would going back to cartridges help?

[one_fifty_six]

alright ive been wanting to get this sob story out because i feel like there are some smart veterans on here that have some good advice. my girlfriend always says i have trust issues and that i dont trust what people say. like, her opinion i find nothing but doubt in but if someone in a white lab coat tells me the same thing i totally believe them. you guys are the guys in white lab coats. plus it also doubles as my newbie story so maybe people will get a kick out of that.

last year i started listening to podcasts. i love LORE. they advertise Harrys Razors all the time on there. i started looking into that. thought i could save some money. i tried it for like 3-4 months. tried their creams, shave gels, razors, aftershave balm. they were ok. but every 5 or 6 shave i would get major razor burn. its winter time in north carolina. its been cold. and dry. and maybe this is my first real first winter dealing with cracked, dry skin. i carry burts bees lip balm and hand lotion with me everywhere i go. i never had before now.

around christmas i started researching wet shaving. i soon was fascinated by it. the "zen like quality" of it. i started watching videos by mantic. geofatboy. nick shaves. nick freedberg. i thought ok i can do this. ill ask my girlfriend for christmas to get me a safety razor and some gear. around this time i started listening to ART OF MANLINESS podcast too. i was really trying to inject some traditional manliness into my life.

i did the research. i watched the videos. i read the posts. i ordered the gear.

• edwin jagger de89 (CANT COMPLAIN)
• perfecto pure badger hair shaving brush (MISTAKE)
• perfecto shaving bowl (MISTAKE)
• perfecto razor/ brush stand (WASTE OF MONEY)
• taylor of old bond street shaving cream - organic (NOT BAD BUT KIND OF BORING)
• derby blades (CANT COMPLAIN)

so i shave the first time and i get awful razor burn. it was like having sex for the first time. i look back and im like "what in hell was i thinking". it was awful. so over the next couple hours i didnt know what to do. i panicked. i put everything on it. witch hazel. nivea creme for men. all sorts of lotions. just crazy. from then on i would wait a week before shaving again. and then i would try again because facial hair was driving me nuts. and i would try again. break out again.

finally around end of january i got 1 or 2 really rewarding good shaves in. i had made it. it wasnt long though til i had another shave that was rushed, i put something on it and it messed me up again. i ended up getting pink eye around this time and went to urgent care. they looked at it and said i was definitely was having an allergic reaction. i spent a lot of time on skincare addiction on reddit and reading about fragrance, parabens, SLS (sulfates). the works. i had been using head & shoulders shampoo - now im using sulfate free stuff. i had been using old spice body wash - now im using dove sensitive skin. i was using st ives face wash - now im using cerave. EVERYTHING GOT BETTER - except my neck and face.

i was given some steroids, pink eye drops and told to stop doing whatever i was doing. the pills helped. redness decreased. fast forward to a couple weeks ago. i got a dermatologist appointment finally. they said my neck looked angry. i wrote a list in the waiting room of all the skin care products i used. she told me NO ALCOHOL. and NO WITCH HAZEL. she said you have rosacea and you have sensitive skin. deal with it. then she cut off a mole on my toe! oh yeah and she gave me prednisone. i took that for a week and the redness went away. i lowered the dose and it came back.

i have to wrap this up because im sure ive lost some of you by now. most of you i suspect. im still taking the prednisone once a day. the redness is doing away. but i am still shaving and i suspect i might just have to give this up for a little bit. so i dug out my harrys razors and my shaving cream i used to use. i even dug out my nivea sensitive skin aftershave. it just breaks my heart. im just about out of TOBS and i just bought a 100 pack of Derbys. i have some Geo F Trumpers skin food samples. i have a tallow + steel sample. i want so badly to start trying some new soaps and new aftershaves. im in love with maggard razors. but im afraid i might just need to take a back seat here and start shaving with the cartridges again. use the stuff that i know was ok. and keep taking my pills until my skin is finally healed. and done with. THEN i can get back in the game. and continue with a fresh start.

i still dont know what im allergic to. i have tried too many things. im so upside down. its stupid. ok now comments, suggestions, opinions. please. i could share so much more i didnt even get into but i feel like i dragged on long enough. i appreciate any one who made it this far. by the way i joined monday and you guys seem like a stellar group. happy to be here.

 

[Seveneighth]

I feel for you. I have psoriasis, tough hair, a neck that will inflame if I even wear the wrong scarf. I can use a product for a period of time and then suddenly react to it for no apparent reason. Strangely my skin will get worse if I don't shave.

Everyone's mileage is different. For me it's best if I use very sharp blades, sensitive shaving cream (rather than soap) - and a good synthetic brush. I can deviate from that but have to return for most of my shaves.

So when I experience your level of discomfort I return to a razor I am happy with, Feather blades, synthetic brush, TOBS Jermyn Street.

