I think my neck got herpes. [Shaving]

Casual

I few days ago I finally got sick of having crappy uneven shaves with my electric razor and took the plunge wet shaving. It works great but the only trouble is now I'm getting spots all over my neck. Anything I can do to avoid this? I like the better shave but the spots I can do without.

Blake T

Are you shaving with or against the grain?

Are you shaving before or after you shower?

How hard are you pushing the blade on your face?

What are you using for a lubricant?

Are you using a moisturizer afterwards?

The answers should be

With the grain



After

Softly

Hot water, and well it depends on what works best for you, I use a badger brush and traditional cream.

Yes.

The red marks is your skin being irritated by the blade doing the above will either lower the irritation or help repair the skin.

Casual

I shave from top to bottom so that's with the grain I believe, I shave before I shower but I do wash my face with hot water first. I'm using some cheap foam I bought at the supermarket but it does the job fine. I don't moisturize after.

Would the moisturizer solve this problem?

Daemonion

I use this pre-shave cream, and feel that it helps.

Forkes

Its also very possible that it's ingrown hairs. I get this too. What usually works for me is using an electric first, then switching to a blade.

Also, make sure the blade is not at all dull. A dull blade plays havoc with my neck.

Blake T

Casual wrote:

I shave from top to bottom so that's with the grain I believe, I shave before I shower but I do wash my face with hot water first. I'm using some cheap foam I bought at the supermarket but it does the job fine. I don't moisturize after.

Would the moisturizer solve this problem?

Moisturiser will help. It wont solve everything. Everything I listed will just minimise it to lesser degrees.

Shower first, don't dry your face then soak it with hot water. This will make the hair follicles swell up and when they retract it will be a closer cut.

Try either a shaving gel or oil.

Also try not to repeat strokes in the same place.

Figgy

Casual wrote:

I shave from top to bottom so that's with the grain I believe, I shave before I shower but I do wash my face with hot water first. I'm using some cheap foam I bought at the supermarket but it does the job fine. I don't moisturize after.

It does? You're getting razor burn. Get something better, preferably without alcohol in it.

Your mileage may vary, but I've been trying different oil products lately and I don't like them.

Djeet

Where specifically are you getting the bumps? Most people don't have their whiskers grow all in one direction, on either side of my adam's apple going up to the right and left extreme of my jaw the grain goes up (up and left on left side, up and right on right side). You might be shaving against the grain in spots, causing irritation. Also I noticed some irritation going from electric to wet shave; went away after a half dozen shaves or so.

Sterica

Hm, I shave while in the shower after I've washed off.

Casual

Djeet wrote:

Where specifically are you getting the bumps? Most people don't have their whiskers grow all in one direction, on either side of my adam's apple going up to the right and left extreme of my jaw the grain goes up (up and left on left side, up and right on right side). You might be shaving against the grain in spots, causing irritation. Also I noticed some irritation going from electric to wet shave; went away after a half dozen shaves or so.

This could be it, a lot of the hair on my neck grows to the side.

Also going to heed the advice on getting some better foam, I mostly just bought this crap because I started wet shaving as an experiment and didn't want to waste money on good stuff.

Aioua

Casual wrote:

Djeet wrote:

Where specifically are you getting the bumps? Most people don't have their whiskers grow all in one direction, on either side of my adam's apple going up to the right and left extreme of my jaw the grain goes up (up and left on left side, up and right on right side). You might be shaving against the grain in spots, causing irritation. Also I noticed some irritation going from electric to wet shave; went away after a half dozen shaves or so.

This could be it, a lot of the hair on my neck grows to the side.

Also going to heed the advice on getting some better foam, I mostly just bought this crap because I started wet shaving as an experiment and didn't want to waste money on good stuff.

Is it just a can of spray foam? That stuff basically does nothing. You'll actually get much better results with just some regular bar soap. Get your face all wet, lather up some soap in your hands and get it on your face. You won't have a thick foamy lather or anything, but it should make your face slippery. That's the key, really.

If you want to go fancy you need a shaving brush and soap/cream, plus a bowl or mug to whip it up in. All those can be gotten fairly cheap as well.

Gihgehls

I've been wet shaving with a DE blade for over 3 years now. I've tried products from here to there to everywhere, and what I use now is coconut oil. Coconut oil is fantastic for your skin, doesn't leave you smelling foody like olive oil might, and is pretty cheap. It is also transparent, so you can really see exactly what you're doing. I actually still use my nice sandalwood shaving cream as a face wash after I shave, since it isn't good to leave oil on your face for long periods of time.

You can get a mayo-sized jar of the stuff for about 7 bucks. You can get refined or unrefined. Unrefined smells much more strongly of coconut. I don't eat coconut but the smell is awesome.

zucchini

I use "Nivea for Men Sensitive Post Shave Extra Soothing Balm"

It works wonders.

