Can't get a clean shave no matter what I try. Help!

ngcxt6

I've been trying for ever to get a clean shave! I need to clean shave every single morning but I'm finding it difficult to get a nice clean shave that doesnt leave me looking horrible.

I have really dry skin and I need to moisturize it daily. Often certain razor blades irritate my skin leaving it red and inflamed.

So far I've tried

1 blade razors
2 blade razors (disposable)
3 blade gillette razors - Doesnt irritate as much but is a poor shave
Gillette safety razor - Irritated my skin more than any other razor, poor shave
€200 electric razor - Best result for not irritating my skin, but again poor shave


I start in the morning by filling the sink with hot water. I rinse my face thoroughly and then apply shaving cream or shaving foam, doesn't seem to make a difference what I use. I shave with the grain as this gives the best result, shaving against it will make my skin red and inflamed. Basically below the jaw line I shave upwards, above the jaw on cheeks etc I shave downwards.

I've also tried exfoliating my skin with soaps beforehand but no luck. After I shave I use moisturizer to soften my skin again or else it hurts and peels.


Help me! It looks terrible and I'm not able to get it right for work etc. I'm 23 years old ffs.

syklops

Have you tried shaving after your shower? I find that works best as it softens the hair.

ngcxt6

syklops wrote: »

Have you tried shaving after your shower? I find that works best as it softens the hair.

Actually no, because the few times I had I find the dried in skin when I step out hurts more than shaving before the shower.

Will try it tomorrow and see.

Mourinho

Some weekend when your off, do your normal routine but with cold water instead as a test. I had the same dry skin issue cause of the hot water, I use the cold water and I get a grand shave now and next to no dry skin after

lizzyman

If you can't get a good shave with any of the methods above then technique might be at least some of the problem, or you might need to check with a dermatologist to see if there is an underlying issue causing the dryness. You should definitely not be experiencing peeling of the skin after shaving.

I've never tried with but I have heard of people with skin issues using Aqueous Cream BP as a shaving cream. Using cold to room temp water is also a good idea.

Regarding the €200 electric razor - a lot of the cost of the expensive ones is for the fancy cleaning systems and features but they don't really shave any better than the cheaper ones. I use a Braun Mobile Shave M90 on holidays and it's extremely good for the price (about €25)

Longterm, the best option is a good mild DE razor with a good blade but as you've discovered, if your prep and technique is not up to scratch you will not get good results.

Also, exfoliating your skin with soap is not a good idea if you have dry skin. Soap, like all cleaning agents is a detergent and will strip all the moisture and sebum from your skin leaving it dry and tight.

ngcxt6

ngcxt6 wrote: »

I've been trying for ever to get a clean shave! I need to clean shave every single morning

I know this isn't the answer you are looking for but do you? If shaving is really a problem and leaves you looking rough, is it not better and smarter to have a nice neat beard?

Doesn't have to be some hipster job.

lizzyman

One thing I forgot to mention - you could shave at night so the worst of the irritation has died down by the following morning.

Also, hydrocortisone cream used sparingly and not every day can be a lifesaver for calming down really bad irritation.

uncle_sam_ie

ngcxt6 wrote: »

I've been trying for ever to get a clean shave! I need to clean shave every single morning but I'm finding it difficult to get a nice clean shave that doesnt leave me looking horrible.

I have really dry skin and I need to moisturize it daily. Often certain razor blades irritate my skin leaving it red and inflamed.

So far I've tried

1 blade razors
2 blade razors (disposable)
3 blade gillette razors - Doesnt irritate as much but is a poor shave
Gillette safety razor - Irritated my skin more than any other razor, poor shave
€200 electric razor - Best result for not irritating my skin, but again poor shave


I start in the morning by filling the sink with hot water. I rinse my face thoroughly and then apply shaving cream or shaving foam, doesn't seem to make a difference what I use. I shave with the grain as this gives the best result, shaving against it will make my skin red and inflamed. Basically below the jaw line I shave upwards, above the jaw on cheeks etc I shave downwards.

