Still getting tiny white zits on mouth area after first DE shave

[johnnyscience]

So I just shaved for the first time with my new Merkur 11 two days ago. I took a shower scrubbing my face really well, added Proraso Pre (although I think my face was too wet as it started to run) made up some C.O. Bigelow lather & did a full 3 passes W/X/A then I rinsed with warm water, then cold water, patted dry with a towel & used the Proraso as a Post and everything was fine.

But then 24-48 hours my face, mostly around my mouth & chin area broke out in a dozen or so very tiny white zits.

This was happening recently when I would shave with my electric razor, only much worse so I figured it was because the electric really needed a new blade. Then I found out about DE razors & how they're supposed to be much better for your face when it comes to irritation/razor burn & ingrowns & decided to invest in a setup instead of getting a new electric head.

But it seems I'm still having issues with these tiny white zit breakouts within the 24-48 hour window.

Can anyone offer any advise? Should I be using a special kind of towel to pat my face dry after final rinse? Should I use witch hazel? Is this an issue because my pores aren't getting closed right away or properly?

My beard makes my face hurt or is sore during this time as well in certain areas.

 

[imthegoal]

I would suggest to not do a ATG pass for a while until you can get your technique down to a science. A shave with just WTG and XTG pass should get you a plenty good enough shave without the irritation.

 

[johnnyscience]

But it wasn't BSS until I did agaisnt the grain so how am I supposed to get that level of shave otherwise? Go across the grain twice?

So this is irritation from scraping the blade at an incorrect angle or something? I didn't cut myself and didn't seem to have any razor burn first 24 hours.

 

[imthegoal]

BBS is not something most people achieve until a lot of practice. a DFS will be a lot more comfortable as your perfecting your technique. Also, I would recommend using an alum block in your post shave regimen. That will act as an astringent and help to close your pores. Also, it will give you feedback on if their is any mild irritation and point out to you the areas you need to focus on.

 

[zygalski]

ATG is 100% the culprit, as mentioned above!
WTG/WTG/XTG should give you pretty much guaranteed DFS every time.

 

[tiernan22]

My post shave routine always accomplished two things; kill the bacteria on my face and nourish the skin. I have fairly oily skin so I can get away with an alcohol based splash but that helps tremendously. An alum block would accomplish the same thing as imthegoal just mentioned. It took me about 45 days for my complexion to improve dramatically but sticking it out was well worth it. Not only are you making adjustments to your shaving routine but your skin is as well.

 

[Bcobu1102]

I would skip the ATG pass for the first few weeks. It takes about a week to 10 days for your skin to react to the new routine. Be patient and hang in there. I had a similar problem; now I wouldn't go back for all the badger hair in china...

 

[YetiDave]

+1 for avoiding ATG. Not everyone's skin can tolerate it, I've been wet shaving for years and still can't shave ATG without a lot of irritation

 

[BlackBear]

Ditto what everyone else said, I very rarely go ATG and if I do it's not on any area that I know I am prone to irritation, I'd rather have a comfortable close shave with no irritation rather than try to achieve BBS.

Proraso pre/post is not the best post shave stuff either, it's ok for pre shave but try alum, witch hazel, skinfood.... or something that is more moisturising.

 

[Cobra0369]

I'm prone to them and still et them time to time. I usually get them when I shave too aggressively.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...Can anyone offer any advise?...

I believe it is called folliculitis. Find the source of bacteria and eliminate it. Take your time as this will not clear over night. In my opinion your technique has little impact.
There is plenty reading material and videos about this common infection. Google is your friend.

As usual, take everything I say with a grain of salt. I am no expert.

 

[rxonmymind]

Yes to the above. Also may try a much milder blade razor combo. Stretch the skin and ONLY go wtgx2 then repeat xtg.

 

[77TransAm]

I would suggest to not do a ATG pass for a while until you can get your technique down to a science. A shave with just WTG and XTG pass should get you a plenty good enough shave without the irritation.

+1. Also, I find that certain blades will work much better atg than others. Other blades will work well wtg and xtg but atg is horrible. I stick with feather blacks now. They're much sharper and I now get no irritation atg.

Hope this helps, as I had almost the same problem. I had irritation red bumps, not white little zits though.

 

[mrb7]

I believe it is called folliculitis. Find the source of bacteria and eliminate it. Take your time as this will not clear over night.

I know it's of little use to you, but just get old and it quits by itself. When I was younger tetracycline was the preferred treatment, but they've stopped that now.

As usual, take everything I say with a grain of salt. I am no expert.

Me too.

 

[VerbaVolant]

I know it's of little use to you, but just get old and it quits by itself. When I was younger tetracycline was the preferred treatment, but they've stopped that now...

When I was young the preferred treatment was keeping yourself clean. Never stopped that.

Bacteria is indeed everywhere, having graduated high school some time ago learned to use that knowledge to my advantage. What I don't want is Staphylococcus (and others) around my mouth.
One will get more of it from a poorly cleaned and maintained electric razor and feed the thing through bad hygiene habits.
Modifying the technique (no ATG) will only alleviate the problem. You still have it, just not as bad.

My opinion.

 

[GUYGARR]

+1 on bacteria , and or post shave products clogging your pores .

 

[jasigler]

Pseudofolliculits barbae is relatively common, and I see it a lot with my guys in the military since they usually shave every day, and in a hurry. One of the most common causes, as many have already pointed out, is ATG shaving. This is especially true for people with sensitive skin and/or tough beards. Essentially, the hair is cut either below the skin, or at such an angle that it is pointed back at the follicle (entrapment), and grows the wrong way.

Whiteheads, or 'closed comedones' in your case are probably caused by the exposure of the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) to air and bacteria. Razor burn is caused when you abrade the epidermis and expose the nerve endings to the atmosphere, and can eventually lead to the inflammation and bacterial colonization of the hair follicle.

I'm not the most experienced shaver yet, but some people just cannot shave ATG, and must take particular care of their face. Like I said, I'm in no place to offer technique or product advice, but this sounds like a razor burn issue and not an ingrown hair issue so listen to the experts and no more ATG shaving.

 

[jasigler]

Oh, and only use non-comedogenic products, meaning that they are oil-free and won't clog pores. No alcohol-based product, either.

 

[GUYGARR]

When I was a cart shaver I never went against the grain and still got them . I found out that if I sprayed alcohol on the blade after use helped out a lot . Aftershave with alcohol eliminated that problem for me .

 

[VerbaVolant]

When I was a cart shaver I never went against the grain and still got them . I found out that if I sprayed alcohol on the blade after use helped out a lot . Aftershave with alcohol eliminated that problem for me .

What can I do?
If your folliculitis is persistent you should take steps to reduce contamination
from shaving equipment. Metal parts can be scalded with boiling water. If the
razor or electric shaver has plastic parts in contact with the skin, these should
be carefully cleaned after each shave and soaked in an alcoholic antiseptic
solution. An antiseptic lotion may also be recommended in place of the usual
shaving soap or foam.

Excerpt from: THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF DERMATOLOGISTS, Patient Information Leaflet, Folliculitis barbae

I am not saying we should boil anything. Be cautious.