Problems with razor bumps!

[Sendro]

Hello all, So I have been trying many different things while shaving. I switched to a DE razor merkur (I forget which model) and I am using Gillette platinum blades. I use the Art of Shaving kit (pre-oil, cream and balm). My technique is pretty solid, I dont cut myself anymore.

I have been watching some of the mantic59 videos and he says to shave N-S on your first pass. Is this regardless of where the grain is? Because mine swirls.

I shaved last night and this was the result:

 

[stickjr25]

The issue is probably how the growth pattern is on your neck. The growth on the lower half of my neck runs west to east. So my WTG pass is actually a horizontal pass. I can follow that up with an XTG pass but any more than that I get irritation. Everywhere else can handle an extra pass or so. Also I find keeping the pressure super light on my neck also helps. So my advice is to figure out the growth pattern best you can on your neck and then do WTG passes for the time being.
-David

 

[Hiisi]

Pull skin and use zero pressure and perhaps settle for just a 2 pass on the neck, perhaps wtg+wtg at first?
North to south is just dependant on the growth pattern, try to figure it out and after that you should strive for WTG for the first pass, xtg afterwards if you think you can handle it. The first pass doesn't really have to be WTG thought if it's too hard to get it right, you can cheat abit on it and go in between WTG and XTG (works for me, but YMMV).

 

[TGilly]

I've had this problem too. +1 on what Stickjr25 said about the horizontal with the grain pass. You can also try a mild razor blade like Shark and Derby. One more thing, try Burt's Bees aftershave it helps me with ingrown hair bumps and cuts.

 

[Sendro]

Well this shave was "With the grain." The issue is that my neck swirls in so many directions that it is impossible to go with the grain.

 

[celestino]

It could be the blade and razor. You could also experiment with different directions on the passes. i found that i XTG for the first pass, then WTG on the second for my neck worked well. Good luck. You may also want to try some unrefined shea butter to help alleviate the redness and bumps.

 

[taco8slo]

Well this shave was "With the grain." The issue is that my neck swirls in so many directions that it is impossible to go with the grain.

My neck is difficult too, I shave it in sections depending on direction of growth, good lather and a very light touch will make a big difference as well.

 

[stickjr25]

Just remember WTG is relative to your growth pattern. Do you happen to have a picture of your neck with beard so we can look at your growth pattern. Here is what mine looks like:


My first pass follows the black arrows, second pass follows the red. After that I am done with passes below the black line. Any more than that and I get irritation. I would give my neck a rest and let it recover. After that I would do my best to follow the growth, even if that means shorter strokes. Hope this helps!

 

[bwoods]

Use tend skin and it will take care of that. It's expensive but it does the trick. As a black man I know the trials and tribulations of razor bumps and in grown hairs from shaving all too well.

 

[TML4EVR]

+1 on the Tend Skin, I find that it really zaps the raxor bumps , once they appear. I find two applications a day takes care of my ingrowns, but I find it too irritating to apply immediately post-shave. The key, however; is to find a way to avoid the ingrowns in the first place. Stickjr25 is right, find the direction that works best for YOUR skin and growth pattern.

I think I'm also disvovering that the quality of the blade I'm using, and specifically the quality of the coating on the blade seems to make a difference, for me. Of course YMMV.

Have you had any luck defeating your bump issue, and did you ever figure out what caused the problem?

Brad

 

[TML4EVR]

Sorry I forgot to mention that I too have a swirling hair growth pattern on my neck. I also had a beard for over a decade, just shaved it off last July. I can tell you that when my beard was too long (SWMBO would call me Grizzly Adams, and my kids would grab little fistfulls of beard and shake my head), there was only one direction I could comb it out without my hair feeling strange. That is the direction that I shave my first pass, and as long as my technique is correct, and I'm using a good blade I won't get any irritation. For me, a second pass can be done in any direction without irritation, again as long as my technique is correct. If I try for a third pass and a BBS I will absolutely get raor bumps - every time no matter how perfect my technique.

 

[Kostas1]

A couple things, and this may or may not be the solution for you.

First off, I'd recommend a medium-to-low aggressive open comb. My Gillette New Open Comb gives me the best results when going WTG on my neck. Additionally, I can go XTG & ATG with zero pressure and get a few stragglers that way too.

Second, and this may or may not apply to you, but if you have sideways growing hair on your neck, there's a good chance you have (or had) ingrowns. This solution for me took a couple months, but reduced my ingrowns quite a bit. Every evening, I would use an exfoliator (jack black scrub or anthony logistics is what I have), then devote a few minutes to tweezing out the easiest to get ingrowns, followed by an ingrown treatment (bump patrol, anthony logistics, etc.). After the following morning's shave, I'd again try to get a few of the easy ingrowns, and again, apply an ingrown treatment. Did this 5-6 times a week for about a month, and 1-2 times a week since. I probably have less than 10% of the ingrowns I had 6 months ago. The result is that I can now shave my neck XTG and ATG without irritation because the surface I am shaving is so much flatter/smoother.

Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[kFries]

I have this problem too. My best solution thus far with swirling hairs is swirling razors. In one of mantic59's videos, he shows a "J-Hook" pass. The swirling action of the razor (a true WTG pass) felt GREAT on my neck. Much closer and much less irritation. I did two soft passes as close to WTG as I could manage (not easy, I know), and then did J-Hooks. Also, witch hazel can help treat those bumps. Made a huge difference for me.