Razor bumps

I'm sure this has been asked a million times, but I can't seem to find a definitive answer.

I've been wetshaving for about three years now, but I used a cartridge razor, and recently switched to a DE razor. Thanks to razor burn and bumps, though, shaving with my DE feels like driving an old car on a dirt road (bump bump bump). As a consequence, I'm not getting nearly as close a shave as I should. I know that I shouldn't be getting perfect shaves overnight, but the razor burn/bumps are definitely impeding progress.

Is there any way of getting rid of razor bumps/ingrown hairs without just letting the hair grow? It seems like that's the most sensible advice, but due to my job, I'm not allowed to grow a beard, so I'm at a loss.

I had a similar issue when I first switched to DE. When your technique improves, the bumps go away.

For now, I'd say give your skin a rest when you can (i.e. weekends) and go slow and easy over the neck area when you shave.

Welcome to B&B.

You must have sensitive skin as I do. Just ease up on the pressure a little and forget the ATG pass for a couple of weeks.

You may want to try some pre shave oil until you get your technique down-pat. Also, I would totally avoid shaving against the grain. Try to give your face a rest when you can.

I can recommend Priva Powershave (available on Amazon in the UK), it uses ethyl alcohol which causes less irritation than some of the other brands of razor bump treatment.

Treatments such as this are good at dealing with the symptoms but as suggested above razor bumps are often the result of too much pressure or wrong angle, worth sorting out technique to avoid them completely.

So, it's been about a month, I've tried most of these solutions. I'm beginning to wonder if just shaving with a broken piece of glass would be easier on my face.

I'm not the type to be unhappy with something and just say "It'll never work for me, I quit forever!" but I feel like I am at the end of my rope, here. I don't know if this helps or not, but here's how I generally shave:

1. Shower, use a non-drying skin cleanser to clean my face thoroughly for about two to three minutes.

2. Lather with badger hair brush and shaving soap. This is about a minute and a half process. I soak the brush before stepping into the shower.

3. Shave. I use a Merkur DE, take short strokes, and never go more than once. Then I spend ten minutes waiting for my face to stop bleeding.

My problem is that I just don't know what it is I am doing wrong. I check the forum fairly often, though I don't post much. I use virtually no pressure with the razor, I take my time (sometimes upwards of 45 minutes), and I make sure that I use plenty of water, rinsing off the blade once after every stroke.

I spent about one hundred and ten dollars to get set up on this. I cut myself less when I was spending about 15 on disposables and regular foam. I had razor burn, but at least then my face didn't look like a torture scene when I was done.

mdgoldrush1984 said:

I'm beginning to wonder if just shaving with a broken piece of glass would be easier on my face.

Click to expand...

I doubt it

You should try Bump Patrol, might work out for you.

have you tried different blades? Different soap/cream?

maybe it's a lather issue?

Maybe I've missed something here but it seems to me if you have only experienced discomfort or Shave Bumps with a DE.... Perhaps you should let the DE go away.

I hear lots of fellas try different blades and most with good results.

I can't endure nor want anything to do with DE.... It's a very personal decision and I still admire those who love theirs.

I'm not into scarey or painful shaves.

I don't care if it's a Slant or a Fusion,,, God forbid a Straight.... I have a lil palsey, ya know....Yikes!

mdgoldrush1984 said:

So, it's been about a month, I've tried most of these solutions. I'm beginning to wonder if just shaving with a broken piece of glass would be easier on my face.

I'm not the type to be unhappy with something and just say "It'll never work for me, I quit forever!" but I feel like I am at the end of my rope, here. I don't know if this helps or not, but here's how I generally shave:

1. Shower, use a non-drying skin cleanser to clean my face thoroughly for about two to three minutes.

2. Lather with badger hair brush and shaving soap. This is about a minute and a half process. I soak the brush before stepping into the shower.

3. Shave. I use a Merkur DE, take short strokes, and never go more than once. Then I spend ten minutes waiting for my face to stop bleeding.

My problem is that I just don't know what it is I am doing wrong. I check the forum fairly often, though I don't post much. I use virtually no pressure with the razor, I take my time (sometimes upwards of 45 minutes), and I make sure that I use plenty of water, rinsing off the blade once after every stroke.

