So, I butchered my first shave and I have a pretty good case of razor burn going on. I tried shaving again this morning after a nice hot shower and a hot rag over the face afterwards and it was pretty painful. So here's my question, push through the razor burn or give it a few days to heal then try again?
Razor Burn
- Thread starter teh tardnoggle
- Start date
give your skin time to heal. crush to a powder an aspirin or 2.. mix it with a small amoun of water and apply to razor burn. repeaet until comfort level is reached.
- Thread starter
- #3
Does the aspirin help it heal quicker? If so why in the world did I never know about this trick! Haha!
Give your face a rest, it will thank you for it.
Pete
Pete
No sense doing the hot rag soak after the shave. Cool splash/soak maybe, but not hot.
After letting it rest, do something different when you try again.
- Chris
After letting it rest, do something different when you try again.
- Chris
- Thread starter
- #6
Yeah, no. I meant after I got out of the shower before I shaved. My apologies for the poor word choice. I need to pick up some aftershave... forgot mine when I moved.
2/3 days to allow razor burn to cool down and heal then you should be good to shave again 
- Thread starter
- #9
Well then looks like it'll be worth running to the store to pick up some BC powder to keep around then!
A mix of witch-hazel and Aloe Vera gel douses the flames pretty well. ...just sayin'...
-- John Gehman
-- John Gehman
Let it heal..........
Yep, best to let it heal. I've been shaving on and off with a DE for the past 30 years. Not letting it heal just prolongs the discomfort. Put some moisturizer on your face for a day or two to speed things along.
+1 to letting it heal!
Fierce razor burn points ot a case of bearing down pretty hard on the razor.
When you go at it again, go easy, and pretend there's a really dangerous sharp blade pressed against your skin
When you go at it again, go easy, and pretend there's a really dangerous sharp blade pressed against your skin
I've been in this same situation and I just pushed through the discomfort! It never subsided. After a day of long travel I missed a shave and the next one was much better and the burn was gone. I think giving it about 48 hours to heal up is a good thing. I've heard others in the forums say that if you feel any discomfort at all, then you should stop.
You are getting some good advice here. I might recap since at times in the past I have had razor burn issues.
YMMV in the following
Causes of razor burn:
#1. Too much pressure on the blade, go very light and easy for a while and work at just removing the shaving cream. If you are doing this right there are beard hairs in the shaving cream.
#2. Terrible or dull blade. Blades are cheap, try another one or brand. Yes different brands irritate different people. This is a personal thing.
#3. Bad angle. Start with the handle at a 90 degree angle to the face and while moving tilt toward you until it starts to shave. There are posts and illustrations around here that will help you see this.
#4. Going against the grain. Try shaving a while just with the grain. Then Across the grain, then when things are going good someday lightly try Against the grain. Remember, easy does it. Your face gets used to this type of shaving and your skills will develop quickly.
#5. A too aggressive razor. Read around the posts and use the search engine here to find the milder razors. You might like an adjustable one and start on the lower settings.
#6. Sensitive to the soap. You might be sensitive to the soap you are using. Rubbing something that irritates your skin over your skin with a sharp object can be rough on your face.
#7. Having sensitive skin and pressing the brush hairs into your skin. This isn't exactly razor burn, but it can set you up for irritation if you have a stiff brush and sensitive skin. Work with the sides of the tips of the brush hairs and don't use jabbing motions. You may find you like a softer brush.
#8. Not doing your preparation correctly. I put my shaving mug into a bowl of hot water. I then bathe or shower washing my face with hot water. I then replace the water in the bowl with hot water and make my lather. I lather my face and start shaving my cheeks. I re-lather my face and neck a second time before I shave them. There are many posts on the group about preparation.
Don't forget to blot your face with a cloth and cold water afterward. This does a lot of things that help with the burn. You may find a non-alcohol skin conditioner helpful.
Others have said many of these things, I just thought I would put them together.
Good luck, you are on your way!
mrscottishman
As Mr. Scottishman points out, you might also be having problems with your brush. I have been shaving with a DE on and off for over 30 years and couldn't figure out why I would be fine on some days and had a red face on other days. My boar hair brush was the culprit. I'd get a red face every time I used it. I'm allergic to a bunch of things and it looks like boar hair is one of them.
rest it man
- Thread starter
- #20
Loving the advice fellows, I will probably make another go at it in a day or two more. That's the rough part about having really sensitive skin and a seriously tough beard... and little patience. I am going to have to learn to enjoy the shave. I might look for a new brush since I am using a boar, a new bowl to help build a better lather but I'm quite happy with my razor. I spent a chunk of change and I'm going to learn to use that sucker if it's the last thing I do. Bad technique I'm sure, pressing when I don't need to, all of the above rookie mistakes I am positive that I made when I hit autopilot mode. With me being as stubborn as I am after the first pass with the grain I came back against the grain on the second pass and that's what caused a good portion of my grief to be sure. Another part is I had no aftershave, which I found rather irritating. I don't know about you guys but a little alcohol into the cuts, while it burns like no other, in a strange way it feels fantastic. Are there any disadvantages to using an alcohol base aftershave?
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