Wet shaving for a week, struggling with severe irritation/cuts

Hello everyone, and I apologize if this is the millionth new thread about this topic, but I just started wet shaving a week ago today, and I've been having some trouble with irritation and cuts, especially on my neck and chin. I am a sophomore at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, MD, and wanted to start shaving with a real blade because of the immense cut in costs and the baby-butt smooth shave it supposedly gives. I purchased a Merkur 34C heavy-duty razor, some Astra blades (some Feathers are on their way too, but they are coming from Taiwan so it will be a while), a puck of Van Der Hagen soap, and a Parker synthetic brush. I have followed numerous threads all over the Internet about technique and proper lathering, etc. so gave it a try with the sample Merkur blade that came with the razor. I did exactly as the Internet told me and didn't apply any pressure and made a conscious effort to keep the razor at a 35-45 degree angle. I did three passes, one going up from the bottom of my neck to my cheek, one vice-versa, and one horizontally from below my ear to my nose. I got an amazingly smooth shave, light-years closer than I ever received from the Gillette and Dollar Shave Club junk I used previously. It was so smooth that my girlfriend touched my face before I remembered to tell her I had switched to traditional wetshaving, and not even knowing this, she said "wow, your face is smoother than mine!" However, I still suffer from nicks, cuts, and inflammation all across my neck. A little baby oil helps with the pain and some of the redness, but it's still a pain in the neck (pun totally intended) because I follow the directions I can find, and I'm still getting a great shave, but it tears up my neck. The Astra blades haven't been any better than the Merkur sample, which leads me to believe that it's something I'm doing wrong, not the blades themselves. I'll be happy to describe my entire shaving routine from start to finish if need be, but just didn't want to here since this post is already excessive in length. I'm sorry for such a long post guys, and I apologize again if this is naught but a doppelganger to a thousand "first time, help me!"-type threads out there. Thanks, and happy shaving.

-eleuther0s

If you are getting good haves, you are well on your way. As for neck irritation, are you sure you are shaving WTG on first pass all over? It is a good idea to map your beard, especially your neck, so that you know 100% which way the grain is. Sometimes new shavers think they know the grain oatern, but end up shaving ATG on first pass, which is sure recipe for irritation.

Good luck.

That is something I didn't think of. My beard has several different grains to it, and I guess I should try changing direction with each change in grain. Thanks.

eleuther0s said:

That is something I didn't think of. My beard has several different grains to it, and I guess I should try changing direction with each change in grain. Thanks.

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It's all about prep. ..face mapping is vital.

Welcome to the club. Sounds like you started off pretty well. The neck is usually the trickiest part to figure out. Ultimately, it just takes practice, but in the meantime, I would echo the advice on grain mapping. Make sure that first pass is with the grain, and maybe even skip the against the grain passes until you get a little more comfortable.

It will get easier with time. My beard map is similar to most men. I have two areas on the outside edges of the bottom of my neck that grow in the opposite direction to the rest of my beard. After about 6 months of wet shaving, I realized I was shaving that area in the same direction as everywhere else with no irritation. What that means is that my first pass over those irritation-prone areas is ATG, but my technique has improved to the point that I automatically adjust my pressure and shorten my strokes when I get to that area, and it's not a problem anymore.

eleuther0s said:

That is something I didn't think of. My beard has several different grains to it, and I guess I should try changing direction with each change in grain. Thanks.

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You have it figured out already; Enjoy your progress!

beard mapping is essential in getting a decent irritation free shave,but the neck is usually a pain to shave,good prep and knowing which way those tricky hairs grow is the key...wtg and atg and xtg,sometimes isn't enough you have to combine all 3,i use the j-hook technique as i have found for me its honestly the only way i can achieve a dfs shave...good luck and welcome to the forum...

eleuther0s said:

That is something I didn't think of. My beard has several different grains to it, and I guess I should try changing direction with each change in grain. Thanks.

Click to expand...

I have the same problem. Look at youtube for the j-hook method. I also have had luck on my second pass instead of going accross the grain comming down at a 45 degree angle and then use the cross grain as a 3rd pass. It has helped with irritation.

Also get an alum bar and some Nivea or some other sensitive aftershave balm and use for awhile.

Also, limit to two passes plus touch-ups at first. It is easy to overdo the passes in search of a close shave. Each pass provides more chances for irritation. Do first one WTG, then next either XTG or ATG, then touch-ups.

It takes 3-4 weeks to develop reliable, consistent, repeatable technique, but you will progress rapidly.

Thanks, gentlemen.

BSAGuy said:

Also, limit to two passes plus touch-ups at first. It is easy to overdo the passes in search of a close shave. Each pass provides more chances for irritation. Do first one WTG, then next either XTG or ATG, then touch-ups.

It takes 3-4 weeks to develop reliable, consistent, repeatable technique, but you will progress rapidly.

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All good advice. Also, don't discount the value of good prep, whether that's a hot shower or a hot towel to soften the beard, and good after-shave care, which (for me) means witch hazel and an after-shave balm. A little searching on the site will lead you to an amazing amount of info on all of these subjects.

