NEWB with neck irritation problems!

[nantahala]

Hey fellas!!!

Been DE wet shaving for about 5 months now.

I was having problems getting tiny cuts under my neck, but finally got my technique down and didn't have the problem anymore. That was using a Gillette Super Speed and Windsor Swords.

I'm in college and have recently been attending a lot job fairs and internship interviews which requires me to shave much more frequently than normal. Shaving that short, course stubble has brought back my neck irritation issues.

I am now using a Gillette Slim set on 2, still with Windsor swords. Lathering with a mixture of shave soap and cream with a badger brush.

I make one pass against the grain, then one across.

No problems with irritation until the across stroke.

My beard grows very quickly and the hair is very dense, thick and course. Is there a sharper blade I can try? Different technique?

Should I try switching back to the super speed?

[pipskicks]

Firstly this was asked just recently here:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...k-area-problem
There's a lot of good advice there, read through it.

Your neck may not be able to take the XTG, I would try going WTG I think until the irritation subsided.

Also I don't know the aggressiveness of the slim, but I do know the adjustable were meant to be more aggressive, sometimes people work better with a mild razor. Despite some of the things written, I believe there are members with skin too sensitive to either do ATG or use an aggressive razor, despite technique, so you may want to look into trying the SS again, it definitely can't hurt.
(Did you do the XTG with the SS and have it go fine?? If this is your first time, maybe go back to the SS to practice XTG before trying a new razor??)

Alum bloc + Witch hazel + every product that helps I usually use when my neck is irritated, I find it helps it subside quicker. Seems weird but I will literally use the alum, then witch hazel, sometimes an alcohol nice smelling AS on my face and use a nice balm on my neck. Sometimes will re-apply it if I really messed my neck up...

[Oblique Human]

Welcome to B&B!

[mblakele]

Welcome to B&B!

The neck is a problem area for many. There tend to be some peaks to shave around, and valleys to shave into. So it's hard to maintain good blade angle and avoid blade pressure.

I would start by making sure that you understand the grain on your neck, since it often changes direction. Pay careful attention to your lather, since good lather is most of the shave. Pay extra attention to areas where you frequently get weepers or leave lather tracks. To smooth out the peaks and valleys try turning your head, or grinning widely, or gently pulling up or down on the skin.

It's better to have a little invisible stubble than visible irritation. So stick to WTG and XTG until you have no irritation at all. After that, you could try some judicious ATG again. Or you may decide that XTG is good enough. At that point you may also get some benefit from blade buffing, j-hooking, and the gillette slide.

[chuck81]

Have you mapped the direction your hair grows on your neck? When I did, I was surprised to learn that my beard grows in 3 different directions on my neck. So what I thought was WTG (down, just like on my face) is actually XTG. This, along with technique and not going for BBS every time, has helped immensely.

[nantahala]

Yes I have mapped carefully but can't quite figure out the area growing around my adam's apple and the center of my neck.

Seems unusual, but looks like it grows up, so shaving down would be against the grain. Is this unheard of?

[mblakele]

No, not unheard of.

[gus1942]

Hey fellas!!!

Been DE wet shaving for about 5 months now.

I was having problems getting tiny cuts under my neck, but finally got my technique down and didn't have the problem anymore. That was using a Gillette Super Speed and Windsor Swords.

I'm in college and have recently been attending a lot job fairs and internship interviews which requires me to shave much more frequently than normal. Shaving that short, course stubble has brought back my neck irritation issues.

I am now using a Gillette Slim set on 2, still with Windsor swords. Lathering with a mixture of shave soap and cream with a badger brush.

I make one pass against the grain, then one across.

No problems with irritation until the across stroke.

My beard grows very quickly and the hair is very dense, thick and course. Is there a sharper blade I can try? Different technique?

Should I try switching back to the super speed?

