New wet shaver questions about sensitive skin and course beard.

Hi. So I'm new to wet shaving and have done tons of research but I thought the best option would be to join a forum and talk to experienced DE shavers.
So I have an Omega Pro brush
Edwin Jagger 89
Persona blue blades.
I use thayers witch hazel and a few different soaps: Colonial Conk Bay Rum, and my favorite Taylor Of Old Bond St. Herbal Sandalwood
My beard is very coarse and my skin is pretty sensitive, not to shave soaps or creams but it easily gets ingrown hairs on my neck area
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After about 2 months I can get a close shave WTG and XTG but never ATG. Still I get a smooth close shave but a day later I get some ingrowns.
Does this go away after I get more experienced and my face gets used to it?
Already I have achieved a close shave with little to no irritation which is a huge accomplishment for my face, since when I began it was horrible. But I stuck with it and even learned my beard pattern and that has really helped the situation.
So I'm hoping it's just a matter of experience and my skin getting use to it.
Any tips, suggestions or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks guys

Sounds like you and I are quite similar in our beard and skin types. I used to get this, until I started exfoliating on a regular basis. Do you exfoliate at all? Might be worth your while as it seems to limit the ingrowns for me buddy

I am in the course beard/sensitive skin camp as well. A few words of advice:

*I only shave WTG in the sensitive areas and usually only a single pass. Never XTG or ATG in areas prone to ingrown hairs.

*Also, anything drying is terrible for my skin, and that includes anything with alcohol in it or witch hazel. No Thayers for me.

*Do you use a preshave oil? There is a great deal of debate about the value of preshave oils. I am not so sure that it improves the quality of the shave but it most definitely helps moisturize my skin. My current favorite is the Mickey Lee PreShave Butter. It is a little less gunky than the typical preshave oil because it is mostly coconut oil which is a semi-solid at room temperature. Coconut oil is great for the skin but it also clogs pores so it doesn't work for some people.

Hello and welcome here. Great to have you here on B&B. Wander on over to the Hall of Fame and introduce yourself.

I can't help with your specific question as I am blessed with good skin and a moderate beard. Others here can offer good suggestions.

Do you feel the blade "tugging" or "pulling" when you shave? If so, you may want to try shimming (cutting the sharp edges off of an old blade and placing it under the sharp blade to increase the blade gap). I had a lot of issues with my DE89 (hard to find the angle, tugging, pulling, ingrown hairs, etc.) until I shimmed it. Try 2 shims and see how it works out.

Welcome aboard B&B. Patience and practice will eventually result in better and better shaves.

BlackBard said:

Welcome aboard B&B. Patience and practice will eventually result in better and better shaves.

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+1. Don't expect perfection off the bat.

Welcome to the club. Glad to have you aboard. ATG passes can result in ingrown hairs because it is the closest pass of all and can result in hairs cut off at, or slightly below the skin line. When the hair starts to grow out, the sharply cut edge can catch on the skin and be turned back towards the skin. It is probably best to avoid ATG passes in areas where you have experienced ingrowns.

No one's said this yet, so I will - there's no requirement to shave ATG. My skin is somewhat sensitive and my beard is prone to ingrowns in certain areas (e.g. my neck), so I don't go ATG at all. I'm happy with my shaves.

That said, there's no harm in working on your technique some more to see if it clicks for you. If it doesn't - no big deal.

Although prep and technique helped me tremendously, I've realized that the sharpest blade isn't always the best option. A blade that gives you a comfortable shave may be something to consider.

For me Voskhod, Rapira and Lord blades are my preferred choices for a comfortable shave.