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Shaving help?
ChopperDave
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
My skin is really, fucking, sensitive. This is likely because I use a special anti-acne soap which dries out my skin, which is problematic but I prefer not being pizza-faced.
Right now I use a Gillette Mach 3. I find that I have to shave every three or four days, because if I do it any sooner than that, I tend to nick myself something fierce and get nasty razor burn/bumps. I try to avoid shaving against the grain (going 90 degrees when I can), but I find that oftentimes this results in a less than ideal shave. My hair grows in fast and thick, and shaving with the grain leaves me looking, at best, like I have a mild 5 o'clock shadow.
My girlfriend does not appreciate that I have to let my facial hair get out to dirty hobo length before shaving. Nor does she appreciate how, when I shave with the grain, my face still has tiny razor-sharp follicles which can stab her. The only thing I can do to look decent is shave against the grain, but it HURTS LIKE HELL and I pay for it later with razor bumps and burns.
What can I do? I already have shaving cream for sensitive skin and shave after long hot showers, but neither seems to be doing much for me. Should I make the switch to another razor? Are there any electric razors I should consider? Better techniques? Maybe get some kind of special face wash or something?
Right now I use a Gillette Mach 3. I find that I have to shave every three or four days, because if I do it any sooner than that, I tend to nick myself something fierce and get nasty razor burn/bumps. I try to avoid shaving against the grain (going 90 degrees when I can), but I find that oftentimes this results in a less than ideal shave. My hair grows in fast and thick, and shaving with the grain leaves me looking, at best, like I have a mild 5 o'clock shadow.
My girlfriend does not appreciate that I have to let my facial hair get out to dirty hobo length before shaving. Nor does she appreciate how, when I shave with the grain, my face still has tiny razor-sharp follicles which can stab her. The only thing I can do to look decent is shave against the grain, but it HURTS LIKE HELL and I pay for it later with razor bumps and burns.
What can I do? I already have shaving cream for sensitive skin and shave after long hot showers, but neither seems to be doing much for me. Should I make the switch to another razor? Are there any electric razors I should consider? Better techniques? Maybe get some kind of special face wash or something?
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it is very hard to cut yourself with an electric shaver but it doesn't shave as close as a safety razor. hence the combo.
I think that's your first problem right there. Washing your face with soup is a sure-fire way to develop acne.
Anyway, what kind of shaving cream do you use? I find that most sensitive skin shaving cream works fairly well. Also, using a razor with a guard strip (especially an aloe vera one) works really well for me. In fact, if I use a razor without a guard strip, it really irritates my skin badly.
Another thing is to suck it up for a few shavings and just let your skin get irritated. If you do this, your skin will likely adapt after a few shaving. If I don't shave for a while (and we're talking just a few days like you), then my skin can get very sensitive when I put a razor to it again. If I keep up a regular shaving habit, though, my skin adjusts and everything works out fine.
You can also use a shaving brush to apply your shaving cream. It will help your stubble stand up a little more and will give you a better lather.
Also, stop shaving against the grain, it's horrible for your face. Tell your girlfriend to suck it up. Some people just have really coarse beards, there's not much you can do about it. You're probably not doing yourself any favors by not shaving daily—stubble that has a day or to to grow is tougher than day old stuff.
Well are you shaving? Or are you just hacking at your face?
Shaving is an ART! It isnt a tedious chore that you do every once in a while! Shaving is an expression of a mans soul!
Now that is out of the way, lets see what you are doing.
Firstly I realize that you're using your mach 3. While it's a huge waste of money, it's a half decent razor and it does the job. How often are you changing out the cartridge? If the blades are snagging in your hair, and you find yourself having to do a bunch of short hacking motions, instead of one long shave, then it's time to change that cartridge!
Are you using a shaving brush? No? You smearing crappy jelly crap all over your face like a homo erotic scene, right? Well it's time to man up and get yourself a shaving brush! The brush is an unfortunate victim of today shaving habits, now that men had became lazy and forgotten how to form a decent lather. The ironic thing is that the brush is one of the most important tool in shaving. Using a brush provides a smooth lubricating surface between your skin and the razor, raises your whiskers for easier shaving, and it just feels good.
What kind of shaving cream are you using? Are you using a brush? I'm pretty sure you're using that crap in a bottle that is popular nowadays. Horribly overpriced, horribly inefficient. Throw away that Gillete Gel Fusion poopoo out the window this very instant! There is a huge assortment of shaving creams and soaps you can use, and they all provide a different experience. The best thing for you to do is experiment, find out what you like and what works best, and use it.
Lastly your shaving equipment tells a lot about the person.
Remember. Shave smart. Shave right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhIy9rgWQU
Only if you shave like an emo.
While straight razor shaving takes a fair bit of practice to be proficient, you just need a little bit of extra caution to keep from cutting yourself with a safety razor. I did not notice a great increase in shaving casualties when switching from crappy disposables to a Merkur safety razor.