Are you sure about your ATG and XTG. Map your directional growth on your neck. My 1st pass on my neck is down which is XTG and 2nd pae.ss is up which is also XTG. Then, my 3rd pass is from lateral to medial which is ATG. However, I really do it at a diagonal which is a combo of ATG/XTG with a buffing finish.There is no way I'm going to get irritation with a Slim with most blades. It's always technique.

[Sledgehammer39]

Welcome Aboard!

[nycalling]

I can only say from my experiences with razor burn, but it's usually directional. Even if the hair looks like it runs sideways, it's probably running up. I used to get pretty nasty razor burn on my neck, and after not shaving for a week it looked like it ran from the Adam's apple outwards. Shaved that way, same issue. Finally I shaved upwards from the bottom of my neck to the Mason -Dixie line that kind of runs through your Adams apple, and THAT worked. Basically I shave downwards WTG to my Adam's Apple, and the little bit around it I have to shave upwards. I usually do the downstrokes first to the Adams' Apple, re-lather then go upstroke from the neck all the way up. This finally worked, although it took me about a month and a half to figure it out.

However, I can only shave upwards WTG on that part of the neck. If I try anything else, even after going WTG on the first pass, I can get some irritation. Also, if you're near a Wal-Mart or some other giant Conglomorate store, look for 'Bump Patrol'. Helps a ton after the shave.

[Mad Man]

Welcome aboard and +1 to mapping.

My WTG pass on the neck has me changing 3 times from N-S, S-N and then a weird NNE-SSW until I hit the adam's apple and then reverse it for other side. I rarely go ATG on neck. Close enough is...you know the rest.

[chuck81]

Yes I have mapped carefully but can't quite figure out the area growing around my adam's apple and the center of my neck.

Seems unusual, but looks like it grows up, so shaving down would be against the grain. Is this unheard of?

Nope, that's how mine grows.

[pipskicks]

Nope, that's how mine grows.

I think mine's in a swirl which just about prevents any mapping/shaving WTG all the time.

[lr11]

go with the grain first, what ever direction that is. Also set the razor at 1 when working around the neck. Also check your angle you might be off.

[dpmtherrien]

Welcome. Back off on the pressure. Just put the razor to your face and let it do the cutting, just guide it along.

[LegionPrime]

Have you mapped the direction your hair grows on your neck? When I did, I was surprised to learn that my beard grows in 3 different directions on my neck. So what I thought was WTG (down, just like on my face) is actually XTG. This, along with technique and not going for BBS every time, has helped immensely.

This ^ A couple years ago someone tried telling me to shave bottom to top on my neck which previously I had done top to bottom. Worked wonders for cutting down on irritation on my neck. I only do it on the bottom vertical portion of my throat and only on the sides until about an inch on either side of my adams apple, that area I still shave top to bottom.

[huntingdan]

Face mapping is important as everyone else has stated, also the soap (bottom of the neck really shows me if the soaps will work for me or not), and everyone is a little different. For me, the bottom of my neck obviously handles WTG pretty well, it also handles ATG very well to, but the XTG not so much. So I usually do 2 WTG then last ATG. Another thing the past couple of weeks I've noticed that really helps is to make sure I am not going over the area too man times. When I first started I was shaving the same area3-4 times with the razor before going to the next. I started thinking about it like mowing my lawn, making sure the next time I slid the razor across my face I was not shaving the same area again.

Hope this helps, a lot of valueable info on here, just my .02!

[nantahala]

Welcome. Back off on the pressure. Just put the razor to your face and let it do the cutting, just guide it along.

I'm not applying any pressure at all. Literally holding the razor with just my thumb and forefinger, but the slim is pretty heavy!

[mtho68]

wow! thanks guys, after reading all the face mapping suggestions I decided to do a little "face re-mapping".. I have one problem area on the right side of my lower neck next to the adams apple and low and behold the hair there grows up! no wonder I always have irritation. Now I can't wait for my hair to grow back and do a true WTG on that part