Super Red Bumps. I can't find a freaking solution.

[Evortre]

Okay. So I've tried everything but a straight razor. Went from my starting shaver, disposable bic singles, to mach 3, to fusion pro glide, to DE razor with shave soap.

I CANNOT STOP IRRITATION. Its literally driving me insane. I absolutely love DE shaving, and I can't enjoy doing so without leaving hamburger on my face.

It looks absolutely disgusting. I have to look at least somewhat professional at work, and I don't see razor bumps, and ingrown hairs as being professional. I've tried everything from going just WTG and XTG to just ATG just to experiment.

Pre-shave:
Extremely hot shower/wash face and rest of body
True Gentlemans PreShave Oil (Cedar)

Shaving:
Gilette Safter Razor with walgreens bought blades, or feathers.
Col. Conk's Bay Rum Soap
Pure Badger Hair Brush

Post Shave:
True Gentlemans A/S Balm (Cedar)

What am I doing wrong? What can I do to make it better?

P.S. My hair is VERY coarse/thick. After 24 hours of not shaving it feels like 300 grit sandpaper.

 

[nlpotts]

Have you tried warm or cold water? It may be your technique. Your blade choice may have something to do with it, but I don't really think it is. Are you taking a break between shaves. You may have irritated the skin one day and each shave after that only makes matters worse. I'm no expert at this, just throwing those out there.

 

[smalltank]

Try an unscented cream...and use cold water after your shave..pat your face good and apply an aloe vera aftershave

 

[Attila]

Although you do have irritation down on your neck, it's not the worst I've seen here. Indeed I had worse when I started shaving. There are a number of things to try. Any one, or a combination could help you.

1. If you are going ATG on your neck, don't. You may need to map out your beard growth to determine this. ATG is not necessarily S to N on your neck. Depending on what direction your hair is growing will determine what direction ATG is. Make absolutely sure you are only going WTG down there, even if you have to take two passes WTG to get all the hair. I wouldn't even go XTG until you get the direction of hair growth confirmed. This is what will make the absolute BIGGEST difference.

2. If you are using very hot water to rinse off before shaving, don't. Try using Cold water. Using Cold water to shave has helped many, including myself with irritation.

3. Get a blade sampler pack. The two types of blades you are using are on opposite ends of the spectrum of sharpness. Get a few blade types including Astras, Personnas, Gillette 7 o'clocks (green or black) but there are many others that work well for people here but aren't super sharp or super dull. I highly recommend you try the Astras.

4. Even if you think you are using no pressure, use even less pressure. Pressure is a primary cause of irritation down there.

5. Get an Alum block. They are cheap and very effective at getting rid of aftershave irritation if used properly.

6. If you are face lathering with a pure badger brush I would say try bowl lathering instead. It could be that the aggresive scrubbing action of the pure badger brush (which is the stiffest type of badger brush) is irritating your skin. Either try a much softer brush or try to work up your lather in a bowl.

7. Try using a good aftershave splash with menthol in it. I use Proraso and find it really helps with any irritation I might have. But Floyd and some other brands are also good for that. Don't be put off by the alcohol in it. The type of alcohol used in better aftershaves acts as a medium to actually draw water to your skin so they have good moisturizing properties too. You could always still use a balm afterwards. Especially in the winter.

8. Take a couple of days off from shaving to let that irritated area heal up before you even try shaving again and/or trying my suggestions above.

Anyhow, these are the major points I could think about. Let us know how you fare in the days to come. Good luck!

PS. I myself have never been able to get a satisfactory lather (to my standards anyway) from Col. Conk. The Col. may be one of the cheapest soaps around but I definitely think there is MUCH better out there. I would recommend you pick up some Proraso Soap in the white tub or even one of the creams, either the Red or the Green. Very cost effective and good performance for the price. Also, Mikes Natural Shave soaps are in my oppinion the best product I have ever tried. Getting the water ratio right with Mikes is a little bit trickier than with Proraso but once you get it, hoooo boy. The slickest lather around. Make sure your lather is of good quality. There are numerous videos on this site as well as on you tube by mantic and others detailing how a proper lather should look and feel. You need good quality lather to protect your skin when shaving.

 

[RaiserLiebe]

I am sorry for your trouble. MANY people here had enormous difficulty initially. You can and will prevail, and reach the goal of healthy skin and irritation-free, close shaves.

Whenever a shave has destroyed my face, it has been bad angle/too much pressure. Much more rarely, a bad blade. I think all of us have a tendency to reach for a different razor, soap, etc, when the answer is just better (slower, more careful) technique.

