Hi im new and need advice pkease

pgachapman

pgachapman

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Just started de shaving 3 weeks ago. Sadly its not going very well for me. Im constantly getting razor burn around my mouth, cheeks and lower neck. Ive bought a cheap wilkinson sword de razor and a sample pack of blades to try out. Still leaves me red. Im not pressing hard but the razor is not very heavy at the head so a little pressure is needed. Ive tried various soaps and creams available from body shop and tescos etc. Im at a loss thinking its not for me. I have to shave everyday for work so the cost of hydro 3 blades for me is high as i only get 7 shaves off 1 cartridge. Any advice would be great please. Thanks Peter
 
You seem to be aware of pressure and preparation so the only thing that occurs to me is the angle you're using. A multi blade cartridge is held with the handle almost parallel to the face whereas a safety razor must be at a much higher angle. Maybe take a look at some of the videos and make sure you angle is correct. Hopefully some others will recommend a good beginners blade.
 
what blades have you tried, what soap and prep are you using? Are you shaving with, against or across the grain? Are you getting your shaving soaps into a decent lather? There are loads of things that can cause your problem, so we need a little more info to try and make better sense of it.
Don't worry though, I am sure that between us we will have you sorted out in no time :)
 
Hi Peter - Welcome to TSR.

You've got the light touch potentially nailed, but like Rob, I wonder if you've found the perfect angle yet.

Place the top of your razor on your cheek with the handle sticking straight out sideways. Now, lower the handle until the blade just bites. That's pretty much it - the angle.

Gently go north/south all over your face. Now, east/west. Leave it - do this for several times and then start to think about a south/north, at against the grain.

Also, potentially look at your post-shave routine ...

Once you've finished, give yourself a warm rinse to clear all the soap off, then immerse in cold water several times and gently massage your face. Consider an alum block - not everyone gets on with these, but I do and you might. It gives a nice tingle and lets you know exactly where on your face you've been a bit rough. Do get some witch hazel in and splash this over after your cold rinse. This will tone your skin and close up all the pores.

Most important, don't apply an EDT fragrance to your face. You might already know this, but aftershaves are not the same as fragrances. Colognes and EDTs are different. Aftershaves are very specific products - you can use one of these after the witch hazel has soothed.

In the main, cold water after you've washed the soap off and go with soothing and cooling post-shave splashes. Witch hazel can be bought from your local supermarket in the pills and potions section or a couple of quid - you'll get a 200ml bottle. Check out the aftershaves - you'll be pleasantly surprised at Brut and Old Spice.

Good luck ...
 
Thanks for all the responses. Heres my routine.

I like to shave in the shower as I find it easier and faster.

1. I wash my face with nivea for men Dailey face wash.

2. I use a preshave oil from nuage men and massage it well into my beard.

3. I have a viarety of creams I bought to try. Palmolive cream and stick. Body shop macaroot cream and wilkinson sword soap in a blue bowl. Each of these I can get a good lather from by face lathering and using a cheap wilkinson sword brush.

4. I use the wilkinson sword black plastic safey razor and I have tried blades from wilkinson sword derby tesco persona and shark super chrome. I always start from top to bottom in short strokes WTG not leaning yo heavey then quick rinse re lather and go XTG. Even at this point I still feel irritation and have lots of stubble left. This is where im always tempted to go ATG because it still looks bad. I have used the De razor to go ATG it was a kilker so I have to use my hydro 3 to finish off. Usually at this point im cut eveywhere and bleeding.

5. Out of the shower I rinse my face in the sink with cold water and use alum stick pen thing from boots to stop the bleeding. Once this is sorted depending how sore my face is I would sudocream on the red patches to soothe it and the after a few mins I use nivea for men sensitive aftershave balm.

It takes a good 10 hours for my face to caln down and it always good to shave again In the morning. And back to square one. I have tried different blade angles and im aware my routine at this early stange is not perfect.

Any ideas
 
It's not product it's technique, do you shave in front of a mirror?

If not do so because you can then see what and where you're shaving and establish the correct razor angle visually before you can feel it.
Forget the oil.
Stick to cream, for the time being.
Don't mix the two razors, one or the other.
Two WTG passes till you get the hang of things, doesn't matter that you're not uber smooth the idea is to be irritation free.
Study the Mantic59 guides in shaving help or just google Sharpologist.
 
Well whatever you are doing it's not working for you, it's not necessarily wrong but it may affect your lather.

Keep it simple and STUDY the GUIDES, we all did.
 
I was thinking it might be the razor thats not helping. I was looking at the Edwin jagger DE89 on amazon for £16 odd. All ive read is great reports on it and how much better it is fir starting off with.
 
If the cartridge razor is not causing these issues then to my mind it has to be a blade contact issue, perhaps you need a low aggression razor? I believe the Feather All Stainless and the iKon Bulldog fit this bill.
 
The EJ DE89L (L=lined handle for better grip) is a well built mild razor that most of the guys on here would recommend for a first razor. It comes in at a great price for lovely piece of kit so personally I'd recommend it to get into DE shaving.
As you've found out, the plastic DE razors are very light which makes it difficult to judge the pressure needed. The DE89 has a nice weight to the head which allows you to use only the weight of the head as the pressure (i.e. no need to apply any more pressure than the weight of the head).
It's also very forgiving with the angle so is safer/easier to learn with.

Hope you get yourself sorted out. Take it easy.
 
Hey Partner,
You need to get a real double edge razor and toss that plastic toy away. There are plenty of nice ones for not much money to be had. Check on line at Amazon, The Italian Barber On Line, Royal Shave or West Coast Shaving to name a few sites. After your shower get in front of the mirror and have a nice shave with a pack of sharp blades and a steel double edge razor. Go slow and steady with light pressure. This isn't a race. It is all about quality and doing something nice for yourself. Take your time. Before you know it you will be shaving like a pro. Let us know how you make out with it.

Regards

Chasmo
 
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