Druhim

Going to chime in on ditching the shaving foam in a can. That stuff is bullshit. Buy a good bar of shaving soap like this:



Certainly not saying that particular brand, just an example. I use that brand with a badger hair brush (diff scent) and one bar has lasted me at least 4 months of almost daily shaving and I'd say at least 1/3 of the bar is left. So it's actually quite a bit cheaper and works better than the crap in a can.

schuss

conditioner also works surprisingly well.

Also - Hot Face, Cold Razor. That should help somewhat.

Skoal Cat

Conditioner is made to make hair stronger though. That's not the best idea, but it does work in a pinch.

You still need to get decent stuff if you want an enjoyable experience. If you're getting bumps, that can mean:
Your blade is dull. What type of blade are you using?
You could be using too much pressure. Use less.
Your face isn't lubricated. We've already determined that your cream is crap. I too am a fan of shave oils, so you may want to go the coconut oil route. I'm also a fan of Cremo Cream. You don't need to lather it with a brush. I do love a good brush lather, and I prefer soap with lanolin when I do that (sheep fat).
You might not have good enough stuff to soothe irritated skin. I use a face scrub the days that I want a close shave, and my post shave is an alcohol after shave followed by a balm. You should also get an alum block, they are the best for fixing skin post shave.
Rinse your razor with cold water. Use hot water to wash your face. Cold water after you've rinsed and are done.
Run a cotton ball across your face to find the direction your hair grows. It is different for everyone. Practice shaving with the grain until your irritation dies down, then experiment with across, and finally for the perfect shave, against.

Pirusu

I shave both ways. I'll start going with the grain, re-lather, then go against. It's more time consuming, but I can get a really close shave without any irritation.

I also use a brush and cream, and really enjoy it.

Figgy

Pirusu wrote:

I shave both ways. I'll start going with the grain, re-lather, then go against. It's more time consuming, but I can get a really close shave without any irritation.

I also use a brush and cream, and really enjoy it.

This depends on the person. I have extremely thick facial hair, and going against the grain will just cut me up completely, especially the upper lip area.

I used to get really bad razor burn every time I shaved. It was to the point where I'd avoid shaving for days at a time because I hated the feeling afterward. What helped was switching to a puck, a brush, and a safety razor. It was a fantastic difference. The puck shaving soap smelled great, the brush conditioned the face for a comfortable shave, and the safety razor wasn't irritating the hell out of my skin (and mainly my neck) like those ridiculous 4-blade monstrosities they sell. A 100 pack of double-sided blades is like $15, and each blade lasts me about a week. You do the math.

My actual safety razor handle broke though, and I've since been using the cheapy Bic 2-blade throw-aways. They work, believe it or not. For me, the trick is simplicity. Anything with more than two blades, fancy aloe-whatever strips, or anything else ends up just doing more harm than good.

When looking for a cream/lubricant, look for something with little or no alcohol. It dries out the skin, which is not what you want.

If you do go the safety razor route, find one without internal moving parts. Calcium will eventually build up inside from the soap, and the parts will stick. Eventually, they'll just break. I was at the point where I was soaking my razor in CLR once a week just so I could open and close the blade-holder. It eventually just snapped.

Aioua

Figgy wrote:

Pirusu wrote:

I shave both ways. I'll start going with the grain, re-lather, then go against. It's more time consuming, but I can get a really close shave without any irritation.

I also use a brush and cream, and really enjoy it.

This depends on the person. I have extremely thick facial hair, and going against the grain will just cut me up completely, especially the upper lip area.

I used to get really bad razor burn every time I shaved. It was to the point where I'd avoid shaving for days at a time because I hated the feeling afterward. What helped was switching to a puck, a brush, and a safety razor. It was a fantastic difference. The puck shaving soap smelled great, the brush conditioned the face for a comfortable shave, and the safety razor wasn't irritating the hell out of my skin (and mainly my neck) like those ridiculous 4-blade monstrosities they sell. A 100 pack of double-sided blades is like $15, and each blade lasts me about a week. You do the math.

My actual safety razor handle broke though, and I've since been using the cheapy Bic 2-blade throw-aways. They work, believe it or not. For me, the trick is simplicity. Anything with more than two blades, fancy aloe-whatever strips, or anything else ends up just doing more harm than good.

When looking for a cream/lubricant, look for something with little or no alcohol. It dries out the skin, which is not what you want.

If you do go the safety razor route, find one without internal moving parts. Calcium will eventually build up inside from the soap, and the parts will stick. Eventually, they'll just break. I was at the point where I was soaking my razor in CLR once a week just so I could open and close the blade-holder. It eventually just snapped.

