Need help shaving...

xraydog

So I've been shaving for several years now and something is really bugging me. My facial hair is really thick and hard to shave.

The days following a shave my face is hard and the new stubble is really tough and damn near impossible to shave. It's like trying to shave a rock. If I try it, my face becomes a bleeding mess.

So I'm forced to wait more than a few days for the hair to grow out (about a week). For some reason by that time my hair has softened and shaving becomes super easy, leaving my face clean and soft and awesome. I want it always to be like that. But the thing is when I try to again soon after I'm faced with the same dilemma.

So to sum up: If I shave again in 2-3 days it's really difficult because of the hardiness of my facial hair and my face ends up looking (and feeling) like the Battle of Gettysburg.

If I wait a week to shave again, hair becomes soft and easy to shave and there's no irritation. But I don't like having facial hair of that length.

Help?

Alpine

What are you using as a shaving cream?

xraydog

Alpine wrote: »

What are you using as a shaving cream?

Edge shaving gel and I'm using a Gillette Fusion razer.

aesir

try shaving in the shower. Hot water will soften your hair and the hot steam will open your pores making it easier to shave.

Invisible

xraydog wrote: »

Alpine wrote: »

What are you using as a shaving cream?

Edge shaving gel and I'm using a Gillette Fusion razer.

Try using a razor with less blades.

I'll try to dig up the article, but I remember reading a while back a dermatologist was recommending a 2 or 3 blade razor for most men and said that the razors like the fusion cause irritation and bad stubble (I can't think of the term he used), especially in men of the African and Arab ethnicity.

Gihgehls

Lots of people here hate them, but I find that an electric shaver is more comfortable than a razor when my beard is that short. The hairs are way too stiff to drag a razor across them, it just gets stuck.

Djeet

i cannot dig up the article, but it talked about about how moisture softens whiskers, and you need the whiskers to remain wet for about 2 minutes. didn't really matter if it was water, soap, or foam/gel they all softened more or less equally, but foam was most effective in keeping the moisture up against the whisker.

ever since i started letting the foam stay on for a minute or 2 before shaving i started getting fewer nicks. also slow down and use a magnifying mirror if you got one.

i tried a fusion, i think my quattro power works better for me (i dont get nicks unless i hurry). my guess is the razor head on the fusion moves too freely.

corcorigan

You can get oils that soften hair. Off the top of my head however I cannot remember the brand I use (it's probably based in the UK anyway).

You don't even need foam after letting it soak in for a couple of minutes.

Improvolone

Use an aftershave lotion

Shogun

I use an electric razor and I love it. I can't believe people still use those shitty gillette hand razors.

Dalboz

Are you shaving against the grain of your beard? I had the same problem, and it also gave me ingrown hairs. Now I shave with the grain, and while it doesn't feel quite as close, it is much easy to shave and keeps my skin clearer without the red spots forming.

Dhalphir

shave in the shower.

I do this, and I don't even need shaving gel.

I quite often lather up some soap, but if I'm in a hurry I don't.

EDIT: and shaving in the shower is why I don't use an electric razor. I do pretty much everything in the shower. Brush my teeth, shave.