I would first dial it right back. Remove as many factors that could be causing problems - e.g. animal hair brush, scented products, aftershave.

Do you have a soap - any soap not necessarily a shaving soap - that you can wash your face with without irritation? You could use that at a pinch - lather as well as you can and shave very lightly only WTG.

I have used extra virgin olive oil as a pre-shave before and also nut oil (But only if you have no nut allergy)

Don't face lather - make it in a bowl and paint it on gently to avoid brush burn.

I would suggest changing your blade every time for a while. I would wash and dry your razor after every use. If you are getting infections you want to clean everything down.

Finally - about 15 years ago I had a very bad incident. I resorted to using aqueous cream as a shaving cream. I added a little water and beat it with my brush in a bowl. Shaved like that for about three weeks until everything had calmed down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Jer78]

A rough beginning to your new hobby for sure! You will figure it out. The Harry's setup is a nice baseline where you know everything will work without irritation. A good place to start. Once that is good, I would change one thing at a time. Just change to TOBS soap, and see if anything changes. After a week or two, change another piece. That way, you will know your culprit when you see it! For me, it was aluminum razors, alum blocks, alcohol on the neck, and boar brushes! I would have never figured all of that out if not for the one at a time rule.. good luck, you will get there.

 

[Highspeedlane]

It takes time, practice and minimizing variables. I shaved with a DE razor in the 1970's, then picked up carts for decades until 5 or 6 years ago. At that time bought a cheap, no-name TTO DE razor from Amazon (probably a Chinese clone of the Super Speed) and some Sharp brand razor blades. The shave was so bad I went back to carts for another two years.

It wasn't until later I realized I was trying to use this DE razor like it was a cart razor. Big mistake. My cheeks were okay but my neck was shredded. Two years after that debacle (around 2014) I picked up a DE again but this time I was armed with much advance knowledge of their use. Even then I had a ways to go but I was better off than I was before.

If I had a fault then, it's that I changed too many variables at once. I would switch out lather, razor and blade all at once. Doing that gave me no real idea what to blame if I had a poor shave. Once your skills are at a certain level you can do that confidently, but not when starting out.

The biggest factor for me turned out to be the nuances of pressure and angle. After experience builds you will return to razors you once said were "too aggressive" only to discover now they are capable of perfect shaves. In the cart era, shaving consisted of palming on a handful of foam and systematically raking it off without any knowledge of the direction of beard growth. Now, I know the direction of growth of every hair on my face and exactly what will happen when I move the razor in a specific direction.

If you need to, go back to what worked, but only gradually introduce changes. Even then you will find you need more practice with pressure and angle, slowing down and taking your time. That's what worked for me anyway. Best wishes.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Go back to however you were shaving without irritation, and gradually change one thing at a time, with about a week's exposure. So by this, I mean use the original razor, but with the TOBS soap for a week or two. Then try using the known "safe" shaving cream, but with the Jagger razor for a week or two. Work your way through your "new" products, only ever using one of them with the old safe gear. After a while, you'll start to narrow down what causes an outbreak, and what doesn't.

The added complication for you will be the sensitivities, and the lack of experience with double edged safety razors. There is a learning curve to go through before people who haven't got your added complications start getting irritation free shaves. It might be a tougher learning curve for you, so you'll need to be 100% sure that all the other products are compatible with your skin.

Aside from this, have a read of this guide that I wrote. It might help shorten your learning curve and minimise the flare ups.

The Wanderers Guide To DE Shaving

Once you've successfully made the transition, I'm confident that double edged will be a better shaving system for you, and you'll reap the rewards... it just might take you a little more patience and perseverance to get there.

Good luck, and if we can help further in any way, let us know.

 

[Al Bundy]

I have rosacea also, not bad but it's there. The thing is, it's there a lot less since converting to DE than it ever was back using cartridges. But only after I unlearned all the cartridge bad habits.

When I was using carts I also found that I would randomly get razor burn despite seemingly doing nothing different to the day before or the day before that - another issue that has been resolved since switching to DE.

It sounds like it might be an extra challenge for you due to your skin sensitivity issues but there's a strong chance that some of those issues are being exacerbated by fledgling technical skill, something which can only improve with time and practice

Going back to the rosacea issue, I don't know if it's available where you are but here there is a range of skin condition creams called Dermalex and their rosacea cream has worked wonders to further improve mine

 

[one_fifty_six]

When I was using carts I also found that I would randomly get razor burn despite seemingly doing nothing different to the day before or the day before that - another issue that has been resolved since switching to DE.

+1 this.

