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Preparing for first shave

Dear members,

So I'm about to purchase my first DE shaving gear after some research, probably next monday (original topic: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=204974 , help still much appreciated for what gear and products to purchase). Currently my face is a mess due to bad shaving in the past. There are ALOT of shaving bumps, ingrown hairs and irritation around the throat area. As far as I can tell, there's no acne. I know most of you guys aren't dermatologists but what do you guys recommend before starting my first DE shave. Just let the beard accumulate for a few days and give the skin rest? And if there's still some irritation left when I start, just be careful around those areas?

Thanks in advance!
 
Good luck. I would let your face heal for a while before starting with a DE. Take a look at this wiki.

Before putting the razor to your face you should map the grain on your face so you know which way the grain of your beard grows. You can use http://www.pbjsite.com/shave/whiskarmap/ as a guide. The first pass should be with the grain, whichever direction that is, with subsequent passes across the grain. Initially, until your technique is good, against the grain passes should be avoided.
 
Ordered my stuff.
My face is a mess though, alot of ingrowns and bumps. Gotta be super careful... but looking forward to it. My education taught me thought that satisfaction is the difference between expectations and outcomes, I TRY to keep my expecations low :tongue_sm.
 
Good luck Jim. Slow and 'easy' wins the race. Pre-shave oil will help for sure and don't be afraid to use your new brush for a few minutes on your face. No against the grain shaving until your skin heals up a bit. That said, it will probably heal quickly now that you are taking the DE plunge.
 
Best of luck and welcome to what appears to be a fellow StarCraft fan!

I would not shave for several days and wait for the ingrowns and razor burn to go away. If you keep shaving over it, even with good technique you're going to prolong the irritation and end up discouraged. I cannot forsee an instance where I'd say that shaving over the type of irritation you're discribing would be a good idea.

One thing you could/should do when you get your new equipment (and waiting for existing irritation to go away) is to build test lathers and lather up your face. You'll get good practice and you'll also help to clean your face and maybe cut down on some of the irritation/ingrowns by the exfloiation of the brush. I've found in the past that a decent scrub with a semi-stiff/scrubby brush seems to help any irritation I have go away.
 
Thanks for the warm welcome. And oh yeah I love Starcraft =p.
I already tried practicing making lathers, but did not apply them on my face. Will try it, thanks for the tip!
By the way, I think it will really take some time to heal this irritation up, some of the ingrowns seem to be really deep. And I don't wanna walk around with a big beard... we'll see how it sorts out. Thanks for the tips!
 
Good luck Jim. Slow and 'easy' wins the race. Pre-shave oil will help for sure and don't be afraid to use your new brush for a few minutes on your face. No against the grain shaving until your skin heals up a bit. That said, it will probably heal quickly now that you are taking the DE plunge.
+1. Welcome to B&B. You'll find much support here.

I highly recommend the mantic59 videos on YouTube, and also LeisureGuy's Guide to Gourmet Shaving (from Amazon).

Remember, guys have shaved with DE's for 100 years. Keep it simple, and be patient.

And as everyone has already said, NO PRESSURE.

Did I mention NO PRESSURE?
 
+1 on the mantic59 videos. From aspirin-water paste to apply on ingrowns, to using a toothbrush to gently scrub the ingrown spot to allow the follicle to re-appear, mantic's videos are a highly valuable resource for everyone that shaves with a DE.

If you can at all, avoid shaving the area that's irritated and that has the ingrowns (again, if you can). The last thing irritated skin needs is more aggravation. All the other advice you have received from other members is also A-1. Everyone is here to support you bro, so don't hesitate to ask questions about anything. I've been at this for almost 4 years and I still ask questions!:lol:
The guys here are good, and will do their best to help you out.
 
The soft toothbrush didn't help too well. Tried it several times. Will try aspirin later. Thanks for the tips and support!
 
I can't recommend witch hazel enough - apply it in the morning and evening after a shower and it should help your skin improve. It's worked wonders on my complexion (too much testosterone I think, I've been an acne sufferer on and off since the age of 13 and I'm now 25. Wet shaving has COMPLETELY cured it)
 
Thanks for the replies. Have been looking for the witch hazel alot of the members seem to describe and recommend. But can't find it in it's pure form online (mixed with alcohol right?), only mixed in products like splashes and balms. Maybe visit a pharmacy or a natural product store then.
 
Good luck, Jim. Remember the golden rule. NO PRESSURE. Just let the weight of the razor do the work.:001_smile

+1

good idea to give your skin a rest, 2nd day shaving works great.

don't feel you have to go for BBS,just work on technique. 2-3 passes with touch ups is sufficient. After a few months (took me 6) muscle memory will kick in and you'll get DFS/BBS with little effort.

I would definetly re-think using feathers too, a blade sampler pack is probably best.

Happy Shaving!!

Good luck
 
Thanks Obi Wan for the advice.
I got a sampler pack with feathers, derby, merkur and timor. Which one do you recommend for my frist shave?
 
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