oh god my face, does it get better?

W

whitedragon101

Messages
13
I have just done my 3rd straight razor shave (for straight razor read cheap shavette that uses DE blades). Not sure how much difference the blade makes so included the blade names used. 2-3 days between shaves for recovery. All shaves used Gillette fusion gel.

1st shave = (Wilkins sword) took a whole hour and used a cartridge for tricky nose and chin bits. Blade has a hard time cutting my hair getting a fair bit of pull. wow no burn this is going to be great. Then 24hours later my neck felt like the hairs were trying to burn their way back out.

2nd shave = (Wilkinson/ Darby/ boots) Tried different blades to see if it cuts better. same experience as 1st shave if a touch more sensitive. Same 24 hour post shave neck burn.

3rd shave = (Astra superior platinum) oh god my face my face. I could feel my skin was still a little prickly from the previous shave. 1st complete shave without cartridge razor. The shave started to burn while still doing it. Now post shave it is burning like crazy. I have some nivia post shave stuff on but still burning. I'm kind of wondering if your skin gets worse on each shave as I keep battering it with pointy blades.

———————

So my questions / cry for help :

Has anyone else had this to start and did it get better ?

On advice from here/forums I have done the following to hopefully help :
  • Bought a proper Feather Artist Club shavette and sample blade pack
  • Bought Some Taylor's of Bond street soap and brush
———

I will of course hopefully improve my technique. I am also hoping your skin toughens up / becomes less sensitive over time but I don't know if that is just wishful thinking.

Any answers / thoughts on the above greatfully received.
.....
Arghh the burn.....
 
A cheap shavette with with half DE blades is not a straight razor. A cheap shavette is the scariest instrument I've ever had near my face :eek: - an Artist Club shavette is a completely different animal. It's a proper razor and not a torture instrument. A straight razor is an even better experience.
You didn't say what your previous experience with razors is, but a cheap shavette is probably the worst start you can have. Either start with a DE razor to learn the basics about angle and NO PRESSURE and then move on to Artist Club shavettes or straight on to straight razors or start with the Artist Club. Did I mention that cheap shavettes are not a good idea?

P.S.: If you had a bad shave, give your skin a break... and "Nivea post shave stuff" is known to give some people (like me) a really bad rash... use witch hazel instead.
 
riverrun said:
A cheap shavette with with half DE blades is not a straight razor. A cheap shavette is the scariest instrument I've ever had near my face :eek: - an Artist Club shavette is a completely different animal. It's a proper razor and not a torture instrument. A straight razor is an even better experience.
You didn't say what your previous experience with razors is, but a cheap shavette is probably the worst start you can have. Either start with a DE razor to learn the basics about angle and NO PRESSURE and then move on to Artist Club shavettes or straight on to straight razors or start with the Artist Club. Did I mention that cheap shavettes are not a good idea?

P.S.: If you had a bad shave, give your skin a break... and "Nivea post shave stuff" is known to give some people (like me) a really bad rash... use witch hazel instead.
Click to expand...

Ah thanks. Good tip about the witch hazel. I'm hoping it's more soothing than the name makes it sound ;)

I tried wet saving with a Gillette cartridge when I started at 14 and it just destroyed my face. I have my Dads wire beard and my mums soft sensitive skin. I have used a Phillips electric ever since with no problems as it doesn't really do anything to your skin.

I am 34 now and wanted a quiet shaving experience. My shaver buzzes, my trimmer buzzes, my toothbrush buzzes. I did some googling and read an article that said straight razor shaving done well is ultimately the most comfortable kind of razor based shave. So my brother recommended I start with a cheap one to see how I like it. I love the quiet skill based process and as above the first shave wasn't that bad. My parents wanted to know what to get me for Christmas so after some advice on the forums I will have a Feather AC under the tree .

I hope I can get to an irritation free shave with the Feather AC and some more skill. I don't need it to be multi pass super close at all just one pass making the hairs shorter evenly without irritation will do just fine. If I could get to that I would be super happy.
 
whitedragon101 said:
I have just done my 3rd straight razor shave (for straight razor read cheap shavette that uses DE blades). Not sure how much difference the blade makes so included the blade names used. 2-3 days between shaves for recovery. All shaves used Gillette fusion gel.

1st shave = (Wilkins sword) took a whole hour and used a cartridge for tricky nose and chin bits. Blade has a hard time cutting my hair getting a fair bit of pull. wow no burn this is going to be great. Then 24hours later my neck felt like the hairs were trying to burn their way back out.

2nd shave = (Wilkinson/ Darby/ boots) Tried different blades to see if it cuts better. same experience as 1st shave if a touch more sensitive. Same 24 hour post shave neck burn.

3rd shave = (Astra superior platinum) oh god my face my face. I could feel my skin was still a little prickly from the previous shave. 1st complete shave without cartridge razor. The shave started to burn while still doing it. Now post shave it is burning like crazy. I have some nivia post shave stuff on but still burning. I'm kind of wondering if your skin gets worse on each shave as I keep battering it with pointy blades.