And for the short term, go get a $3 tube of Nivea Sensitive Shaving Cream from a grocery store. It lathers well and provides nice protection.

Good luck!

Oh, and thanks for your well-written post. It's good to see a younger member (oh, FSM, I'm getting old!) who can string together more than a few words in an intelligible fashion!

All great advice above.

Good pre-shave routine is the only thing I would add, though you mention you have the technique down.

I only mention it as MY sophomore son (at Cal Poly) struggled a bit at first, but mainly because he didn't shower first. Once he started to apply a hot towel prior, it helped him quite a bit. I use Noxema prior to soap and it adds a bit of slickness which also seems to help.

Welcome to B&B, and enjoy the journey to shaving bliss!

Ok, so that part where you say you're trying to keep a 35 to 45 degree angle. Forget all about that in choosing your angle. The angle changes with every razor and every face. You need to find the right angle for you.

I've helped many people figure out what they are doing wrong so I think I already have it figured out for you. I'm attaching a thread that I wrote mainly because I'm too lazy to keep retyping it.

Read this thread and pay particular attention to the part telling you how to find the proper shaving angle.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/417244-Dfoulk-s-Causes-of-Razorburn-and-how-to-shave

Good luck,

I started with a 34C HD and Astra's too. You need to map your beard first before you can do the passes. This is something that's never being mentioned in guides but it should be.

I think the reason why you're getting those burns is because you're doing the passes incorrectly. WTG isn't simple from north to south, XTG isn't from east to west, ATG isn't from south to north.

These passes should be adjusted according to your hear growth. For an example I bet you have some spots where your hair grows in an entire different direction.

Let it grow for a couple days (4 or 5). Grab a mirror and see in which direction your hair grows on the spots where you got the burns.

Believe me this really should help you out, this is one of the biggest mistakes newcomers make. Give it a try it will increase your shaves. I can do 3 passes with no nicks, no burns, irritations etc.

As for your soap, I assume it's hard soap? If so then it's going to be a little bit different to lather. For beginners it's easier to start with shaving creams because these are easy to lather.

Welcome to B&B.

Good advice above.

After you map your beard you may find that your beard is like mine: it grows in various directions on your neck. The beard on my neck grows in various directions. On one part WTG is N to S, in another part itis S to N, in another its W to E, and in still another part is grows inswirls. As a result, it is almost impossiblefor me to shave entirely WTG on my neck. So what I did was to determine which direction is primarily WTG and myfirst pass is in that direction which in my case is N to S. My next pass is E to W and I treat that asXTG as I do a W to E pass. My final passis S to N which I treat as ATG. Unfortunately, each pass on my neck has some elements of ATG to it so Iam very careful to use a VERY gentle touch to it. If I used any less pressure the razor wouldfall from my hand!

Yes, it is hard soap. It's actually almost gone since I'd been using it even before wetshaving when I was still using a cartridge. Also, I have read on other threads that Van Der Hagen soap is notorious for not lasting long compared to others. I'm exploring some shaving creams for my next go-round; particularly Proraso and Taylor of Old Bond Street (just the standard sandalwood variety). Which is better? Thanks for all your input, guys. Oh and thanks for telling me I write well (I've never noticed, just hung on to the way I learned to write in kindergarten thanks to the countless hours and small fortune my mom and dad spent to give me a private education)!

BSAGuy said:

If you are getting good haves, you are well on your way. As for neck irritation, are you sure you are shaving WTG on first pass all over? It is a good idea to map your beard, especially your neck, so that you know 100% which way the grain is. Sometimes new shavers think they know the grain oatern, but end up shaving ATG on first pass, which is sure recipe for irritation.

Good luck.

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+1

You're probably doing just fine for a week in. Generally speaking razor burn comes from too much pressure. You're trying to use no pressure so if things are going according to Hoyle you only need to use 30% less.

Cuts come from bad razor angle. You can find a blade that will give you a less comfortable shave, but blades don't produce cuts - that's technique. It will come. I'd try just WTG on your neck until there is no blood.

Prep and mapping are, as suggested, always important. If you can stand it I'd suggest going for a two pass pretty darn good shave for a little while and then work up to BBS as you refine your technique.

Welcome aboard!

eleuther0s said:

Yes, it is hard soap. It's actually almost gone since I'd been using it even before wetshaving when I was still using a cartridge. Also, I have read on other threads that Van Der Hagen soap is notorious for not lasting long compared to others. I'm exploring some shaving creams for my next go-round; particularly Proraso and Taylor of Old Bond Street (just the standard sandalwood variety). Which is better? Thanks for all your input, guys. Oh and thanks for telling me I write well (I've never noticed, just hung on to the way I learned to write in kindergarten thanks to the countless hours and small fortune my mom and dad spent to give me a private education)!

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Admittedly, I'm fairly new to this, being just one month in. However, I have to say that I am absolutely in love with Proraso White. It's the Sensitive version and it really does give a great cushion for shaving. The issues that I have had happen when I apply too much pressure or use a poor angle as has been said before - it's true and there's no getting around it. However, after mapping my beard and modifying my shave pattern, I find that I get less irritation and far fewer nicks if my lather is good, so you can look forward to that!