3 months in

[sdaniels]

3 months in, still getting red bumps all over my neck.

Definitely an improvement from a bleeding neck

I have mapped the hair on my neck and try to go lightly using not too steep of a blade angle, however still the same results.

Getting really frustrated having a CCS everywhere except for neck

(My lather is pretty good I think and sharks are the best blade yet)

[mblakele]

For me, the throat is the toughest area to maintain good blade angle. Try shaving from the elbow and shoulder, not the wrist. That helps for me.

What is your post-shave routine?

[Blaser0217]

Are you going ATG on your neck? That was the second to last place I could go ATG successfully (my mustache area was the last).

Also, along the lines of what mblakele asked, my neck irritation went way down when I started using an alcohol based AS. It's not for everybody, but it may be worth a shot if you're not using one. It helped tame the irritation until my technique got better (it's still improving, btw).

Good luck, and stick with it! You'll find the right combination of razor, blade, lather, pressure, etc. over time.

[Eric V]

It will get better with time and experience. In the meanwhile, I suggest working through a blade sampler and use your neck for rating the blades, since elsewhere is easier.

What passes are you using on your neck?

[dpmtherrien]

Sounds like a pressure thing to me, and that's a rather hard thing to get under control. You'll just have to keep working at it and it will come along.

Could it be that you might be overshaving in an attempt to get get your shave really smooth. Try just going WTG for now and see how that works out. As your technique improves your shaves will get better. You just have to wait it out, but don't give up. Just try doing less passes for now, you'll know when its time to move ahead.

[sdaniels]

I shave one WTG and one XTG and then follow up with Alum and then an AS balm.

[Allison's Anarchy]

I'm a newbie as well, moreso than you and i had the same problems for my first few shaves.

As mblakele and dpmtherrien said its probably just an angle and pressure issue. The neck also happens to be the absolute biggest PIA to shave. For now, i'd suggest discontinuing the XTG pass, at least on the neck, and continue improving overall technique. Good luck man it'll get a lot better.

[Jim Raynor]

I found blade choice and a proper lather help alot. Maybe focus on that and apply a thick well saturated lather on the problem areas. Sharks are my current favorite too.

[noahpictures]

What razor do you use and what's your beard type (heavy, wiry, coarse or fine, light)? Have you tried Personna RP and Astra SP blades?

[T_M]

I actually found that the right prep made a big difference on my neck. When I started with a DE I went a little overboard and did a shower plus Kyle's full hot towel prep and used the hottest water I could handle.

This resulted in very soft beard hairs but also a red, flushed neck that then turned into post-shave irritation every time. Things improved a lot when I went to warm rather than hot water and rubbing a bit of shave cream or soap on my face and letting it sit while making my lather (rather than the full hot towel over lather treatment).

My beard hairs aren't quite as soft but a sharp enough blade has no problem, and my neck is much less irritated. Also...please don't take offense, but what I thought was pretty good technique at 3 months has changed now at 18 months, so keep working! The basics are not "the basics" because they're easy but because they're fundamental.

-------T_M