I spent about one hundred and ten dollars to get set up on this. I cut myself less when I was spending about 15 on disposables and regular foam. I had razor burn, but at least then my face didn't look like a torture scene when I was done.

Click to expand...

It would be a good idea to get an adjustable razor and set it to its lowest setting. I have used a merkur adjustable and have learned the hard way the less is more I can get a closer shave, due to lack or irritation with a lower setting. As a guide to correct angle is the sound.

I have found that i get a better shave if I don't shower before hand.
Use preshave oil to moisturize my face before prep.

I have had trouble finding the right combinations for myself due to sensitive skin. But have found that using TBOS for sensitive skin cream or MWF soap make a massive difference for me.

You mentioned that you bleed after shaving, have you tried alum block?
Does this agree with you skin?

Are the razor bumps there before you start shaving, appear just after shaving, or do the get worse over the course of the day?

When I started, I used to apply a lot of Sudocrem, cream for nappy rash, at night this repaired the damage I did the day before and gave me a smoother surface to work with the next morning

I stumbled across your post and I really feel I should share my experience. I am in the military and I have to shave everyday. This was really tearing up my face. I have used every type of 4 blade, 3 blade, 2 blade and single blade razors they make. I have also used PFB razors and multiple electric razors. I have spent a ridiculous amount of money trying to get rid of irritation on my neck! Then I found DE shaving!! At first I could not get my technique down and still experienced a lot of irritation on my neck. I watched every youtube video and have read tons of articles and now I have my own theory and regimen. If you haven't watched Mantic59's youtube posts I highly recommend it, he helped me get started. Alright so here we go.

Pre Shave
- I have used different shave oils and balms but I have more sucess without them. When you use these in conjunction with shave cream/soap it just adds more layers for your razor to have to go through.

-I simply just take a shave mug fill it with water and heat a terry cloth in the microwave for about 1 min 30 sec and soften my beard before the shave.

Shave Cream and Soap
- Since my skin is sensitive strong fragrances such as rose and lavender always irritate my skin just FYI. This is honestly just personal preference until you find what you like. I have used many and I mean very many creams but I prefer Proraso and Vulfix old original cream. As for soaps I haven't used as many of these but my favorite so far is Cella.

Shaving Brush
- Unfortunately I have SBAD (Shaving Brush Acquisition Disorder) Very expensive but worth it. I am on the quest for finding my favorite brush and still looking. I have Simpsons, Vulfix, Saville Row, and more...

-One of my favorite brushes believe it or not is a cheap travel Vulfix in Best Badger that I bought from Charles @ QED. It has a small handle but I love the loft and feel of the hair. I face lather just FYI.

Razors
- I personally enjoy my adjustable razors the Futur and the Progress. The Futur has more blade exposure but the settings are consistent and allow for a more comfortable shave. (I have very sensitive skin)

- Out of all the blades I have used I love Feather's! They are sharp but I think they are perfect. They slice the hair no tugging or pulling. Believe it or not they were my first blade and after using many others they are the only ones I buy.

Post Shave
- Alright this is the MOST IMPORTANT step. Here is your bump and redness cure: Skin Relief Treatment by Paula's Choice.
http://www.paulaschoice.com/product/skin-relief-treatment/skin-care-treatments

This stuff has done wonders for my skin, I seriously don't shave without it!

---This is all obviously just the basic stuff but I have been struggling with shaving irritation for years! If you would like to e-mail me I can tell you much more if you would like. [email protected] Good luck!!

mdgoldrush1984 said:

So, it's been about a month, I've tried most of these solutions. I'm beginning to wonder if just shaving with a broken piece of glass would be easier on my face.

I'm not the type to be unhappy with something and just say "It'll never work for me, I quit forever!" but I feel like I am at the end of my rope, here. I don't know if this helps or not, but here's how I generally shave:

1. Shower, use a non-drying skin cleanser to clean my face thoroughly for about two to three minutes.

2. Lather with badger hair brush and shaving soap. This is about a minute and a half process. I soak the brush before stepping into the shower.

3. Shave. I use a Merkur DE, take short strokes, and never go more than once. Then I spend ten minutes waiting for my face to stop bleeding.

My problem is that I just don't know what it is I am doing wrong. I check the forum fairly often, though I don't post much. I use virtually no pressure with the razor, I take my time (sometimes upwards of 45 minutes), and I make sure that I use plenty of water, rinsing off the blade once after every stroke.

