Young man needing guidance.

[Nomad116]

Yes that's right. You know when you pull your skin and the hairs stand up? I do that, then lightly rub the skin ATG with the side of the tweezers and in most cases it pops the hair out. Once in a while I use the actual pointed end to lightly "scrape" the hair slightly to get it out.

Interesting. Do you do this, before or after you shave?

 

[Nomad116]

Welcome to B&B. Finding the blade that suits you can also help in alleviating razor bumps.

Gillette seems to be doing me well, but I'm still testing the major ones. I know I'm not gonna use sharks cause I felt tugging at the second to third shave, but I might be wrong. I want to try platinum as it might be something for a newbie as I hear it's very forgiving. I'm gonna be cautious with feather and Astra though.

 

[Nomad116]

Welcome to the forum! I would say that you have an excellent grasp of the fundamentals of DE shaving and that you can expect steady improvement with practice and experience.

ps - HERE is a list of abbreviations and acronyms used on B&B.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Nomad116]

Welcome to the forum !!

Thanks!

 

[Dick peck]

Basically the witch hazel for the redness ,alcohol in the aftershave for the antiseptic and aftershave balm for moisturizer. It's mostly because I like using all the products. Cold water works for many people. Cold water is what I used most of my life till i joined b and b.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I did at first, because I enjoyed Shaving that much, but the bumps were coming in so I had to do every three days, and then it came to the standard every other day. I'll do everyday when I see that my face can take it, cause when I shave it's become something that I honestly enjoy.

I'm confused with your statement on aftershave splash and balm along with the witch hazel. Is there a difference between them and if so, then what?

After shaving I wipe the lather off with a small clean white towel. If you have problems, you should not touch your face after shaving with any towel which isn't newly laundered and very clean. Keep it clean!

Next, I rinse my beard with cold water to remove the rest of the shaving soap. Then, I dry my face and neck on a bath towel.

Following that, I splash Dickinson's Witch Hazel on my face and neck. I use the kind with 14% alcohol. It feels great. You could skip it. Or, not.

Once that witch hazel is fairly dry, I apply an after shave lotion. The ones I use are mostly alcohol based but they can be any after shave you like. Bay Rum, Avon Brisk Spice, Pinaud Special Reserve, Old Spice - things like that.

Then, I apply to my usually still damp face a moisturizer. I use Cremo Moisturizer, but you should use one that feels good to your skin.

An after shave balm is some sort of moisturizer with after shave lotion (scent) mixed in. You can purchase balms. You can also make one in your hand. Or, do as i do, and make the balm on your face with after shave lotion covered by moisturizer.

There are few hard and fast rules. None of us know what we're doing. We're all just like you, and figuring it out on the fly, and improving as we practice.

I don't know much about ingrown hairs, but you might want to read and follow Joel @Johnnynroy. He knows a lot from his trials and errors.

Welcome to B&B, and happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Johnnynroy]

Welcome to B&B. Take a look at this thread for some guidance.

@Nomad116 What ackvil posted here is one of the better threads on razor bumps and ingrown hairs I've found. @Pottertons has resolved most of his ingrown hair troubles with DE shaving. Check out his recent posts here to see his progress and hear some recommendations from him.

I haven't read much of your story, just enough to see you talking about razor bumps and being of an ethnicity prone to ingrown hairs. I'll comment more once I'm caught up tomorrow.

 

[Jer78]

Interesting. Do you do this, before or after you shave?

I do it at night. Then moisturize and let Cerave repair while I sleep..

 

[Nomad116]

After shaving I wipe the lather off with a small clean white towel. If you have problems, you should not touch your face after shaving with any towel which isn't newly laundered and very clean. Keep it clean!

Next, I rinse my beard with cold water to remove the rest of the shaving soap. Then, I dry my face and neck on a bath towel.

Following that, I splash Dickinson's Witch Hazel on my face and neck. I use the kind with 14% alcohol. It feels great. You could skip it. Or, not.

Once that witch hazel is fairly dry, I apply an after shave lotion. The ones I use are mostly alcohol based but they can be any after shave you like. Bay Rum, Avon Brisk Spice, Pinaud Special Reserve, Old Spice - things like that.

Then, I apply to my usually still damp face a moisturizer. I use Cremo Moisturizer, but you should use one that feels good to your skin.

An after shave balm is some sort of moisturizer with after shave lotion (scent) mixed in. You can purchase balms. You can also make one in your hand. Or, do as i do, and make the balm on your face with after shave lotion covered by moisturizer.

There are few hard and fast rules. None of us know what we're doing. We're all just like you, and figuring it out on the fly, and improving as we practice.

I don't know much about ingrown hairs, but you might want to read and follow Joel @Johnnynroy. He knows a lot from his trials and errors.

Welcome to B&B, and happy shaves,

Jim

Wow, thanks! I'll make sure I use a more clean towel for my shaves.