I've also tried exfoliating my skin with soaps beforehand but no luck. After I shave I use moisturizer to soften my skin again or else it hurts and peels.


Help me! It looks terrible and I'm not able to get it right for work etc. I'm 23 years old ffs.

You have to unlearn all the bad habits when going from a modern cartridge razor to DE safety Razor.
Shaving with a safety razor can be a disaster if done incorrectly. You must use no pressure and maintain the correct saving angle at all times. This is a good video to help. Nick, the guy doing the video had the same problem you're having. Bad shaves with a lot of irritation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDpmyUF5iDM

Buddy97mm

The best pre-shave prep I have found is to wash face with a glycerine soap, then apply some aftershave balm (as a pre-shave). Apply good lather over this and I get BBS consistently.

lizzyman

What soap do you use Buddy?

Buddy97mm

lizzyman wrote: »

What soap do you use Buddy?

Any of Musgo Real range, the lime is reputed to be best although I have found any of range to be excellent. I just got the lime soap and have high expectations

source

Can I ask, when you say with the grain are you shaving in the same direction, say downwards all over your face and neck?

often the hair can grow in different directions, especially on the neck, which can cause irritation when shaving in one direction because you may be unwittingly shaving against or across the grain.

I had this problem with my neck turns out the hair on my neck grows down and outwards from my chin and up and out from the base of my neck. Meaning the hair on my neck grows in 4 different directions.

My advice, if you can, leave the hair grow out for a few days and examine the growth just to be sure it's not something like this. If this is the issue all the technique changes and product changes in the world won't make a difference, until you can say for sure which direction is actually with the grain.

tunney

I find a nice shaving soap applied with a nice brush then heading off to do something for 4-5 minutes and come back, wipe off, reapply and the bristles fall off.

ngcxt6

Thanks fore the advice so far everyone. Am certainly going to invest in some more shaving soaps, oils, and a brush etc. Although money is kinda tight tbh...

anyway, I watched that video above for the DE razor, and decided to give it a go. I spent a good 40-50 minutes after my shower cleansing, applying foam, making sure it was correct and basically following every step that video showed.

Reapplied the foam, went sideways and touched up a bit etc. But still nothing, infact I think it's still even worse than a regular electric shave.

Either way, my face still turns out like this regardless. pics below.

http://i.imgur.com/kMcgl7l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ihUP8HK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fdNRZmT.jpg


I'm not a beard person, I tried growing one before, after 5 weeks of patchy growth here and there, nothing was really working and it looked disgusting, not to mention it was making my dry skin and acne problem even worse.


I'm at my wits end tbh.

uncle_sam_ie

Don't get discouraged. I'd give your face a rest and grow your beard out and do as Source recommend and map the direction of your beard growth. Especially your neck. It looks to be growing in all directions. Try again with no pressure and lock your wrist so your angle doesn't change. Gliding that razor very lightly across the face. Shave with the grain twice and across once. Don't worry about BBS shave for now just work on your technique. It took me a few weeks to figure it out.

BTW what DE razor and blade are you using?

lizzyman

ngcxt6 wrote: »

Thanks fore the advice so far everyone. Am certainly going to invest in some more shaving soaps, oils, and a brush etc. Although money is kinda tight tbh...

anyway, I watched that video above for the DE razor, and decided to give it a go. I spent a good 40-50 minutes after my shower cleansing, applying foam, making sure it was correct and basically following every step that video showed.

Reapplied the foam, went sideways and touched up a bit etc. But still nothing, infact I think it's still even worse than a regular electric shave.

Either way, my face still turns out like this regardless. pics below.

http://i.imgur.com/kMcgl7l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ihUP8HK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fdNRZmT.jpg


I'm not a beard person, I tried growing one before, after 5 weeks of patchy growth here and there, nothing was really working and it looked disgusting, not to mention it was making my dry skin and acne problem even worse.


I'm at my wits end tbh.

That's razor burn. Cause? Too much pressure on the razor, wrong angle or an overly aggressive razor for your skin. Solution is two ideas. First of all, your technique will improve so it will gradually go away. Secondly, hydrocortisone cream is a miracle worker for irritation. Shave at night, apply it sparingly (and not every time as it will cause long term issues if overused) and the next morning you should be good to go.

