Which is best for a beginner?

Hey guys-

First, thanks for making such an awesome resource! A coworker pointed me here and I'm glad to have found a forum like this.

I'm 23, dense beard, and very sensetive skin. Used electric razors for about 5 years with mixed results: lots of ingrown hairs on my neck and plenty of zits. Mach 3s hurt, give me razor burn, and make me bleed. I'm currently using a Sensor Excel which works, but is very time consuming and I'm still breaking out and nicking myself.

Having read through the forums, a Merkur HD or a Gillette Tech seems to be the best bet. Which is better for a beginner with problem skin? I don't care about closeness; I want as little irritation as possible.

Also, any suggestions on shaving creams/aftershaves without additives would be greatly appreciated; my skin gets easily irritated by chemicals and fragrances.

Thanks!

-Andrew

Andrew - Welcome to B&B! Either of those razors would be good one for you as a beginner. The Tech may be a little less aggressive but you might like the feel of the Merkur HD better. I would suggest getting the HD (brand new) from one of the vendors mentioned around this site. Get a sample pack of blades and get it going...Good Luck!

The Gillette Tech is slightly less agressive than the HD, but you'll likely find that the blade will make more difference between those two than the razors themselves... In other words, either one would work fine for you once you find a good blade for you... I have a fondness for the HD since that's what I started with, but again, either or...

As for the cream/aftershave, if your skin is ultra sensitive you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than the Truefitt & Hill Ultimate Comfort cream and aftershave...

It also depends on what you're comparing to too... If your sensitive to the "can-o-goo" you might find many of the traditional creams might be just fine anyway... But I'd start with the T&H UC...

Welcome andrew

i have sensitive skin and have had very good luck with Art of Shaving products for creams as well as Mama Bear's Soaps and ASB/milk.
Also, I've not had any irritation from L'Occitane Products.

Get a Gillette Slim when you get a chance. They're oh so nice! They're also adjustable, so you can customize your shave. I like it so much more than my Merkur Progress.


==Tom

i would say that i too suffered from almost exactly the problems you speak of. Im 22 and had mixed results with cartridge razors- and electrics just tore my face up. honestly, pick up the merkur HD, but plan on being a slant user eventually. It's really not as bad as people make it out to be.

learn the art of DE shaving on the HD, get the sampler pack, watch mark's video's on youtube, and you should be good in about 1-2 months. try to grow a beard for the time being if you can- it will help 'reset' the damage that's been done- that's what i finally had to do to cure problems on my neck.

in terms of products- get a brush from Crabtree & Evelyn or online for under $40- thats all you need. Pick up some basic shave cream- i'd recommend Arko sensitive or the stuff they sell at trader joe's. avoid soaps. proraso is great but it may add to the problems right now. I will say that feather blades have worked the best for me after almost 1 year of DE shaving...

use an alum block for an after shave, and if you have to, something with alcohol at the end of the shave. I've had great results with the Gillette sensitive skin after shave lotion:



Here's an older pic of some of my stuff:



you really have to experiment for yourself. but i will say that when reading your post, it sounded an awfully alot like myself. With DE shaving, its all about finding out what works for you, (and as mark says) custom tailoring your shave routine to fit your face and skin, instead of being forced into a can of goo and 5 vibrating dull blades.

I suggest you get a SS from the forum (very easy to shave with) add to it Derby blades, get a brush (C&E best gets the most votes-35 @ C&E) and try any one of the following for a slick shave: Kiss My Face (at local whole foods or other health food stores), Honeybeespa soaps (see the forum reviews- this stuff is great and reasonably priced), ARKO (read the reviews but maybe it is harder to find), or some of the more expensive cream s/a Art of Shaving, Crabtree & Evelyn (where you get the brush), or if there is a body shop around their cream does wonderfully for sensitive skin. Check the review forums on these.
Headdoc

Welcome to B&B. Check on the Shaving Mall portion of the forums if you want a used razor. Any daler specials for members will be found Shopping...

Welcome to B&B!

Besides Mantic's video's make sure to check out the Wet Shaving FAQ and the stickies on top of the respective forums here as well!

Welcome to B&B!

Without a doubt, I recommend an HD over any other razor for a first razor. It is gentle but can cut through quite a course beard.

TimmyBoston said:

Welcome to B&B!

Without a doubt, I recommend an HD over any other razor for a first razor. It is gentle but can cut through quite a course beard.

Click to expand...

Flaxorca said:

Welcome to B&B!

Besides Mantic's video's make sure to check out the Wet Shaving FAQ and the stickies on top of the respective forums here as well!

Click to expand...

Limey said:

Andrew - Welcome to B&B! Either of those razors would be good one for you as a beginner. The Tech may be a little less aggressive but you might like the feel of the Merkur HD better. I would suggest getting the HD (brand new) from one of the vendors mentioned around this site. Get a sample pack of blades and get it going...Good Luck!

Click to expand...

First of all welcome to B&B!

Another vote for the Merkur HD and the blade sampler pack(http://westcoastshaving.com/).

watch the mantic videos-you will find a wealth of information contained therein.

And always remember, RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! You will be assimilated.


Marty

I've only been using a DE razor for about 3 months. I started with a Merkur Futur, but found it to be too heavy and hard to control. Because most current multiblade razors are longer I figured I would try the Merkur Long Classic. I like it very much better than the Futur. However, I do find tht I hold it more in the middle that out at the end as I expected I would. I'm thinking of trying a Gillette SuperSpeed TTO.

Welcome! Here's a collection of shopping links where you can find products for sale over the internet: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3779

Start at QED, Vintageblades or Classicshaving, and work out from there.

Welcome to B&B. I've been DE shaving for about 2 months. I like the heft and handle length of the 38C. Have yet to try the HD.