 

[one_fifty_six]

Go back to however you were shaving without irritation, and gradually change one thing at a time, with about a week's exposure. So by this, I mean use the original razor, but with the TOBS soap for a week or two. Then try using the known "safe" shaving cream, but with the Jagger razor for a week or two. Work your way through your "new" products, only ever using one of them with the old safe gear. After a while, you'll start to narrow down what causes an outbreak, and what doesn't.

I think this is what I am going to have to do.

Aside from this, have a read of this guide that I wrote. It might help shorten your learning curve and minimise the flare ups.

The Wanderers Guide To DE Shaving

I will give this a go. thanks.

 

[one_fifty_six]

The biggest factor for me turned out to be the nuances of pressure and angle. After experience builds you will return to razors you once said were "too aggressive" only to discover now they are capable of perfect shaves. In the cart era, shaving consisted of palming on a handful of foam and systematically raking it off without any knowledge of the direction of beard growth. Now, I know the direction of growth of every hair on my face and exactly what will happen when I move the razor in a specific direction.

yeah i thought the beard grain thing was stupid. but i grew it out for a week. and did this a few weeks in a row back in january. really helped with my neck.

 

[one_fifty_six]

Everyone's mileage is different. For me it's best if I use very sharp blades, sensitive shaving cream (rather than soap) - and a good synthetic brush. I can deviate from that but have to return for most of my shaves.

So when I experience your level of discomfort I return to a razor I am happy with, Feather blades, synthetic brush, TOBS Jermyn Street.

thats kind of interesting you say that. i guess thats something i need to think about. i think think us new users get swept up in the different blades, soaps, etc and dont ever have like a "daily driver". something we know works. all the time.

Don't face lather - make it in a bowl and paint it on gently to avoid brush burn.

while the perfecto brush was awful, i finally purchased a synthetic maggard razors brush. 10 times softer. everyone on reddit said the perfecto brush is on the bad gear list. i thought it was just something i had to get used to. i have been lately whipping up lather in the bowl and then applying it with my hands JUST IN CASE even the synthetic is irritating my red skin.

I have used extra virgin olive oil as a pre-shave before and also nut oil (But only if you have no nut allergy)

been using maggard razors unscented pre shave oil and thats been a HUGE help.

I would suggest changing your blade every time for a while. I would wash and dry your razor after every use. If you are getting infections you want to clean everything down.

i have also been also been throwing some rubbing alcohol on the razor during clean up process. just trying tot figure out how to not be so wasteful.

 

[Badgerstate36]

If Harrys works for you, theres no reason why you cant shave with a DE razor. I would suspect that something in a soap you were using irritated your skin because if the 6 blades on the Harrys doesnt irritate your skin, then the 1 blade on your EJ isnt whats causing it.

 

[GearNoir]

Surely your dermatologist could see what else you are allergic to

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Go back to however you were shaving without irritation, and gradually change one thing at a time, with about a week's exposure. So by this, I mean use the original razor, but with the TOBS soap for a week or two. Then try using the known "safe" shaving cream, but with the Jagger razor for a week or two. Work your way through your "new" products, only ever using one of them with the old safe gear. After a while, you'll start to narrow down what causes an outbreak, and what doesn't.

The added complication for you will be the sensitivities, and the lack of experience with double edged safety razors. There is a learning curve to go through before people who haven't got your added complications start getting irritation free shaves. It might be a tougher learning curve for you, so you'll need to be 100% sure that all the other products are compatible with your skin.

Aside from this, have a read of this guide that I wrote. It might help shorten your learning curve and minimise the flare ups.

The Wanderers Guide To DE Shaving

Once you've successfully made the transition, I'm confident that double edged will be a better shaving system for you, and you'll reap the rewards... it just might take you a little more patience and perseverance to get there.

Good luck, and if we can help further in any way, let us know.

+1

 

[Jer78]

been using maggard razors unscented pre shave oil and thats been a HUGE help

Nice. Pay attention and keep what helps. You are on your way, JM.

 

[one_fifty_six]

Surely your dermatologist could see what else you are allergic to

Here is the list I gave her.

What I previously used

• St Ives scrub (sometimes)
  
  
• Head & shoulders
  
  
• Old Spice Bearglove Body wash
  

Then I switched to this

• Dove Men+care hydrating face wash
  
  
• Dove Men+care shampoo
  
  
• Dove Men+care body wash
  

Then I was using this after shaving

• Witch hazel
  
  
• Nivea for Men Cream
  
  
• Nivea Post Shave Balm
  

List of stuff I've used to make it better

• Cetaphil Moisturizing cream
  
  
• Cetaphil Lotion
  
  
• Cetaphil Facial Cleanser
  
  
• CeraVe PM moisturizing cream
  
  
• CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
  
  
• Vaseline + cocoa butter
  
  
• Equate healing ointment
  
  
• Benadryl
  
  
• Hydrocortisone cream
  

Current shave products

• Safety razor
  
  
• Taylor of Old Bond Street shave cream
  
  
• Steel+Tallow shave soap
  
  
• Nivea After shave Balm - sensitive
  
  
• Pre shave Oil
  
  
• Synthetic shave brush
  

 

