Shaving frequency and irritation

[DanLansdowne]

Hello all, newbie here!

I've been shaving with a DE for a while (Parker 99R) and have found something unusual: if I shave daily, the following day my face gets irritated very easily. I have sensitive skin but a coarse beard and have yet to find the perfect combination of product, blade, lather, and pressure to allow for anything more than every other day - but I'm not a big fan of rest day stubble.

Any advice?

 

[Clay S]

If you are doing 3 pass shaves, try alternating 2 and 3 pass shaves, or just 2 pass shaves. If "a while" is under a year, try going back to your original pass number every couple of months.

It sounds like you already know what possible causes might be, so I see no need to bring them up.

 

[xxvaleria]

If your job doesn't require you to shave every day, then shave every other day. That's what I do.

 

[Carson West]

I think Clay's advice is good. I find that the best approach for me is one WTG pass on my chin, WTG/ATG on my cheeks, and three passes with clean-up on my neck. Then I can shave every day.

 

[Macduff]

Hello all, newbie here!

I've been shaving with a DE for a while (Parker 99R) and have found something unusual: if I shave daily, the following day my face gets irritated very easily. I have sensitive skin but a coarse beard and have yet to find the perfect combination of product, blade, lather, and pressure to allow for anything more than every other day - but I'm not a big fan of rest day stubble.

Any advice?

Sounds like you’re in the same boat as me. I would love to shave every day but my skin can’t handle it. I’ve tried everything i can think of (milder razor, more agressive razor, sharp blades, not so sharp blades, preshave, etc.) but nothing works. The only thing that works is settling for a subpar one pass shave. Even with carts i couldn’t shave every day. The unfortunate reality is that for some people it’s just not possible to shave (comfortably) every day. If a servicable shave is ok with you i think you could go that route, but for me it’s trying for BBS or nothing.

 

[Boar Fighter]

My only advice is to try another razor, maybe a milder one and other blades. The rest depends on your skin and nobody can predict how your skin will react. I use only mild razors and i can shave daily with 4pass shaves with a great variety of blades without having any irritation. To be honest, i think it's my skin more than anything else.

 

[SGWB]

I tried doing a daily 3-pass, but it caused too much razor burn. If I skip a day I tend to get bumps and ingrown hairs. Now I do a daily 2-pass shave with a mild razor where I skip the initial N to S pass. My beard grows slowly enough for that to work.

 

[shaversnapper]

I shave three times a week and can't really do daily for the same reasons. I thought getting used to wet shaving would fix that, but I’m just passing 5 years now and no change.

Once I year I have to be clean shaved for three days in a row and wear a suit and tie which can make for a rough neck. I’ve developed a method that gets me through those three days successfully, but I need to take a few days off to let my face rest up a bit.

A combo of fewer passes, lots of balm rather than AS and a dusting of talc on my neck gets me through the gauntlet.

 

[dcollegekid20]

As much as I would love to shave every day I have to resort to shaving every other day as well. Way less irritation and much more enjoyable. Although if I do end up having to shave the very next day, I just use my 6s on 2 and its pretty irritation free

 

[DanLansdowne]

I find I have to switch to electric for a day or two to let my skin rest, but it doesn't do as good a job - especially the first day. Strangely, milder blades seem to be harsher on me.

 

[alishock]

I also think it depends on the razor. My 34c is great for daily the R41 less so

 

[Nico1]

I have sensitive skin as well. I go for a twp pass shave with touch ups. Experiment with different blades and soaps.

 

[Ed Gcom]

YMMV. For me, old guy recent convert, I find a shave every 36 hrs works. Actually, morning, next evening, skip to following morning, next evening, etc. Not exactly 36 hours, but close enough.

Good luck...

 

[Carson West]

I find I have to switch to electric for a day or two to let my skin rest, but it doesn't do as good a job - especially the first day. Strangely, milder blades seem to be harsher on me.

I've noticed the same reaction to mild blades. I think that's because even when we're using them, we're still striving for a good close shave. And since we have to scrape that less-sharp blade against our skin more times to achieve it, the result is irritation.

 

[DanLansdowne]

YMMV. For me, old guy recent convert, I find a shave every 36 hrs works. Actually, morning, next evening, skip to following morning, next evening, etc. Not exactly 36 hours, but close enough.

Good luck...

Have tried that a couple times; never really stuck to it. Was thinking of giving it a go tonight, see if my skin has calmed down enough.

 

[BigJ]

Some excellent advice above!

It took me awhile to establish what works best for me as a daily shaver. My best results come from using a mild/moderate razor with a sharp blade. I also do best with more ‘protective’ soaps, so I really focus on performance rather than scent.

 

[Kooldecker]

man i thought it was just me! im new to straights , but my whole life its been irritation . even with wet electrics! so for now ive been just experimenting with different combinations and im down to a one pass wtg. now granted i have a beard and its really just my neck. but that was always the problem anyway. i figured ill try to get some combination sorted out....then start looking into multiple passes. i wish i had alligator skin but i just dont lol

 

[Ramius]

Three passes every other day is great, but when I have to shave every day it’s more comfortable to use 1.5-2 passes and call it good enough.

 

[Kooldecker]

thats where im at. i honestly attribute alot of it to lack of skills still. thats why im leaving it at one pass for now . hoping later i can bump it up. i mean i dont get a crappy shave. but it could certainly be better.

 

[Fiend606]

Do less passes and try mixing shaving directions...some places I do XTG and ATG and in other spots WTG/ATG. Shave every other day or less(I actually only shave twice a week but I work nights). I also found that shaving after taking hot showers increased irritation for me. Cold water prep and cold water shave. If you need to soften your beard then apply a lather and let it soak in for up to five minutes then rinse it off and reapply for the actual shave.