Watch the videos (search youtube for mantic59 and watch them all).
Minimize pressure. Use no pressure- then use less.
Use a shallow blade angle. See http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/130110-Blade-Angle-some-help-for-newbies
Look in the wiki for help with producing protective lather.

That's a start I suppose. I've been at it 7 months so I am not an expert. But I can produce (most days) a close and comfortable shave, without burn, bumps, ingrowns, or irritation. My progress is due to the generous help I have received here, for which i am very grateful.

Best of luck.

 

[DICE]

Try using Cold water. Using Cold water to shave has helped many, including myself with irritation.

^^^

 

[gtoface]

cedar oil is bad for skin when its strong, it can irritate the skin. maybe back off the scented preshave oil.
i have to use cold water or i get a face just like yours as well. even then i still get some red bumps. but the cold helps a ton

 

[superkreep]

Although you do have irritation down on your neck, it's not the worst I've seen here. Indeed I had worse when I started shaving. There are a number of things to try. Any one, or a combination could help you.

1. If you are going ATG on your neck, don't. You may need to map out your beard growth to determine this. ATG is not necessarily S to N on your neck. Depending on what direction your hair is growing will determine what direction ATG is. Make absolutely sure you are only going WTG down there, even if you have to take two passes WTG to get all the hair. I wouldn't even go XTG until you get the direction of hair growth confirmed. This is what will make the absolute BIGGEST difference.

2. If you are using very hot water to rinse off before shaving, don't. Try using Cold water. Using Cold water to shave has helped many, including myself with irritation.

3. Get a blade sampler pack. The two types of blades you are using are on opposite ends of the spectrum of sharpness. Get a few blade types including Astras, Personnas, Gillette 7 o'clocks (green or black) but there are many others that work well for people here but aren't super sharp or super dull. I highly recommend you try the Astras.

4. Even if you think you are using no pressure, use even less pressure. Pressure is a primary cause of irritation down there.

5. Get an Alum block. They are cheap and very effective at getting rid of aftershave irritation if used properly.

6. If you are face lathering with a pure badger brush I would say try bowl lathering instead. It could be that the aggresive scrubbing action of the pure badger brush (which is the stiffest type of badger brush) is irritating your skin. Either try a much softer brush or try to work up your lather in a bowl.

7. Try using a good aftershave splash with menthol in it. I use Proraso and find it really helps with any irritation I might have. But Floyd and some other brands are also good for that. Don't be put off by the alcohol in it. The type of alcohol used in better shaves acts as a medium to actually draw water to your skin so they have good moisturizing properties too. You could always still use a balm afterwards. Especially in the winter.

8. Take a couple of days off from shaving to let that irritated area heal up before you even try shaving again and/or trying my suggestions above.

Anyhow, these are the major points I could think about. Let us know how you fare in the days to come. Good luck!

PS. I myself have never been able to get a satisfactory lather (to my standards anyway) from Col. Conk. The Col. may be one of the cheapest soaps around but I definitely think there is MUCH better out there. I would recommend you pick up some Proraso Soap in the white tub or even one of the creams, either the Red or the Green. Very cost effective and good performance for the price. Also, Mikes Natural Shave soaps are in my oppinion the best product I have ever tried. Getting the water ratio right with Mikes is a little bit trickier than with Proraso but once you get it, hoooo boy. The slickest lather around. Make sure your lather is of good quality. There are numerous videos on this site as well as on you tube by mantic and others detailing how a proper lather should look and feel. You need good quality lather to protect your skin when shaving.

What he said. Also don't use pressure. Good luck with your shaves.

 

[AjaxLepinski]

I'm not sure if this will help in your case...
The first time I DE shaved I hacked my face to bits and got a ton of razor burn because, I went too fast and used with the wrong angle.
To picture the correct angle, start by holding the razor handle parallel to the floor and the top of the razor touching your side burn area. While making short North to South strokes, slowly drop the handle towards the floor - you have the correct angle just as the blade starts cutting stubble.
If you begin with the handle perpendicular to the floor (blade 90 degrees to your face) , you will get a lot of chatter and you will wind up with a ton of nicks and razor burn - this was the mistake that I made and I wound up a bloody mess!
Be sure to keep the pressure as light as possible and take your time.

 

[Go Forth]

You can try avoiding going ATG. Have you ever discussed this with a dermatologist? Some people have very reactive skin.

It may be that a good electric shaver would solve the problem, and permit a close shave with less irritation. Some of them perform very well.

 

[Attila]

You can try avoiding going ATG. Have you ever discussed this with a dermatologist? Some people have very reactive skin.