Ninap

Some further tips I find useful:

gilette Mach 3 is better than most other blades

Apply coconut oil to skin (super cheap and moisturizing) before shaving gel

Shower after shaving, and then apply silcocks base cream - very good at soothing irritation (also v cheap)

ronivek

Do you really need to be super clean shaven? I would suffer similarly to you; my solution was to use a hair clippers without a guard to shave. It's not baby smooth but it will avoid razor burn.

The other thing to bear in mind is that your neck is probably still suffering from a week's worth of shaves; I can see a couple of ingrown hairs for example. It might take a few days at least with a new routine to get a good idea how your skin will react longer term. Maybe give your skin a weekend to heal before shaving again with the DE blade for example.

Also you mentioned "applied foam" when you discussed your DE shave; I hope you mean applied lather from a decent shaving cream or soap and not foam from a can? I'm no shaving expert but any research I've ever done on the subject always mentions the shaving cream or soap as being the most important consideration aside from proper technique with the blade.

FrankGrimes

OP, I get the exact same problems on my neck as shown in your pics. So I got advise on here and took the plunge and went for a DE (double-edge) safety razor. Admittedly, I went OTT and bought a whole host of stuff that wasn't strictly necessary, but you can get started for reasonable money.

I'm only 4 shaves in and while I still have a long way to go on my technique and still have some doubts about the time investment it requires, I'm already seeing major improvement on my neck. And the whole experience is very enjoyable.

I now shave at night before bed so that I'm not rushed and take the time to do it right and also to ensure any irritation is died down before work in the morning. I found that guy Nick's series of YouTube videos very useful.

Use only a small bit of water to ensure you get a nice thick lather, my first few were watery, got a great lather last night and noticed less irritation. I found the Astra Platinum blades best of the 3 I've tried so far.

Using the alum block after the shave really helps irritation, and I don't worry about getting total smoothness on the neck, light passes reduce redness.

I've not yet tried any pre-shave treatment, but have just ordered a pre-shave Proraso lotion which reviews indicate can further reduce irritation. I was getting so much problems with my neck and ingrown hairs I was going to consider laser hair surgery removal which would be pretty drastic...using a DE razor is at least worth a go for your situation, as for me it's early days but it may well prove to be the solution.

lizzyman

ronivek wrote: »

Do you really need to be super clean shaven? I would suffer similarly to you; my solution was to use a hair clippers without a guard to shave. It's not baby smooth but it will avoid razor burn.

I looked into this before also. How close can you get with the clippers and does it leave any visible stubble behind?

ronivek

lizzyman wrote: »

I looked into this before also. How close can you get with the clippers and does it leave any visible stubble behind?

I think it just depends on how thick and dark your natural growth is. Mine is somewhere around average to below average so I can get away with it more easily.

If I spend time on it and shave against the grain I can get a very close shave but you're pretty likely to have a few mishaps; if you "catch" your skin it doesn't generally bleed but you'll have a red line which takes a few hours to fade.

Usually I just don't aim for a very close shave and it's both quick and very comfortable; no after shave routine required really other than a quick wash and apply some gentle moisturiser and I'm good to go. I should also add that there's no pre-shave or lathering required either; which saves on money, time, water, and mess.

From my point of view I would rather show up to an interview or a client with slightly more stubble than with a potentially uncomfortable and confidence draining rash over my neck; but everyone is different.

lizzyman

Hi OP,

Bit of a shameless plug but I have a Bevel razor for sale over on the Shaving Equipment - For Sale/For Trade/Free thread. It's specifically designed for people that suffer from razor burn/bumps/ingrown hair and is quite a bit milder on the skin that most DE razors. According to the site they did some clinical trials and found a 40% reduction in irritation after four weeks.

If you contact them they will sell you a new razor for about €70 including shipping from the states (you might get caught for customs though) or I can send you mine and a few blades for €50 including postage. Their website if you're interested is https://getbevel.com/