Straight Irritation

[Panda-Monium]

Hey there fellow SR shavers!

I'm a bit new to all this but have had a few shaves and as of 13 min ago I completed my 4th one. I've noticed my skin getting better which has been a plus with this new method of shaving, yet I've also noticed some irritation. I'm just wondering if most people have had this when they first started? I only slightly nicked myself once today and it was on the chin going against the grain. Right now though, it feels as though there are prickles on my face and it's a first time feeling from this. In case it's important, here's what I do:

1. Hot Shower and at the same time soak brush and warm scuttle
2. Preshave oil from AOS
3. Strop and prepare lather
4. Apply lather to face and first pass with the grain
5. Reapply lather and go against the grain
6. Wash shaved area with cold water and run an alum stick across my face.
7. After shave balm

Honestly, I always end up with a BBS and DFS feeling when I run my hand across my face, but right after a shave it's red and there are minor skin bumps that eventually go away. All opinions and knowledge welcome.

Thanks!

 

[Daithi]

Hey,
I'm also new, so advice is limited, but for what its worth, do you leave the alum on? Maybe to you, washing it off is such an obvious step you didn't bother including it, but honestly, took me a couple shaves to realise that if I left the alum on my face it just dried it out and left if sore. I brought this up before and one or two of the more experienced gents insisted they leave their alum on, but my skin can't handle it to be honest. I still give myself a wipe of the block after the shave, but rinse it off after I've cleaned off my brush/blade etc. then throw on some balm. Helped me a lot.

Hope that might be of some help!

 

[Wid]

One thing to try is to lather then strop. That will give you a bit of time for your beard to soften. Watch the pressure.

 

[Panda-Monium]

One thing to try is to lather then strop. That will give you a bit of time for your beard to soften. Watch the pressure.

I find myself sometimes finishing one side and then moving onto the next and patches are starting to semi dry out though.

 

[Panda-Monium]

Hey,
I'm also new, so advice is limited, but for what its worth, do you leave the alum on? Maybe to you, washing it off is such an obvious step you didn't bother including it, but honestly, took me a couple shaves to realise that if I left the alum on my face it just dried it out and left if sore. I brought this up before and one or two of the more experienced gents insisted they leave their alum on, but my skin can't handle it to be honest. I still give myself a wipe of the block after the shave, but rinse it off after I've cleaned off my brush/blade etc. then throw on some balm. Helped me a lot.

Hope that might be of some help!

Yeah, I also just normally wipe my face with the alum, and then semi pat my face dry before putting on my balm. I'll try washing it off next time to see if it helps. Thanks!

 

[ch2700]

I had exactly the same feeling about a month ago and after about my 30 everyday shaves. The mystery was that these pickles were only on my right chick starting about after one hour after the shave .The exact feeling was like the hair were cut so deep that when they start grow again it was like they pincth the chin to come out. I have changed two things on my routine. I stopped ATG on chicks. I did only WTG and XTG and i went, as usual, WTG and ATG the neck. The second change was in fact additions to my routine. I have added Alum block which i always rinse after a minute or two and changed my after shave to after shave balm. It supposed to be special balm which heels any irritation. Like magic all pickles have gone.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I've found that the main cause of irritation and redness for me had to do with using too much pressure. Once I backed off on that things got better pretty quickly.

 

[Panda-Monium]

Hey thanks for all the helpful replies! I think I'm going to try cold water rinsing my face after the alum as it seems to be similar for most people. Thanks!

 

[KindestCutofAll]

Hey there fellow SR shavers!

I'm a bit new to all this but have had a few shaves and as of 13 min ago I completed my 4th one. I've noticed my skin getting better which has been a plus with this new method of shaving, yet I've also noticed some irritation. I'm just wondering if most people have had this when they first started? I only slightly nicked myself once today and it was on the chin going against the grain. Right now though, it feels as though there are prickles on my face and it's a first time feeling from this. In case it's important, here's what I do:

1. Hot Shower and at the same time soak brush and warm scuttle
2. Preshave oil from AOS
3. Strop and prepare lather
4. Apply lather to face and first pass with the grain
5. Reapply lather and go against the grain
6. Wash shaved area with cold water and run an alum stick across my face.
7. After shave balm

Honestly, I always end up with a BBS and DFS feeling when I run my hand across my face, but right after a shave it's red and there are minor skin bumps that eventually go away. All opinions and knowledge welcome.

Thanks!

A little tingling doesn't hurt as long as your face isn't obviously raw.
Generally I use 3 (WTG, XTG, ATG) passes for my shaves. Your routine sounds about right. Here's what has been working for me for over a year now.
It get more comfortable as you learn the fine points and directions your beard grows. Just this last week I found a better angle for two spots on my chin, that never occurred to me before.

1. Hot Shower while the brush soaks in a warm mug or scuttle (optionally shampoo / condition beard)
2. Preshave (you can skip if you shampoo / conditioned your beard in the shower, whatever tickles your fancy)
3. Prep Lather
4. Hot Towel, then immediately lather face.
5. Strop your razor and shave With The Grain
6. Lather and shave (X)Across The Grain
7. Lather and shave Against The Grain
8. Hot Towel
9. Alum if needed.
10. Aftershave Balm or Witchhazel as desired.
11. Aftershave / Cologne as desired.
12. Clean All The Crap Up !!!

I hope this helps.

 

[Disburden]

With a straight you really have to use ultra light pressure to avoid burn or irritation. You will improve over time, it may seem like you're pressure is light now, but it's probably not light enough.

 

[ch2700]

I heard something in one of those you tube shaving videos. A barber said you should not rub the pre shave because it might irritate your skin. This is a mistake if it is a mistake that i do and i had some problems. He says that you just apply it gently.

 

[deezyrocks]

All the advice on here sounds good. Maybe try an extra pass before jumping to atg?

took me a couple shaves to realise that if I left the alum on my face it just dried it out and left if sore

Oh man it took me longer then I'd like to admit to figure out that not washing off the alum was a problem for me. Wondering my my face was so red and dry.

 

[paco664]

i quit using alum a long time ago... finally realized it was giving me a chemical burn....

 

[jpcwon]

I too am experiencing some razor burn, but the interesting thing is that it's only on the left side of my face. I have concluded that I am using too much pressure with my left hand, so that's something I'm going to have to work on..

I'll have to try rinsing the Alum off of my face; as of right now I've just been leaving it on, which probably hasn't been doing me any favors.

 

[rockviper]

I apply my alum after rinsing the lather off, and then I proceed to brush my teeth. The alum only stays on until I've finished brushing and then it gets a nice cold water rinse off.

 

[Panda-Monium]

So, washing the alum off has helped a lot! Aside form that there wasn't a lot of irritation. I think I'll start to try doing three passes soon also!

 

[ch2700]

So, washing the alum off has helped a lot! Aside form that there wasn't a lot of irritation. I think I'll start to try doing three passes soon also!

I really beleive there is not need for three passes especially if you shave everyday. I go for two passes and the next day i shave because i want to and not because i need to.