It may be that a good electric shaver would solve the problem, and permit a close shave with less irritation. Some of them perform very well.

Some of the worst irritation I ever got on my neck was from electric shavers... YMMV.

 

[celestino]

Although you do have irritation down on your neck, it's not the worst I've seen here. Indeed I had worse when I started shaving. There are a number of things to try. Any one, or a combination could help you.

1. If you are going ATG on your neck, don't. You may need to map out your beard growth to determine this. ATG is not necessarily S to N on your neck. Depending on what direction your hair is growing will determine what direction ATG is. Make absolutely sure you are only going WTG down there, even if you have to take two passes WTG to get all the hair. I wouldn't even go XTG until you get the direction of hair growth confirmed. This is what will make the absolute BIGGEST difference.

2. If you are using very hot water to rinse off before shaving, don't. Try using Cold water. Using Cold water to shave has helped many, including myself with irritation.

3. Get a blade sampler pack. The two types of blades you are using are on opposite ends of the spectrum of sharpness. Get a few blade types including Astras, Personnas, Gillette 7 o'clocks (green or black) but there are many others that work well for people here but aren't super sharp or super dull. I highly recommend you try the Astras.

4. Even if you think you are using no pressure, use even less pressure. Pressure is a primary cause of irritation down there.

5. Get an Alum block. They are cheap and very effective at getting rid of aftershave irritation if used properly.

6. If you are face lathering with a pure badger brush I would say try bowl lathering instead. It could be that the aggresive scrubbing action of the pure badger brush (which is the stiffest type of badger brush) is irritating your skin. Either try a much softer brush or try to work up your lather in a bowl.

7. Try using a good aftershave splash with menthol in it. I use Proraso and find it really helps with any irritation I might have. But Floyd and some other brands are also good for that. Don't be put off by the alcohol in it. The type of alcohol used in better aftershaves acts as a medium to actually draw water to your skin so they have good moisturizing properties too. You could always still use a balm afterwards. Especially in the winter.

8. Take a couple of days off from shaving to let that irritated area heal up before you even try shaving again and/or trying my suggestions above.

Anyhow, these are the major points I could think about. Let us know how you fare in the days to come. Good luck!

PS. I myself have never been able to get a satisfactory lather (to my standards anyway) from Col. Conk. The Col. may be one of the cheapest soaps around but I definitely think there is MUCH better out there. I would recommend you pick up some Proraso Soap in the white tub or even one of the creams, either the Red or the Green. Very cost effective and good performance for the price. Also, Mikes Natural Shave soaps are in my oppinion the best product I have ever tried. Getting the water ratio right with Mikes is a little bit trickier than with Proraso but once you get it, hoooo boy. The slickest lather around. Make sure your lather is of good quality. There are numerous videos on this site as well as on you tube by mantic and others detailing how a proper lather should look and feel. You need good quality lather to protect your skin when shaving.

+1 Great suggestions, here. Eliminate the hot water! Cold water will more than likely help. Good luck. i would also highly suggest getting some unrefined Shea Butter to help soothe any future irritation that you may get.

 

[mistercitizen]

Lots of good suggestions above. I was getting similar red bumps as you. The solution for me was to improve on technique. Mainly, blade angle and pressure. Now, I do a four pass shave everyday (WTG, XTG, XTG, and ATG) followed by touchups. It's amazing how many passes are can do without causing much, if any, irritation if you are using no pressure and the proper blade angle. My red bumps looked similar to your's.... and for me they were mostly a result of using too steep of an angle with my DE razor (handle too close to parallel to my skin). It was causing tugging. When I flattened out the angle of the blade relative to my skin and used very light, quick, and short strokes.... the tugging ended and so did the red bumps. I still get a little irritation with every shave, but as I said, I do many passes and always go ATG.... which some guys only do when they need to get a really close shave for whatever reason.

Keep at it and follow the advice above.... it will get better. When I first started DE shaving, I thought that I would never be able to shave every day because of the irritation and razor burn. Now, sometimes I will shave in the morning and in the evening... with very little trouble. Good luck.

Ben

 

[BBrad]

Welcome to B&B . . . as you can see, we're jumping right in with advice and assistance! Hope we can help.

Looking at your picture, I'm guessing that a straight top-to-bottom stroke under your jaw is at best across the grain (XTG) and at worst against the grain (ATG) - either of which can exacerbate irritation factors. Keeping the stroke with the grain (WTG) is best when perfecting your technique. I have a couple spots under the jaw where the hair grows in all directions!! (just can't win there!)

