Shaving rash!

job seeker

Hi all,

I really like to take care of my appearance. I was kinda in two minds of making this thread. How in ever! I really have nothing to lose...

So the last number of years I have been getting a shaving rash while/after a clean shave. This was the reason I used to just shave with an electric razor, which leaves very short stubble. However I am in a job now, where it states in my contract that I must be clean shaven every day at work (I know, what about my human rights?). So this shaving rash looks far worse than some stubble.

So a few things I have tried: I used the Nivia for men aftershave balm, while this revealed the feeling of irritation. The rash remained. Sudocreme was useless. I have also used sensitive shaving cream, which didn't make any difference worth talking about.

So does anyone here, have any other suggestions (one that works for them preferably? :pac:)

job seeker

job seeker wrote: »

Hi all,

I really like to take care of my appearance. I was kinda in two minds of making this thread. How in ever! I really have nothing to lose...

So the last number of years I have been getting a shaving rash while/after a clean shave. This was the reason I used to just shave with an electric razor, which leaves very short stubble. However I am in a job now, where it states in my contract that I must be clean shaven every day at work (I know, what about my human rights?). So this shaving rash looks far worse than some stubble.

So a few things I have tried: I used the Nivia for men aftershave balm, while this revealed the feeling of irritation. The rash remained. Sudocreme was useless. I have also used sensitive shaving cream, which didn't make any difference worth talking about.

So does anyone here, have any other suggestions (one that works for them preferably? :pac:)

Try shaving in a different direction.
If I was to shave downwards on my neck I’d get a rash (for example)

BelovedAunt

Try DE shaving.

Orion

BelovedAunt wrote: »

Try DE shaving.

This. Electric razors and cartridge razors always gave me a rash. Since I switched to DE razors never.

Alternatively if you don't want to switch to DE shaving at least get a decent cream and brush. Tinned cream/foam is crap and leaves residue on your skin which can irritate it. It doesn't have to be expensive - Palmolive cream in a tube is about €3 in Tesco and a synthetic brush there is about a tenner I think. Or get Prorasa cream from the likes of Shaving.ie which is a fine cream. I particularly like the Geo F Trumper and Taylor of Old Bond Street ones but that's just a personal preference - nothing wrong with Proraso - have the green one too.

boombang

I use a cheap Philips electric razor with three rotating heads. I'm never quite as clean shaven as using a wet Gillette razor, but I also never get a rash. A wet shave would always leave me with a rash no matter what I did. The imperfect shave of the electric is far better a look than the rash and I strongly doubt your employer specifically wants you to wet shave.

Overall, I'm amazed there still at so many men using conventional razors. The electric shave is very convenient and much cheaper in my experience.

huggy15

Definitely try DE shaving. I switched from gillette fusion etc. a few years ago because I was plagued with ingrown hairs and irritation on my neck and it has totally cleared up since then. A merkur 34c hd is the razor I started with. It takes a bit of getting used to the razor but if you stick with it id be pretty confident you will see results.
Also the difference in cost compared to cartridge razors is phenomenal. I recently bought 100 blades for about 12 euro from shaving.ie these will last me more than a year!

dball

i always get a rash if i have to shave more than twice a week.
this has always been the case.

In the last 10 years i've had a beard and only have to tidy it up once a week with a shave.

I always always always shave in the shower - hottest water you can handle applied to the face pre-shave and post shave.

The only issues i have is trying to keep a mirror from fogging up - rash is very rare nowadays

Seve OB

make sure to have a good scrub of the face first. a really hot towel is good to. don't use cream or foam. use a gel.

King of shaves gels are miles better than any of the others.

use a bit of shaving oil underneath for an added bonus. I wouldn't bother with the silicon one, the standard ones are more than adequate

or use king of shaves serum when using an electric razor

oh, and don't bother with king of shaves razors, they are muck (well unless they have improved in the last few years)

I find Wilkinson sword hydro 5 pretty damn good blade and they last a good while. Gillette are deffo not the best you can get.

and finish off with a bit of coco butter aftershave, maybe something with a bit of tea tree oil in it. I used to get this. it was the best ever, but no longer available

frozenfrozen

DE shave definitely. Tiny bit of whatever shaving lather you like, I use proraso whenever I can be arsed ordering it or else just whatever cheap stuff I get in a shop. Lather with a shaving brush and then just glide over with no pressure with the blade one pass on each side of the blade and rinse it in hot water between every pass, don't go over the same area more than once without reapplying some lather.


Cheap and closer shave with no irritation for me

beardybrewer

frozenfrozen said what i came here to say. always had shave rash for decades and then swapped to DE. i change my blade every 3 shaves. good lather + light touch + sharp blade = no irritation. No need to get a brush and soaps to start out. Just keep the gel you like and swap in the last razor you'll need to buy and a blade sampler pack to find which works best for your face.

https://www.shaving.ie/products/muhle-r89-classic-razor.html
https://www.shaving.ie/products/50-blade-premium-selection-sampler.html
coupon code: boards.ie

padmcv

Great advice on DE Shaving. Switched to it last week and very happy with the results.

Riskymove

padmcv wrote: »

Great advice on DE Shaving. Switched to it last week and very happy with the results.