———————

So my questions / cry for help :

Has anyone else had this to start and did it get better ?

On advice from here/forums I have done the following to hopefully help :
  • Bought a proper Feather Artist Club shavette and sample blade pack
  • Bought Some Taylor's of Bond street soap and brush
———

I will of course hopefully improve my technique. I am also hoping your skin toughens up / becomes less sensitive over time but I don't know if that is just wishful thinking.

Any answers / thoughts on the above greatfully received.
.....
Arghh the burn.....
Click to expand...

Hello,
I'm sorry to hear you are having problems with your shaving.
Here are 4 things that will help you immediately.

Start cold shaving!

Get a talllow based soap (Fine. Phoenix and Beau are great)

Get an alum block and apply it after every shave.

Put your face under the tap after your shave and run cold water for at least a minute making sure it hits your neck.

Hope this helps!
Happy shaving!
 
When people start shaving with a real blade the most common mistakes are:
1. Not preparing for a shave properly.
2. Not understanding how shaving works
3 Applying too much pressure during the shave
4. Not finishing the shave and helping the skin.
So to explain those points, Preparing for the shave usually means taking a shower or hydrating the beard and softening it slightly by warming the skin, don't use really hot water as it strips oils from your skin a shaving brush and proper shaving soap will get a protective layer around the whiskers and help cushion the blade against the skin stopping you shaving the top layer of skin off. So get a shaving brush and some soap made just for shaving.
Shaving works by reducing the height of the hair every time you go over the hair, you do not want to aim to remove it all to skin level in one go, you will press too hard which in turn causes cuts and soreness as you will remove skin too. Two light goes over the entire beard area will be better. Just try to remove the lather gently believe me the whiskers will be cut too. Do not press down on the blade at all that is a No No.
Once you have finished the shave to your satisfaction STOP. Going over and over will just cause damage which takes time to repair similar to bad sunburn if you have ever had that you will know. Razor rash is serious and that burning sensation takes ages to go and you really want some Aloe Vera which will help it better than any balm on the market. So look into getting some. I use Naissance Gel and it is good stuff. Rinse your face with cold tap water then pat the face dry, don't rub the skin then apply some soothing product. Do not apply aftershave to your skin unless you are a masochist it'll burn like buggery apply scent to the back of the neck and chest.
So to sum up
Prepare with a good lather, NO PRESSURE! Do not try to go too far at first especially with a Shavette and then apply something to sooth then leave it for a couple of days to recover before doing it all over again.
Hope that helps? don't forget we are here if you need anything else.
Good luck mate.
 
If you're starting from ground zero ie carts & gel and a poor skin and shaving experience I'd learn how to shave traditionally with a DE or SE first. Learning a straight can be difficult enough let alone successfully combining all the other elements of a traditional shave simultaneously. This way you develop your touch, lathering skills as well as understand how your skin and beard behave before letting loose on the more difficult instrument, a vintage SE (1912 Ever-Ready) can be had for a tenner or so and with few GEMs (blades) can replicate the blade angles you'd experience with a straight but in a far easier to handle form.
 
Nisse said:
No need to mess around with training wheels you can start from scratch with a straight razor just like all men did 100 years ago. A good primer is this video often recommended to newbies on forums (and just about as often ignored by said newbies lacking patience)

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link l will take a look when I get home.

One of the things I like most about the idea of straight razor shaving is that it is a skill of patience and precision I can learn and hopefully master like learning a musical instrument. (The number one being a shave without irritation ;) )
 
You have the right attitude but skip the DE shavette and start your journey proper Dec 25th with the Feather.

A Feather shavette is a good starting point letting you focus on shaving without worrying about shaveready or not shaveready blades, strops and stropping, stones and honing...

Result for me from a straight razor shave, not closer than with my safety razor but smoother with less risk for irritation.
 
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IMHO when commencing wet shaving it is essential to use the mildest procedure first to prepare and test the skin's reaction to the new experience. Some individuals with a robust skin type will be able to move to aggressive razors including SRs with effortless ease. Others who will experience discomfort have to endure a transition period of the skin adapting to the new experience of what is a mild insult of chemicals, contact with the skin surface etc. For the majority of men a move to a challenging shave method will be unwise until it is found that the reaction to a mild shave is a complete absence of discomfort. Personally I find the 1912 and other SE razors quite aggressive. I suggested to my son that he start with a mild razor and got him a Lord DE. A vintage Tech would be more interesting or the Schick Krona, both are superb mild razors and coupled with Palmolive lather cream for example would deliver a simple first move in wet shaving. An aftershave balm or moisturiser should be used in moderation. The cold water shave is a good option to try. So I echo what others have said of little razor pressure and using DE equipment with the recommendation of simple experimentation before proceeding to shavettes or traditional SRs
 
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