[one_fifty_six]

Also my dermatologist meeting got hijacked by my toe. She said that my neck looked angry. And I told her that I started shaving and I think I got razor burn then made it worst. Then they asked if I wanted to do a mole test. Complimentary they said. So I stripped down. They started at my feet. Found what I thought was like a speck of dirt in between my toes. On my left little toe. And they brought the doc in. They said a bunch of jargon. They said it's compound Nevus .Then they doped it up and cut it off .And so the whole appointment turned out to be about my toe? So it was kind of a surreal experience.

 

[Try em all]

Moles can get cancerous. Your derm was right.
As far as shaving is concerned, go back to the product you used when you shaved with Harrys.
After a week, if your skin is settled down, try using the DE again, using the same trouble free product.

 

[Dominick Perone]

I am also new to shaving with a safety razor. Only a few Months into it but from the very beginning and I loved everything about it. I have spent a small fortune on a LOT of shaving stuff. A handful of expensive Stainless Steel razors on top of many other less expensive ones.
Add all the accessories like soaps,creams,brushes,balms,after shave,many different blades,etc.
First shave with a Merkur Futur and it ripped my face up. I don’t know why I even continued. I was a bloody mess! Hahaha.
I continued and tried many different razors. I guess I also have some very sensitive skin because I just can’t get decent results on a regular basis. I am also coming from trying Harry’s, no irritation just really bad shaves. I researched razors and everyone was raving about safety razors.
I have gotten some very good shaves with little to no irritation on one day then a few days later using the same stuff I am breaking out in a terrible rash / razor burn on my neck. It’s disturbing to look at!
It kills me to watch all these pro shavers on YouTube using the same stuff and walking away with 0 irritation. I don’t get it!
I am slowly realizing that #1 I need to stay away from aggressive razors. I do much better with mild razors such as the DE-89.
#2 I am also finding that a couple of blades that work well for my face. Some just create like you said angry neck! Very bad!
I think my lack of experience, rushing, and poor face prep is giving me inconsistent results. Over shaving, trying to get every piece of stubble also irratates my face. Funny all the lousy shaving equipment I have used over the years and I don’t ever remember breaking out badly on my neck. I’m using the same items on a regular basis so it can’t be that.
One day great shave, next day looks like I have poison ivy on my neck.
I’m thinking it has to be poor shaving techniques on my part.
So only because I fall for fancy packaging and marketing gimmicks I tend to buy some stuff on a whim.
I bought the Phillips Norelco One Blade rechargeable mainly because I desperately needed a new trimmer for my goatee. Secondly I fell for the outstanding reviews of how good it also shaves your face.
Tonight was the first time trying it and it in no way is as good as a safety razor for a smooth shave.
I went over my whole face and it leaves about what I would have after a day or so. So without any guards it definitely leaves stubble.
Sort of driving me crazy because I know if I go to it with my safety razor I will definitely have at least a much closer shave.
Tonight I still had irritation from my last safety razor shave. The one positive is this One Blade gave me no additional irritation probably because it’s not actually going against the skin.
I may just use this for the rest of the week and let my face completely heal before I put a DE blade back to it.
Nothing wrong with taking a break from the Real Deal of Wet Shaving for a little while. Also taking the advice of the seasoned shavers out here will help. My problem doesn’t seem to be an allergic reaction but just poor habits. Try like they said going back to what works and switching one thing at a time.
Me, I will try again and again after I heal but if it continues to cause me problems because of just being too sensitive to a steel blade gliding across my face then I will have to move on.
I had surgery on my neck a couple of years ago so the scars on my neck don’t help things. I am using a very light touch but still end up with very bad neck irritation on a regular basis. It’s a shame because I spent a lot of money on Wet Shaving DE gear with the promise of great shaves with less irritation. Well I’m definitely getting super close and smooth on my face but big problems on the neck.
Good luck to you!!!

 

[one_fifty_six]

Wow. You have my sympathy and understanding. 1 because I'm guilty of the same thing. when i get into a hobby i really get into it. and i spend all this money. i think we all get hooked on collecting stuff and forget the practicality of it all. Luckily i dont really having the problem of nicking my face. i picked up a styptic pen when i first started cuz i see all these guys cutting up their face and ive used it maybe twice. i get razor burn. i get irritation. but no weepers.

glad to know some one else came from harrys too!

 

[BigJ]

Sorry for your troubles! Some terrific advice above.

My skin has definitely improved since I move back to traditional wet shaving. That said, I think you need to work with your dermatologist and focus on products that work for you. You can get there but it will take some time!