On shaving and hook-ups

TootsyrolCNSPRCY

Okay, I have a dilemma. I cannot grow any amount of decent facial hair. This would not be a bad thing if the facial hair that DID grow in didnt make me look like I am hispanic. And not in a sexy, girls want me sort of way. Like a creepy sort of way.

So I shave. But then BAM massive acne breakout.

So my first question is this: Are there any particular shaving creams/razors/methods that I can use to PREVENT looking like I stuffed my pores with cheese after I shave?

Second question with backstory.

I dated this girl for a while who suffered from EXTREME depression and dangerous OCD. After a while it became too much for me to handle as she would not get help (other than me) for her problems and we broke up. (yea I know, dumping a depressed girl, smooth move Tootsy, but hey, I'm only human. we fuck up).

Now, four years down the road, her and a close friend of mine move into an appartment together, and my friend keeps dropping hints to me about how my ex is completely over her depression and her OCD is under control and how we should get back together.
So I started talking to the ex. (We also both just ended REALLY long relationships with other people) We seem to be getting along a LOT better than we ever have.

This story's question(s) is(are) this: Are we both just on the rebound? Knowing that we wont see each other till at least thanksgiving, is it cool to hook up then? What about crashing with the two of them (both women, both single) over christmas break to avoid going back home?

edit: The shaving thing is the really glaring problem. The rest is just stuff I've been wrestling with and would like some advice as I cannot ask any friends I currently have besides the two girls mentioned. (They are all friends with the girl who just dumped me, and I would feel weird discussing this with them :P )

robaal

Shaving with the grain might reduce the skin irritation and I heard that using an electric razor would eliminate it altogether.

drxand?

what are your methods of shaving?
do you use any cream/gel currently?
and what kind of razor
do you use a moisturizer of any sort after shaving?

shaving in the shower is always a winner

Incenjucar

Electric razors will usually give you the vague stubble look, which is often both attractive and not quite so deep as to land you ingrown hairs.

Also make sure you wash your face after shaving to try and keep your pores from getting clogged.

You may also want to look in to some of those light-based treatments to try and keep the actual bacteria on your face down. Also, that orange acne soap with the acid in it; I know it does WONDERS for keeping my nose from turning in to an ooze machine (If I skip it for a day, bam, popping stuff, grr).

The OCD thing... really, it depends on sooo many factors, so I can't make any recommendations there.

I -can- say I have a mom who's at least somewhat neurotic, and it's a pain in the ass for everyone involved.

Neurotics tend to be happiest with other neurotics with similar compulsions.

Of course, you could just hang out or date for -fun- and not actually seek a relationship; just make sure it's a mutual decision.

People have a hard time remembering these days that dating can just be a fun activity.

TootsyrolCNSPRCY

t robaal: It's not skin irritant so much as it is huge ass zits

t drxand?: Umm...i use crappy disposables and I think edge gel. and no to the moisturizer, and yes to the shower

t Incenjucar: Ive tried the washing thing. tried before. after. before AND after. not at all.

But you raise a point. maybe it is not the shavings fault so much as it is inferior acne wash product.

on the girl thing: her ocd (from what I hear) is now to the point where she has it under control. And yea, we could just for fun date, but she is hot. very.

all in all though, thanks for the help so far!

tony_important

Ok, I used to get lots of break-outs when I'd shave my face too. What I found usually helped was I washed my face vigourously with a cloth in the areas where you shave. It gets rid of the dead skin and kills off most of the post-shave irritation and acne.

Also, I use a mach 3 blade.

Hope that helps.

malkoth

Yeah, shaving with the grain helps. Make sure you shave after you shower as your facial hair with be all nice and soft and ripe for removal. Also Id recommend using very hot water(make sure not to burn yourself) when shaving and then rinse and clean with cold water.