I spent about one hundred and ten dollars to get set up on this. I cut myself less when I was spending about 15 on disposables and regular foam. I had razor burn, but at least then my face didn't look like a torture scene when I was done.

Click to expand...

Hi,

Which model Merkur? Which blades? Which soaps or creams? Post shave routine?

With this info I am sure we can help. But, first need to know what you have been using/doing.

Do not give up this soon. It does take some time, but the results will be worth it. But, do let your face rest as much as you can, given what you have been experiencing. I felt a little like this when starting with straights. It took me a good two months of daily shaving to get it down and I still get a nick now and again. Since you mentioned cost, if that is an issue I can PIF some stuff to you.

Best regards.

natchez said:

Hi,

Which model Merkur? Which blades? Which soaps or creams? Post shave routine?

With this info I am sure we can help. But, first need to know what you have been using/doing.

Do not give up this soon. It does take some time, but the results will be worth it. But, do let your face rest as much as you can, given what you have been experiencing. I felt a little like this when starting with straights. It took me a good two months of daily shaving to get it down and I still get a nick now and again. Since you mentioned cost, if that is an issue I can PIF some stuff to you.

Best regards.

Click to expand...

There's very little information that you include, so it's hard to tell what you are doing wrong. Maybe you are using very aggressive razor? Merkur makes lots of different ones. Maybe you are using very aggressive blade?

Have you mapped out the growth on your neck? Maybe you are shaving ATG and don't know about it? What kind of passes are you doing? WTG? ATG? North-South? etc...

Also if your neck/face is that bad it sounds like you are dragging the blade on your skin. Is your razor angle correct?

I used to have bad razor bumps at the base of my neck. Resting did help but i suspect that razor angle was the culprit for me. I fixed that and they went away with time. Took a few weeks to heal up entirely.

I also found that some were ingrown hairs so I had to get the tweezers out to fix those.

Skip the face wash before the shave.

timzack said:

I used to have bad razor bumps at the base of my neck. Resting did help but i suspect that razor angle was the culprit for me. I fixed that and they went away with time. Took a few weeks to heal up entirely.

I also found that some were ingrown hairs so I had to get the tweezers out to fix those.

Click to expand...

Oooh Don't use tweezers! All that does is cause another bump when it grows back! They key is to neatly cut the hair at the skins surface. If you pull the hair or irritate the follicle it can lead to an ingrown hair. The second the hair goes below the epidermis and your skin heals after shaving (exfoliating) the hair has to break through the skin... ouch! People with curlier hair have even more heartache because the hair hits the new grown skin and then curls back into the dermis. Hope this helps!

As I have been learning about how to reduce (and I'm hoping to eliminate) razor bumps and ingrown hairs for myself, here's some insight from someone going through the same thing.

mdgoldrush1984 said:

1. Shower, use a non-drying skin cleanser to clean my face thoroughly for about two to three minutes.

Click to expand...

My biggest problem: my pre-shave ritual. I was always scrubbing my face and putting a shaving oil on it. Not using the oil first and just shaving after softening my beard (shower or hot towel) has reduced bumps and ingrown hairs in a HUGE way. Face scrubs have not helped or worsened razor bumps and ingrown hairs.

mdgoldrush1984 said:

2. Lather with badger hair brush and shaving soap. This is about a minute and a half process. I soak the brush before stepping into the shower.

Click to expand...

I prefer a warm lather and get my brush wet with a little hot water before I lather up as well.

mdgoldrush1984 said:

3. Shave. I use a Merkur DE, take short strokes, and never go more than once. Then I spend ten minutes waiting for my face to stop bleeding.

My problem is that I just don't know what it is I am doing wrong. I check the forum fairly often, though I don't post much. I use virtually no pressure with the razor, I take my time (sometimes upwards of 45 minutes), and I make sure that I use plenty of water, rinsing off the blade once after every stroke.

Click to expand...

I agree with those who believe something is going wrong and we don't have enough information to try and help out. The one thing that strikes me is how long you are taking to shave and that you rinse the blade after every stroke. Some questions and thoughts on why they're important:

1) What razor blades have you tried? It's crucial to try a number of them. I have tried about a dozen. Two give me smooth shaves with little irritation and bumps. A few leave my face almost BBS, but with noticeable razor burn. A few leave me with no irritation, but I have stubble all day after three passes (WTG, XTG x2). Two were so bad that I truly understand the concept of YMMV, as both blades are used daily by a number of people on this and other shaving forums.