The new multi-blade razors can be hard on your skin because they have a super close cut. So super close it is often removing your outer most epidermis. An old style safety razor(Or new oldstyle Mercur razor) does not cut as close and is easier on your face. I would also go to an every other day shave pattern, if you can.
What does that even mean? I still don't know what an emo is.
Get yourself a facewash and a matching moisturiser that say you should use them before bed, then shave in the mornings after your shower when there is steam still in the room. Also, make sure you are using shaving products built for sensitive skin and for crying out loud use a moisturiser afterward.
I also use a mach 3, but I use the vibrating one that takes a AAA battery, I highly recommend it.
I use this as a shaving lotion:
It is THE BEST and I almost never cut myself since using it.
It is surprisingly economical too, I paid about 12 bucks for a big bottle of it and it's lasted for months and months and still is more than 1/4 full. And I shave every day, if you only shave a few times a week I imagine one bottle would last you half the year.
I'm in the military and can't get away with not shaving against the grain. I start by getting my face soaked under the hot water, and then apply the shaving lotion. I gently shaving with the grain all over, but just one pass. Then I rinse my face in the shower spray, reapply the lotion and carefully go against the grain, keeping the strokes light but constantly running my fingers over my chin and the other problem areas to make sure I am getting the stubble.
Once I'm out of the shower I do my sideburns in the mirror (the only part I can't shave by touch).
You can't even cut yourself badly with a straight razor unless you're trying to kill yourself. Nicks? Yes. Bleeding to death? No way.
This is a safety razor:
This is a straight razor:
A safety razor shaves in a very similar way to a modern 3-5 bladed cartridge razor. The big difference is that the blades are of much higher quality (yet a lot cheaper to purchase). Yes, this may mean more nicks when you first start using it, but it'll also mean less razor burn.
You also have to use a good quality cream and a brush.
And the best part is that you'll save money in the long run.
Read this for everything you need to know in order to get a great shave.
http://shaveblog.com/?p=185
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
What a horrible idea.
I tend not to shave more than twice a week when I'm not working, but I need to shave for my job. The more often I shave, the less razor burn and irritation I get.
It sounds to me like whatever you're using is drying out your skin and removing all of the oil, which exacerbates the shaving situation. Shaving, regardless if it's electric or not, requires a clean and naturally oily face. Yes, you read that right. You actually don't want to wash your face with anything like soap or anything that removes oil from your skin before you shave. You want to clean it with hot water, but that's it.
Hopefully what you're doing is washing your face at night, and then shaving in the morning (after a hot shower and/or after washing your face with hot water and only hot water for a few minutes). Once you're done with the shaving, clean with water and only water. Then apply aftershave/moisturizer, to help counteract the dryness you are no doubt experiencing with the regular superstrong acne treatments.
The key, as some have pointed out, is daily regularity. Set some sort of regimen, and do it regularly for two weeks. After that point you can re-evaluate and see if anything needs tweaking. But, you should not be mixing your cleaning with your shaving, and you should be adding some sort of moisturizing process in there as well.
It took me about six months to find a combination of cleaner, moisturizer, and shaving regimen to get me to a point where I was presentable at work, didn't have to worry about regular breakouts, and didn't have dry skin. Yeah, you read that right. Six months. And even to this day, if for some reason I forego the process (like, say, a lazy weekend), I will inevitably have 5 small pimples on my face sometime during the second day.
Have you ever used a safety razor? If he is getting razor burn/bumps then a safety razor will help enormously. You have one high quality blade coming across your skin with each pass instead of 3-5 horrible blades. The safety razor also allows you to vary your angle so you aren't so aggressive. Paired with a brush and quality shaving cream it is absolutely a better way to shave for someone who tends to get a lot of razor burn.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
If you don't wet your face and just put the shaving cream on, I've noticed this does no good...and hurts. Adding the water beforehand helps soften the facial hair so it is easier to cut and also provides some lubrication so the razor moves over your skin more smoothly.
Mach 3 used to rip my face up horribly - I switched to a Schick Quattro with much better results.
I also went to a dermatologist who recommended a Braun Series 7 electric shaver. It's a bit on the pricey side, but it doesn't pull, and it cuts nearly as good as a blade. I was worried that an electric would aggravate my face even more, but this one just didn't.
As for keeping your acne in check - I was recently on something called clindoxyl. My acne isn't bad at all, just persistent and directly related to irritation from my facial hair. This shit works, and works well. After 3 or 4 days of dryness and peeling I havn't had anything. I actually noticed a large zit forming, put some on it, and it went away - no discolouration, no lump, just gone. The great part about this stuff is its cheap, and can be prescribed by a GP, bypassing a costly derm visit.
Try shaving while still in the shower. Get one of those suction cup mirrors.
I used to get really bad razor burn on my neck in high school but in college I started shaving in the shower for simplicity (also brushed my teeth in the shower) and It was like the holy grail of shaving (at least for me).
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)