What handle were you using? I've never heard of anything like that happening before with an internal mechanism.

Figgy

Aioua wrote:

Figgy wrote:

Pirusu wrote:

I shave both ways. I'll start going with the grain, re-lather, then go against. It's more time consuming, but I can get a really close shave without any irritation.

I also use a brush and cream, and really enjoy it.

This depends on the person. I have extremely thick facial hair, and going against the grain will just cut me up completely, especially the upper lip area.

I used to get really bad razor burn every time I shaved. It was to the point where I'd avoid shaving for days at a time because I hated the feeling afterward. What helped was switching to a puck, a brush, and a safety razor. It was a fantastic difference. The puck shaving soap smelled great, the brush conditioned the face for a comfortable shave, and the safety razor wasn't irritating the hell out of my skin (and mainly my neck) like those ridiculous 4-blade monstrosities they sell. A 100 pack of double-sided blades is like $15, and each blade lasts me about a week. You do the math.

My actual safety razor handle broke though, and I've since been using the cheapy Bic 2-blade throw-aways. They work, believe it or not. For me, the trick is simplicity. Anything with more than two blades, fancy aloe-whatever strips, or anything else ends up just doing more harm than good.

When looking for a cream/lubricant, look for something with little or no alcohol. It dries out the skin, which is not what you want.

If you do go the safety razor route, find one without internal moving parts. Calcium will eventually build up inside from the soap, and the parts will stick. Eventually, they'll just break. I was at the point where I was soaking my razor in CLR once a week just so I could open and close the blade-holder. It eventually just snapped.

What handle were you using? I've never heard of anything like that happening before with an internal mechanism.

A Weishi classic:



A friend of mine had the exact same one and he had the exact same problem. I would rinse is thoroughly after each use and leave it open to dry, but it still happened. Mine did last several months longer than his, however. I mean, it's not exactly a high end handle, so that may be part of the problem.

Blake T

I use the ones with screw in heads but I've heard cleaning it, then leaving it in a glass of metho or similar prevents the mechanism from shitting itself.

BusterK

Here's something to try
Get a small, thick washcloth
Soak it in water, put it in a bowl or coffee cup and put it in the microwave for about a minute
Take it out and leave it on your face for a few minutes
It make your hair a lot softer than just using the shower and it is fairly quick

Bendery It Like Beckham

I am going to vouch for shaving soap over cream. I have super sensitive skin, and was getting mad razor burn. When i was in seattle for pax of 09 I used shaving soap i bought at a corner market, because i didnt want to drop $texas on a can of "sensitive skin" cream that couldnt ride back to CA with me. Earlier this year, still struggling with razor burn I ran out of my normal shaving gel and was forced to use the soap. I don't even have a brush and the soap is amazing. It made a world of difference for me, no bumps no burns... and I am still using a crappy Mach III

Pirusu

Figgy wrote:

Pirusu wrote:

I shave both ways. I'll start going with the grain, re-lather, then go against. It's more time consuming, but I can get a really close shave without any irritation.

I also use a brush and cream, and really enjoy it.

This depends on the person. I have extremely thick facial hair, and going against the grain will just cut me up completely, especially the upper lip area.

I used to get really bad razor burn every time I shaved. It was to the point where I'd avoid shaving for days at a time because I hated the feeling afterward. What helped was switching to a puck, a brush, and a safety razor. It was a fantastic difference. The puck shaving soap smelled great, the brush conditioned the face for a comfortable shave, and the safety razor wasn't irritating the hell out of my skin (and mainly my neck) like those ridiculous 4-blade monstrosities they sell. A 100 pack of double-sided blades is like $15, and each blade lasts me about a week. You do the math.

My actual safety razor handle broke though, and I've since been using the cheapy Bic 2-blade throw-aways. They work, believe it or not. For me, the trick is simplicity. Anything with more than two blades, fancy aloe-whatever strips, or anything else ends up just doing more harm than good.

When looking for a cream/lubricant, look for something with little or no alcohol. It dries out the skin, which is not what you want.

If you do go the safety razor route, find one without internal moving parts. Calcium will eventually build up inside from the soap, and the parts will stick. Eventually, they'll just break. I was at the point where I was soaking my razor in CLR once a week just so I could open and close the blade-holder. It eventually just snapped.

Ah, yeah. I guess I'm lucky! I've been using my sucky ol' Fusion, and my skin hasn't gotten too irritated. I have heavily hinted to the lady that as a wedding gift I'd like a Feather or Merkur safety razor with a mug and a soap puck.

Casual

I'm just using disposables right now, you should only use them for about week huh?

Druhim

Not only will a safety razor with some decent blades give you a better shave than disposables or cartridges, they'll also cost you less in the long run.