2) How do you shave? What I mean by this: Short strokes, long strokes? How many passes, and what are they? Have you tried different techniques with the same shaving process? What do you use for aftershave? Do you always use the same products? Have you taken the time to let your face adjust to DE by starting with only WTG passes, then WTG and XTG? After two months I still will not attempt ATG passes, just WTG and XTG in both directions, and I recently began trying XTG in both directions.

3) Why does it sometimes take you 45 minutes to shave? It seems like far too long a time to effectively shave. This might be part of the problem.

4) Have you mapped how your facial hair grows to know you're shaving WTG/XTG/ATG? Most people's neck hair does not grow chin to chest, nor does it always grow in the same direction in all places.

5) How often do you give your face a day or two of no shaving? I have to shave every day for work myself. I get ingrown hairs and razor bumps all the time. What helps me a lot is taking a day off and using a night-time razor bump reducer on the weekend (still going through samples from AOS, and it helps me every time).

mdgoldrush1984 said:

I spent about one hundred and ten dollars to get set up on this. I cut myself less when I was spending about 15 on disposables and regular foam. I had razor burn, but at least then my face didn't look like a torture scene when I was done.

Click to expand...

I started off thrilled with DE shaving. I was nicking myself half the time, but my shaves were smoother than with a Mach3. Then I ran into problems and my face looked worse than it ever had, and only when I got a close shave! Like you, I came here for advice, and it helped. I tried everything I read to see what worked for me and what didn't. Things improved as I took the time to understand what works for me and what doesn't. Everyone here will tell you that if you do the same thing each time then you will get the same shave each time. If things are not working, then you need to make adjustments by trying different techniques and products. Make sure it's only one adjustment at a time, that way you can pinpoint what you changed when things improved or got worse.

Good luck!

Prep longer, cut in the direction of growth - it starts the clearing up process immediately. Slow down, give the blade enough time to cut the hair but dont go so slow as to be in your shave den for to long. When in doubt have a loved one pluck the suckers and treat the skin with something. Pluck, take a day of the shave monday morning. No pressure at all, the blade should just glide accross your skin, if you can feel it your pressing down way way to hard and its scraping ur skin which is causing inflammation. Um stay at it but make sure you massage your cream or soap in for a minute or two atleast with your brush of choice. I actually didnt start to get really good shaves till I got a silvertip which to me is very firm and my supers and best just didnt contact my skin for long.

What I'm using:

Merkur Model 180 Long Handle
Geo F. Trumper Shaving Cream Rose Scented
Omega Stripey Badger Brush
Some razors that I bought at Rite Aid.

I started using Bump patrol, but I'm not a fan of it. I'm still getting irritation, plus it smells like lighter fluid, which is not a plus either.

I'm fairly sure that my problem isn't the shaving cream or the brush. I've been using both of them for the last two to three years (I recently replaced my brush) with a Mach 3 with little problems. I'm fairly sure that my problem lies in my blades, my technique, or my razor.

My blades are just no-name RiteAid brand. I'm not getting irritation on my face, just my neck, specifically around my Adam's Apple and below. The hair grows upwards from there, not down, so I shave up to there, then downwards on the rest of my face. I never shave against the grain. I realize too that the skin on my face is different then the skin on my neck.

The bleeding taking awhile isn't really unusual. If I get a cut on my hand, it bleeds forever, too. Should have been clearer about that. No, I don't have hemophilia.

As far as the length of my shaving, I count showering, lathering, the actual shaving, and post-shave/clean up, which accounts for the half hour to fortyfive minutes thing.

I hold my razor at a thirty to fourtyfive degree angle, and try to take it slowly. Under my chin is a hassle, but from what I understand, it's a pain for most people to shave under there.

I've tried varying the length of my strokes. At first I was taking very long strokes, now I take shorter ones. There hasn't been much of a difference, if any, between the two.

I can get away with taking a break every other day, which is what I try to do. When I have time off over a weekend or whatever, I let it grow out so that I can heal up.

I just ordered a huge sampler pack of about 20 different brands (the price was better than some of the smaller samplers!) so hopefully, if the problem is my blade, I will find out soon.