I can't tell you much about an electrice razor as they dont seem to work too well on my face, but YMMV. I still get bumps sometimes on my neck right under my jaw but they usual go away after a day. Ive also heard to use aftershave afterwards but havnt tried it personaly.

jkylefulton

Here's what I do to avoid this sort of thing:
- About five minutes before I'm going to shave, I toss some shaving gel on my face.
- Jump in the shower.
- Shave against the grain, with the water jet directly on my face.

Ever since I've started to do this, I've had zero problems with ingrown hairs or razorburn. Note - I shave, at most, every other day.

Zek

Just out of curiousity, why are you trying to avoid going back home for Christmas?

TootsyrolCNSPRCY

Zek wrote:

Just out of curiousity, why are you trying to avoid going back home for Christmas?

family problems. pretty much my brother is a douchebag and consistently wrecks my shit, and everytime Ive tried to do something about it (eg, kick his ass) my parents step in cause they "dont want their kids fighting"

fuck that noise


but anyway, thanks alot, and I think im gonna go with malkoth and tony's advice. Those are pretty much the only things I havent tried yet.

BeautifulJoe

No idea on the shaving I could probably take the hair of my face with sand paper and be ok.

About the girls. I suggest you go down have the best time you can and just get a feel for the whole situation try not to jump into or do anything you may regret later. But generaly have a good time.

Blake T

I used to have the exact same problem, either shave with the grain or 90 degrees to the grain, don't shave against it. Also try shaving at least an hour or two before you go out to avoid razor burn. Other bits and pieces I can give you is that I used to use an electric and it was goddam lousy it'd give me bad razor burn do a lousy job and was a pain to clean.

Spend money on a decent blade I have only used a disposable razor once. Never again, those things feel like goddam sandpaper. A month old Mach 3 has a better edge on it than those things.

tony_important

Blaket wrote:

A month old Mach 3 has a better edge on it than those things.

Yeah, I second that.

Also, I would recommend not purchasing one of those "power" versions of Gillette blades. Something about a vibrating razor blade really close to my jugular.

Blake T

tony_important wrote:

Blaket wrote:

A month old Mach 3 has a better edge on it than those things.

Yeah, I second that.

Also, I would recommend not purchasing one of those "power" versions of Gillette blades. Something about a vibrating razor blade really close to my jugular.

While I'm all for the power of vibration, the blades as far as I can tell have no different features than that of a M3 Turbo other than it being a totally kickass colour green. So save money and buy those instead.

Brodo Faggins

Threads like this make me glad I've never had to shave in my life (I'm a 19 year old male).

As for the OCD girl, go for it.

MichaelLC

Give a Mach3 or even an older Sensor Exxel. Try some differnt lotion as well.

There are a few different types: the kind that comes out as a gel and foams up, the kind that stays "lotion-like", and good old-skool lather.

Try one of the lotion-types. Aveeda makes a good minty one that has a refresing burning feeling. Just because somethng is fancy doesn't make it good for you, either. I tried some stuff that's known for gentleness, and it burned my neck, turning it bright red. Just gotta find something that works for you.

Raggaholic

I was a Mach3 guy, but I just switched over to the Fusion. I love it.

What type of facial hair do you have? As a black guy, my coarse facial hair believes my face is the enemy and always attacks it. Ingrown hairs are generally major problems. I have not heard of a guy yet, though, that has used Tend Skin and had anything negative to say about it.

As far as the OCD girlfriend, I'd stay away. I've had a crazy girlfriend who, after three years together and three years of not talking, I now live down the street from. I thought about "trying again" since she seems sane now and she looks better than imaginable (I'd post a pic if I didn't think I'd get in trouble, just as a point of reference), but all of my friends have reminded me of the whole "she's crazy" thing.

wmelon

I used to break out all the time after shaving and I couldn't find anything that would fix it. I ended up switching to a shaving soap and straight razor and haven't had a problem since.

n1t0

First off when you shower run the water hot so there is steam around the bathroom. The steam will help open up your pores and also make the actual shaving way easier. Also try buying a mirror to place actually in the shower so you can shave in there.

My facial hair grows really fast unfortunately i usually look borderline homeless with it but my GF digs it.


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