100 Shark super chrome blades will cost you less than $20 and each blade will last about as long as a good cartridge or disposable. That's $.18 per blade vs whatever you're paying for your disposables. Get an inexpensive Parker or Merkur safety razor for around $25-$35 and change the blades about once a week assuming you're shaving every day. Or more often if you want to since they're only $.18 per blade.

Djeet

Casual wrote:

I'm just using disposables right now, you should only use them for about week huh?

That's going to depend on how often you shave, skin sensitivity, how much/coarse your whiskers are, and how you store it when you aren't shaving, but try a new one and see if you get better results (I don't use a cheap disposable more than about a week). If not you'll likely have to take some of the recommended steps (better foam/soap/oil, more contact with warm water before shaving to soften the hairs, moisturizer, or maybe a different razor setup).

Abracadaniel

Art of Shaving's shaving soap and pre-shave oil, while a bit overpriced, are both excellent products.

Steev

I'm surprised no one has directed you to the thread about wetshaving in D&D yet. It's worth a look!

Fairchild

I think you'll find that as you get older your skin will toughen up. I used to razor burn worse than Niles Crane when I was in my 20's, but now in my 40's I find that I can use the Mach III product line without a problem as long as I shave immediately after showering. The above recommendations about safety razors intrigue me, however, since Mach III and the rest cost far more dollars than they should. What's considered to be the best safety razor brand ?

Skoal Cat

Honestly, it comes down to personal preference. The Merkurs are a good, solid place to start.

Blake T

Handles are all much of a muchness.

Blades are cheap, and down to personal preference. Additionally you can often buy a sample pack which will have a pile of different brands for you to try.

Druhim

Blake T wrote: »

Handles are all much of a muchness.

Blades are cheap, and down to personal preference. Additionally you can often buy a sample pack which will have a pile of different brands for you to try.

Good suggestion. :^:

Pirusu

West Cost Shaving has various sized samplers at different price points.

They also sell a Feather safety razor for 18 bucks, which isn't much of an investment, and lets you practice with a safety razor without dropping too much into it.

PotatoNinja

Make sure your skin is loose and relaxed when you are shaving.

If you are shaving your neck, do not crane your head backwards to stretch out the skin. Stay as close to a "natural" head position as possible, tightening the skin before you shave can really screw up your skin (and give you a worse shave).

Shave after a hot shower, let your face warm up under hot running water for 30 seconds and then shave.

MichaelLC

I think I said it in the Shave thread, but don't go over an area without having soap on it - that is, always re-lather.

It's a habit I had from cartridge shaving, but will be bad news with a safety razor.

Casual Eddy

I use a fancy brush, soap, and blade and I still get a little bit of irritation like that

razor burn, as far as I can tell, is when a tiny cut made from your razor gets infected, swells up with pus (makes a little poppable white zit thing) and then gets all irritated. using moisturizer and better tools will help by cutting your face less, but at the end of the day you're still dragging a razor against your skin and it's still getting infected

I find a small dab of neosporin on the problem area to be helpful. one of the reasons I think alcohol based aftershaves are good at preventing razor burn (but not ncessarily irritation) is because the alcohol kills off infecting bacteria, like neosporin does, but it can still be rough on your skin to introduce alcohol to a banged up area.

Figgy

Razor burn isn't from tiny cuts, and it's not necessarily infection. It can lead to infection, however. Razor burn that goes away after a few hours is your vanilla type, not the infected "razor bumps."

Your best line of defense is a sharp blade, ample lubrication, and proper technique. Antiseptic isn't necessary if you're shaving properly. It's mostly due to the hairs growing back after not being cut properly. Infection is usually because of ingrown hairs.

Don't push too hard--use light, short strokes.

Rinse after every stroke.

Keep your blade(s) clean and dry after each shave to help keep it sharp.

Rinse your face with cold water after you're done.

Pat your face dry, don't wipe or scrub it with the towel.

Use a lotion or balm afterward, not an alcohol-based, cologney after-shave.

cabsy

Also exfoliate, because a buildup of dead skin cells can also lead to ingrown hairs. You don't have to take some 80 grit to your face after you're done but even a gentle exfoliant may help.

Casual

I'm certainly getting type 2 burn with lovely infected bumps. It mostly seems to happen at the bottom of my neck where the hair grows sideways. I think part of it is, like some people have said, I still have soft boy skin on my neck rather than grizzled, leathery man skin. Hopefully a few weeks of proper shaving and practice at proper technique will change this. Also I haven't been giving my skin any after shave care, just some basic attempts at getting my neck covered in warm water before the shave.

Skoal Cat

It has nothing to do with your soft boy skin. It has everything to do with tools and technique.