 

[Nomad116]

Basically the witch hazel for the redness ,alcohol in the aftershave for the antiseptic and aftershave balm for moisturizer. It's mostly because I like using all the products. Cold water works for many people. Cold water is what I used most of my life till i joined b and b.

Interesting

 

[Nomad116]

@Nomad116 What ackvil posted here is one of the better threads on razor bumps and ingrown hairs I've found. @Pottertons has resolved most of his ingrown hair troubles with DE shaving. Check out his recent posts here to see his progress and hear some recommendations from him.

I haven't read much of your story, just enough to see you talking about razor bumps and being of an ethnicity prone to ingrown hairs. I'll comment more once I'm caught up tomorrow.

Thanks for showing me where to start.

 

[BigJ]

Welcome aboard! Some great advice above!

I would add that my skin improved considerably once I returned to traditional shaving. For me the main thing was to concentrate on technique. Stick with this and you will get there!

 

[Nomad116]

Welcome aboard! Some great advice above!

I would add that my skin improved considerably once I returned to traditional shaving. For me the main thing was to concentrate on technique. Stick with this and you will get there!

Thanks! Honestly I think one of the challenges I face now is making sure I shave at a right angle. There are moments I feel the glide but on certain parts of my face I feel the blade (but no nicks. But possible burns).

 

[Pottertons]

As I'm sure you've realized by now, finding the right solution for YOU could take some time.
Unfortunately, the fastest and best way to start is by allowing the irritation time to heal and fade away.

Then you get into shaving with premium quality products (don't mistake this for 'high cost' products) while improving your technique.

It's so hard to give assistance because this particular aspect of shaving is YMMV after a blast of Gamma Ray. Lol

For me....

- heal (this is the longest part. Thankfully I work in an environment where I can stroll in looking like Wolfman Jack)

- good quality soap (pre shave is a personal thing. I've tried both methods and I don't notice a difference. In fact, I find it to be a hindrance on how well the soap lather's up)
I won't recommend specific brands but I will definitely recommend a stick over a puck for the time being.
WWh these things aren't more widely recommended for beginners is a mystery to me.

Razor recommendation is another tough one but I'd highly recommend the Rockwell 6s.
Expensive? Hell No.
You have to consider value, especially for this case.
1) it's adjustable so you can go extremely mild to mildly aggressive.

2) unlike other (readily available) adjustables this one is very user friendly. You can find the right angle easily and no matter how sharp a blade you use, the shave still feels effortlessly smooth.
Which brings me on to blades themselves...

3) sharp blades. Don't fear the Feathers.
Many will say to back off and that's your choice. However, if your hair is as tough and worry as mine, you'll notice that no matter what you do, you'll still get tugging.
Feathers (said to be the sharpest out there) are the only ones that I've used that can get through the hairs comfortably. Which in turn means less passes and potential for irritation.

- shave with the grain only (for at least a little while anyway)

- Thorough face wash (not scrub) after shaving. I find that soap residue has potential to clog pores and it's SO easy for bumps too come back of you're not maintaining effectively.

- Witch Hazel (optional DIY mixture with a very small dose of tea tree oil - The stuff STINKS but is effective)

- let that dry down and then apply some good long lasting balm.
I've read that the Aqua Velva 5-in-1 is good.

General maintenance...
- Wash face morning and night daily
- Have lots of sex.

 

[Pottertons]

My goodness. My lack of proof reading makes that post a terrible read.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Gotta say, Pottertons, your "general maintenance" advice is spot on. . . . (The rest of it is great too, but "general maintenance" is where it's at.)

 

[Nomad116]

My goodness. My lack of proof reading makes that post a terrible read.

Sorry

 

[Nomad116]

What's a stick or puck?

I might tryffeathe, get the African Shea butter shave cream. My problem right now seems to whether or not my hair is course or not. I know it's kinky, and I'm going to learn your to get the ingrown out, but if it's not course then I don't want to use feather to tear me apart.

I just looked up the razor and way past my college budget. Thankfully I do use Thayers and after shave balm. But I'm thinking my redness is due to the gel I use...ill have to find out when my cream arrives.

Thanks for responding!

 

[Nomad116]

My goodness. My lack of proof reading makes that post a terrible read.

Oh yeah I'm abstinent so the sex part might be a problem...

 

[GearNoir]

What's a stick or puck?

Soaps come in many forms, stick or pick are two. Stick soap is often used for travel (but is just as fine for regular use too) and is basically a handheld sized tube of soap. It makes it easier for people who like to apply the soap directly to their wet face.

Puck soap is basically a hard hockey puck/like disc of soap about the size of a can of cat food, usually easily inserted into a shaving bowl.

Oh yeah I'm abstinent so the sex part might be a problem...

Good for you! There are far fewer young men willing to admit that or adhere to that lifestyle than should be. Whatever your personal reasoning, I applaud you.