Also, as a newer DE user, you probably haven't developed the correct feel for pressure. That is the single hardest thing to master when converting, since cartridge razors almost demand pressure. If it feels like you aren't pressing hard enough with your DE, press even less. Trust me.

Blade angle is also important to reduce irritation. Keep the top cap flush with the face, which puts the handle almost perpendicular to the face. Grip the handle with the thumb and forefinger just below the head. Use the rest of the handle only for balance. Gripping the handle toward the end only increases pressure on the face, and promotes the wrong angle as the razor is pulled through the stroke. Use very short strokes - don't take long strokes as they can cause the blade to chatter.

Good wet lather is very important, but pressure, angle, and grain are the greatest contributors to skin irritation - assuming of course that there is nothing in the lather that you are alergic to!

Based on what you say and your picture, I don't think it is a blade or major lather issue. If it were, the irritation would be all over.

Good luck and let us know how you make out!

 

[Sergio70]

Put the Oil away, use warm or cold water (not hot or very hot) , dont use any greasy aftershave balm, use an splash after shave like proraso, and get a salicilyc acid soap not for the shave but for using every night before bed.

 

[ryno2292]

I used to get a lot of irritation on my neck when I used to shave with cartridges, not as bad as what you have pictured but a product that worked well for me to clear it up was Tend Skin. It's available for about $10 on amazon, and I think there are instructions on how to make your own floating around the internet. It's basically just alcohol and aspirin but it worked to get rid of any bumps and redness for me. Might be worth a shot along with all the suggestions already in this thread.

 

[Elder Scrolls]

you can try without the oil and balm and use alum + witch hazel or splash instead

 

[lt114]

Although you do have irritation down on your neck, it's not the worst I've seen here. Indeed I had worse when I started shaving. There are a number of things to try. Any one, or a combination could help you.

1. If you are going ATG on your neck, don't. You may need to map out your beard growth to determine this. ATG is not necessarily S to N on your neck. Depending on what direction your hair is growing will determine what direction ATG is. Make absolutely sure you are only going WTG down there, even if you have to take two passes WTG to get all the hair. I wouldn't even go XTG until you get the direction of hair growth confirmed. This is what will make the absolute BIGGEST difference.

2. If you are using very hot water to rinse off before shaving, don't. Try using Cold water. Using Cold water to shave has helped many, including myself with irritation.

3. Get a blade sampler pack. The two types of blades you are using are on opposite ends of the spectrum of sharpness. Get a few blade types including Astras, Personnas, Gillette 7 o'clocks (green or black) but there are many others that work well for people here but aren't super sharp or super dull. I highly recommend you try the Astras.

4. Even if you think you are using no pressure, use even less pressure. Pressure is a primary cause of irritation down there.

5. Get an Alum block. They are cheap and very effective at getting rid of aftershave irritation if used properly.

6. If you are face lathering with a pure badger brush I would say try bowl lathering instead. It could be that the aggresive scrubbing action of the pure badger brush (which is the stiffest type of badger brush) is irritating your skin. Either try a much softer brush or try to work up your lather in a bowl.

7. Try using a good aftershave splash with menthol in it. I use Proraso and find it really helps with any irritation I might have. But Floyd and some other brands are also good for that. Don't be put off by the alcohol in it. The type of alcohol used in better aftershaves acts as a medium to actually draw water to your skin so they have good moisturizing properties too. You could always still use a balm afterwards. Especially in the winter.

8. Take a couple of days off from shaving to let that irritated area heal up before you even try shaving again and/or trying my suggestions above.

Anyhow, these are the major points I could think about. Let us know how you fare in the days to come. Good luck!

PS. I myself have never been able to get a satisfactory lather (to my standards anyway) from Col. Conk. The Col. may be one of the cheapest soaps around but I definitely think there is MUCH better out there. I would recommend you pick up some Proraso Soap in the white tub or even one of the creams, either the Red or the Green. Very cost effective and good performance for the price. Also, Mikes Natural Shave soaps are in my oppinion the best product I have ever tried. Getting the water ratio right with Mikes is a little bit trickier than with Proraso but once you get it, hoooo boy. The slickest lather around. Make sure your lather is of good quality. There are numerous videos on this site as well as on you tube by mantic and others detailing how a proper lather should look and feel. You need good quality lather to protect your skin when shaving.

These are all great suggestions. If you do make changes to your routine, I would implement them one at a time instead of all at once.

 

[kFries]

+1

Ive found witch hazel to be a life saver that way.

 

[Lion and the Fox]

Great suggestions by all. The first thing is always technique. I would recommend cold water shaving. Good luck!