Shaving irritation-Beginner help

Wow thanks for all of the advice guys. I thought I wasn't using any pressure at all as I've been lurking for a while and reading up on everything while my new bathroom was being installed....I'll try to concentrate on less pressure though. Come to think of it it may be my blade angle as the handle is pretty much pointing to the floor..oops.

I always have a shave after a nice hot shower as I know it doesn't take much for my skin to become like it has in the pic.

The rash and soreness seem to have gone overnight so I'll have another go tonight with some Gillette Yellows and see how I get on;I'll also order some pre shave oil and see if that helps.

Thanks again.
 
To get an idea of the angle you want have a look at Mantic59 s videos on youtube.

When shaving your sideburn area the handle should be almost horizontal, so the blade slices across the surface rather than scrapes along your skin. It is a completely different angle than what is used with a cartridge razor.
 
As I recall a youtube video quote saying - you're shooting for par - beard reduction but prep with a hot flannel on face/neck (resoaking as necessary) for about a minute to see if that helps. As already stated, very light pressure (weight of razor)and correct cutting angle. You want it to be like your just trying to carefully removed the lather if that helps. It can take time for your face to adjust to this new way of shaving so don't get too hung up. May be worth investing in some Witch Hazel to reduce redness too. I don't use any moisturising agents usually - just alum or W.H. plus the occasional Clarins Apres Rasage (for scent really).

Keep at it and relax and try to enjoy the process, watching youtube videos as you go to learn finer points you may have missed.
 
Well that didn't go too well!

Watched some of Mantic's videos, had a shower, washed face with normal soap, swapped blade to yellow Gillette and created quite a nice lather....all going well so far! Tried to concentrate on not applying any pressure, keeping the correct angle and short strokes. The result? Quite a few bleeders, including catching a mole and my neck feels like its on fire now....oops.

Oh and to top it off I dropped my phone down the loo, jesus I can't wait until today is over :)
 
It may well be that you haven't done anything wrong tonight! It could be that you haven't given your skin enough time to recover from yesterday's shave. As someone earlier in the thread said, try to give your skin a couple of days to settle down and then get back on the horse!
 
Don't try shaving when you're on horse - it'll be messy! I have a mole on my neck just on the edge of my beard zone, they proper hurt if you manage to catch them don't they? Bleeders could be more to do with the angle than pressure, yellow Gillettes are pretty sharp.
I'd also say stick to one choice of blade until you've got the technique right. Doesn't pay to have too many variables.


I try shaving arm hair to find the right angle it's easier to see than on my face via a mirror; start with the head on the skin and the handle sticking straight up and then roll it down until you can just shave some hair off (by moving the razor with no pressure).
Then try and keep theat angle on the planes of your face!
If you wait there will be umpteen other opinions/methods to choose from. Don't give up though when you get it right it's great
 
I wonder if when you washed your face with "normal soap" (by which I presume you mean bath soap), you stripped it of moisture to the point where getting a comfortable shave was almost impossible? I'd suggest that, if you've had a shower, the most you should need to do is splash some hot water on your face while you're lathering etc. to keep your face warm and wet.

I also suspect you might have over-compensated with the blade angle - going too far can mean that the blade plucks the hairs out rather than cutting them. Definitely try the Count's arm shaving suggestion - it can really help you to make sure that your arm is level with your eyeline so that you can see the blade touching the skin.
 
Preparation and use different blade. Astra doesn't work me at all it is the only blade that makes my neck looks like that. Try persona or the once that other guys suggest here. It is very difficult to go wrong with the Ej you are using and IMO its the blade that irritate the skin.
 
I've just had my first shave since Thursday to give my skin a chance to recover. I tried really really hard not to apply any pressure whatsoever and it seems to have worked! No cuts or nicks at all and my skin feels so much better, I can't believe how little pressure you can apply and yet still cut the hair!

The final results will have to wait until the morning as it usually takes a while for the rash and soreness to appear but I'm quietly confident!

Thanks for all of the help so far.
 
That's good news. It does take a few goes to get the hang of the pressure and angle as it's alien to a cartridge user, most new DE people have a half decent technique self learned in around 6-10 shaves or about a week to 2 weeks, so you're on track. After that the learning curve flattens a little, you'll be competent but you'll get even better as months pass, during that time you'll start to notice your skin is feeling great. Then you'll want to buy silly aggressive razors.
 
May I suggest that if you do feel you have applied a bit too much pressure and your face is on fire try using a bit of Witch Hazel to calm it down, if I feel I've used a bit too much pressure, normally something we all tend to do now and again I use something called Witch Doctor treatment Gel, It's no substitute for a a good technique but it sure helps with the irritation
 
A good bit of irritation is good for you. It reminds you not to press hard next time ;)

Sounds like are making good progress, how little pressure you need is quite a shock to the Gillette Mach 3 trained hand.
 
One other thing about the pressure and the angle. I tend to keep my wrist straight and just use (mostly) the movement in my elbow to do the shaving. Can't remember if I read this somewhere... maybe it even goes against conventional wisdom, but it works for me. You don't have to be too strict about it, just keep it in mind.
 
WiffWaff said:
One other thing about the pressure and the angle. I tend to keep my wrist straight and just use (mostly) the movement in my elbow to do the shaving. Can't remember if I read this somewhere... maybe it even goes against conventional wisdom, but it works for me. You don't have to be too strict about it, just keep it in mind.
Click to expand...

One of the basic principles of DE shaving, really. I was never a "wristy" shaver even when I used cartridges, but I had to train myself to use the wrist very little when I got going.
 
Thanks for the extra advice, I'll give it a go tonight. I'm trying to have a shave every two days at the moment to allow my skin to recover, hopefully it's a sensible idea!
 
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