance you have poison ivy or some variant? That clear pus description sounds just like poison ivy.

Other possible causes: allergic reaction to product, too much pressure, bad angle, skin infection. Here's what I would do. Take two days without a shave. Use those days to watch all the vids on shaving technique. Then: Hot shower, warm washcloth soak followed by lather and 1 light pass of WTG shave. NO pressure, watch blade angle. Don't try for a close shave. If that works without irritation, try the same thing the next day with a second XTG pass. If it didn't work, or if you have irritation, I would substitute a different shave cream. If you still have problems, I might try a new brush, or pick up a different razor or different blade. But I would change just one thing at a time until I isolated the problem.

Good luck

 

[BCatl]

Looks like you've stirred something up! I think I'd lay off shaving for a bit. I think your ultimate answer is going to come from a doctor (preferably a dermatologist). I would most definitely cut out both alcohol based AS, and witch hazel until a doctor can take look at this. Good luck!

 

[k200817]

Your best bet is a doctor/dermatologist before anything else. Don't take any chances with your health.

 

[ShaveAddict]

I agree with the others, go see a doctor as soon as possible.

 

[GDCarrington]

Your skin may be naturally oily and using a very oily soap may clog up your pores (just like severe acne). I do think you need to see the dermatologist because he/she may provide you information on what type of product you can use.

 

[mkc1mjb]

Don't shave at all for several days to see if the condition improves. If it improves significanlty try shaving again with only hot water and a mild soap to gauge your skins reaction. Additionally, see a dermatologist to get their input.

 

[Carlo A]

+1 for what everyone said previously.
This is very interesting. But you mentioned something about your DE blade:
it is possible that the balde needs replacement. You never know my friend.

Go step by step, one thing at a time.

Good luck mate.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Many thanks for all the replies guys!

I'm really sorry for the gross pictures but I really had to post them to seek help =) Couldn't quite describe them accurately in words.

The redness has subsided like it always does. The pictures above were taken immediately after shaving. The bumps still remain and though the burn is reduced it's still present.

I'm definitely going to see a dermatologist. Couldn't get an appointment today so I'll be heading down to the GP first and hopefully get a referral which might speed things up.

For now, I'm also going to stop the harsh cleansers and toners I've been using. Planning to purchase some Cetaphil gentle or daily cleanser and the moisturizer and stick to that.

Here are the pictures (hope they're less gross):

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[milesandcoltrane]

I can't tell from your pic, but is there any chance you have poison ivy or some variant? That clear pus description sounds just like poison ivy.

Other possible causes: allergic reaction to product, too much pressure, bad angle, skin infection. Here's what I would do. Take two days without a shave. Use those days to watch all the vids on shaving technique. Then: Hot shower, warm washcloth soak followed by lather and 1 light pass of WTG shave. NO pressure, watch blade angle. Don't try for a close shave. If that works without irritation, try the same thing the next day with a second XTG pass. If it didn't work, or if you have irritation, I would substitute a different shave cream. If you still have problems, I might try a new brush, or pick up a different razor or different blade. But I would change just one thing at a time until I isolated the problem.

Good luck

I don't think it's poison ivy man. There's no poison ivy where I'm living right now. And I rarely get outdoors these days. Stuck in the office being an underpaid overworked intern now

 

[milesandcoltrane]

+1 for what everyone said previously.
This is very interesting. But you mentioned something about your DE blade:
it is possible that the balde needs replacement. You never know my friend.

Go step by step, one thing at a time.

Good luck mate.

I've been replacing my blades after 2 or 3 shaves. Using the green Gillette 7'O Clocks now and they get dull on the 4th shave usually. My beard chews up blades like crazy so I try to ensure that I've got a sharp blade every time.

I'll also take note on the technique guys! For years all I did was shave after a shower with my vintage Gillette DE and nothing but good 'ol water. Didn't really have any problems!

I'm going to see what the GP says, and lay off the shaving for a while. That's such a bummer cuz I've really been looking forward to shaving these days!!

 

[sid3000]

Try using a preshave oil next time. The soap will be able to react with that oil instead of the natural oil your skin has produced from the years of water only shaving. Also use moisturizers after the shave too.

 

[ackvil]

Let us know what the doctor says. Good luck.

 

[914fan]

Thats exactly what I have been fighting. I won! Below is the post for my method. Its not quick, but it works great for me.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=162313

 

[Hank21]

Looks like folliculitis.

The condition is probably due to an allergy to the lanolin in the products and the razor your using is too aggressive.

Use a slick non irritating shave cream that doesn't contain lanolin and a better quality mild razor -possibly an adjustable.

In the meantime you might want to take a break for a few days and see if the condition clears up. If it doesn't get it checked by a dermo. They should be able to give you a prescription to cure it.

 

[Carlo A]

Good luck buddy

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Hi Gents! My sincerest apologies for the extremely late reply. Been crazy busy with my internship.

I went to my GP last week and he couldn't tell what was going wrong. He said it could be an allergic reaction but he wasn't too sure. He gave me some cortisone cream to apply twice a day and he asked me to lay off on all the products.

At the same time I came across some posts by Gordon over at shavemyface and he kept talking about not using anything else but regular soap (good quality ones not the harsh detergent bars). No moisturiser, no toner, none of that crap.

It got me thinking about my skin condition before I started tinkering with all this metrosexual crap.

Long story short, I've cut out all other products, even moisturizers.

For the past week I've been washing my face with Cussons Imperial Leather bar soap (also use it for the body) twice a day - at night it's a little more intensive than the morning. I also bought a Tabac shaving stick.

I'm very glad to say that my skin has improved tremendously. I no longer get the red bumps illustrated above after shaving. And I'm still using my crappy Chinese excuse of a razor.

Now after a week, my skin is alot better, I get less oil on my skin through the day. Occasionally if I get out of the office and its hot I visit the toilet wash my face lightly with just regular water and pat dry.

My skin has improved tremendously! I'm loving these tallow based products. Funny that lanolin in the Godrej gives me a problem. Maybe its synthetic. Oh well.

Now I'm a very firm believer of keeping it simple and traditional (and tallow based =)

Just got myself a vintage Gillette Tech made in England. Nickel plated brass. Getting used to it but it has made the improvements even more remarkable!!!

 

[Saturn]

Good to hear you've seen such big improvements!

Yeah, overdoing it with the skin care products can hurt more than help. It can be okay to use some of that stuff, but you want to stick with the gentle things and wean it into your routine slowly. Piling it all on at once will just cause problems and make it more difficult to determine the culprit of an allergic reaction.

Good luck with the new razor and hope your skin improvements are permanent.