For me too - it has made a great improvement

It was suggested to me that the sensitive skin was better off with a single blade than the multiblade razors common today

if you think about it a single blade will scrape the skin once or twice a shave while a 5 blade razor means that the skin is scrapped 5 or 10 times a shave

seamus

The only issue I have since switching to DE shaving is that I often don't have time to shave more than once a week. So when I do shave the hair is 5+mm long, which can be pretty uncomfortable as the blade drags. Can cause more ingrown hairs too. I've found that taking a clipper/trimmer to it to bring it back down to 1-2mm, then DE shaving it the next day works best.

Nothing to do with the OP, but might help others!

noby

Riskymove wrote: »

if you think about it a single blade will scrape the skin once or twice a shave while a 5 blade razor means that the skin is scrapped 5 or 10 times a shave

More to do with beard hysteresis. When a blade cuts the hair it pulls it slightly too. With multi-blade razors the first blade pulls slightly, then the next blade will cut it lower down. Great right? Smoother shave right? Well when the hair retracts after the razor pass it can go right under the skin - smooth shave - but this is what can cause ingrown hairs, irritation shaving rash etc.
With only one blade each pass with the blade cuts it a little shorter, so that's why if you want a close shave with a DE razor you go with the grain, across the grain, then against the grain.

I changed to DE about ten years ago because of neck rash - now my only issue is the odd nick (more so as a beginner DE user).

job seeker

Hi all,

Getting back to this a lot later than I thought. So apologises.

Firstly @Boombang - Ah I am definitely stuck in the past with my razors.. It's all that I know prior to this thread though. So, all the suggestions here have sparked an interest in alternatives. Thanks, I'll give the triple blade electric razor a go as well.

@Steve OB - I usually use Wilkinson sword hydro 5 blades or Gillette razors. I have not used any of the Oil's or gel's. So I'll definitely give them a try. Thanks very much.

@dball - It happens to be every time without fail.. I do going around with a red neck! You swear I am from the deep south. Thanks.

Finally thanks everyone who advised on the DE shavers, supplied link and voucher codes.

On first researching the DE shaver (something I never even knew existed), I was a bit apprehensive as it looks extremely sharp.

However, after reading all the posts here and watching a number of review video on YouTube. I really think that I should give this a try as well.

beardybrewer

I still think mantic59 has some of the best, accessible videos on wet shaving out there. They're corny but full of good info and tips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhIy9rgWQU&list=PL2DB6D82F52BA7608

I also liked this guy and watched a few of his videos when I started especially about the post-shave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MiQOx3dPVg&index=2&list=PLL2XUXP2B67xGJ9eef-uPamtlsXylhH7T

When I started I watched these guys as you can't just read about it and jumped in. I started fully with the brush and soap but I'd actually recommend you just try the DE razor to start. In my case, building a good lather with the soaps I started with was harder than DE shaving so best not to learn both at once would be my advice. There are benefits to a brush and great, slick soaps but I think a DE razor, light touch, and, if necessary, a preshave routine would carry you most of the way there.

Good luck and keep us posted.

job seeker

beardybrewer wrote: »

https://www.shaving.ie/products/muhle-r89-classic-razor.html
https://www.shaving.ie/products/50-blade-premium-selection-sampler.html
coupon code: boards.ie

Update time. (I am so bad at updating this thread. )

I bought the above.

I also purchased these:

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Mens-Shaving-Brush-Natural-Bristle-Hair-Barber-Wooden-Handle-Badger-Soap-Foaming/141606599276?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144

I realise that they are cheap. The reason I bought these though is to get experience using the shaving brush.

Finally I haven't bought any shaving foam. I'll keep a look out for different shaving foams and gels in the likes of boots etc.

By the way thanks very much for the coupon code beardy.

Buddy97mm

Don't buy tinned goo-the of the greatest benefits of DE shaving for me was the difference made by a good soap or cream. There's a huge variety but for ease when starting you can't go wrong with a Palmolive stick, available in most supermarkets for around a euro.

job seeker

Buddy97mm wrote: »

Don't buy tinned goo-the of the greatest benefits of DE shaving for me was the difference made by a good soap or cream. There's a huge variety but for ease when starting you can't go wrong with a Palmolive stick, available in most supermarkets for around a euro.

Is that just a normal bar of soap? I thought that was purely for washing your hands!?!?

Buddy97mm

Cylindrical shave stick in green box. Wash face, leave wet, rub stick liberally over area to be shaved, then follow with wetting brush to create lather

beardybrewer

Great to hear it's going well! Has the DE razor helped with the shave rash/bumps?

Buddy97mm wrote: »

Don't buy tinned goo

A point I regularly make is to do one thing at a time so stick with the gel or foam at first while mastering the razor and picking a suitable blade.

Once you're past that if you want to up your game again then yes a decent brush and soap is the way to go. Not only can you whip up a thicker more protective lather but your skin will generally be happier due to the skin friendly ingredients in most shaving soaps. If you choose to face lather you get extra benefits of exfoliating and avoiding ingrown hairs due to the brush again.

If you're ready to explore that route I must warn you brushes are the most expensive part of the hobby. However, looking again on shaving.ie I would say this is the best value brush I'd recommend.

https://www.shaving.ie/products/black-silvertip-special.html

Goot knot size and loft so should be soft and scrubby.

I'd also recommend a palmolive shave stick as it's incredible value for the performance you get:

https://connaughtshaving.com/palmolivesoap.html
or
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Palmolive-Classic-Extract-Shave-Stick/dp/B0012XZAKE/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=drugstore&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1542122529&sr=1-2&keywords=palmolive+shave+stick&refinements=p_76%3A419158031