I've found (although, I'm very new) that my lather is a bit dry by the time I get to my neck, I add a bit right before the neck shave.. it has helped so far..
Neck irritation, what would you do?
- Thread starter Rayzor84
- Start date
I would recommend trying a good synthetic brush. And the so-called 4th-generation fibre is very good indeed--you would probably have to pay well over $100 to get a natural badger with tips as soft. But some, like this one, also have decent backbone:
http://www.italianbarber.com/products/razorock-plissoft-synthetic-shaving-brush
...and it's on sale for even less than its ridiculously low regular price.
http://www.italianbarber.com/products/razorock-plissoft-synthetic-shaving-brush
...and it's on sale for even less than its ridiculously low regular price.
My first suggestion is not going ATG for the first month,
After that you can dare!
After that you can dare!
This will go against popular opinion but here goes anyway. If you are just starting out, the easiest and most cushion I believe will come from a cream rather than the soap you are using. TOBS cream is not too expensive to try and will make a cushion for the blade to glide on you may not have with the Proraso.
I agree cold water. I all but ended my irritation problems (3 pass guy) by switching to cold water. I was skeptical a first, and it does take a little getting use to - but it worked for me.
Here's what I do: no pressure, and passes from different angles for those problematic areas. And reapply lather for each pass.
I only do two passes on my neck. One with the grain, and one across. Make sure you stretch the skin using a little alum on your fingers for grip. It makes a world of difference. I also have to remind myself to always use soap if I want to touch up a spot. Cold water towel after. Then alum block, rinse, Nivea Sensitive Balm, and the use an aftershave with Witch Hazel in it. I use Stirling. Great stuff.
- Thread starter
- #30
Thanks for the tips!
For the witch hazel, which one off here for WH and aloe but unscented? For irritation and cooling (toner looks good but there's an aftershave with alcohol, which do I want?)
http://www.thayers.com/store/?main_page=index&cPath=3
For the witch hazel, which one off here for WH and aloe but unscented? For irritation and cooling (toner looks good but there's an aftershave with alcohol, which do I want?)
http://www.thayers.com/store/?main_page=index&cPath=3
I'm approaching my 4th anniversary of wet shaving and I have learned something very important in that time. It is impossible for me to go ATG on my lower neck, no matter what product I use. It's a bummer knowing that I can't get BBS, but this is the reality for a small percentage of wet shavers. 2 passes WTG on the lower neck and that's it, it's stopped the irritation… Good Luck
I prefer the Supermedicated ... has a touch of Camphor in it, so it feels cooling. There's virtually no scent
You have gotten a lot of advice above.
Some additional suggestions.
Some additional suggestions.
- Be sure your lather has sufficient water in it. This makes your shave smoother.
- Be sure your face is sufficiently hydrated whether you use warm or cold water. If your face is wet before you apply lather for each pass, IMHO, your shaves will be better.
- Take a washcloth and dip it in cold water and then place it on your face after your last pass and before you apply WH.
- At night, before retiring apply a good quality moisturizer to your face. I use CeraVe but there are other good ones out there, too.
Another vote for cold water here. After showering I used to go through the of prep getting whiskers hydrated, pre-shave oil then the shave & would still get lots of irritation on my lower neck. Started cold shaving & now I can splash cold water on my face & start lathering immediately after with no problems anymore. Also not sure if you use alum or not but one of my friends claims that once he stopped using Alum his irritation went away. Good luck.
Just shave your face and grow a beard on your neck. I'm sure it will look just fine.
+1 for me too. Also, you might want to hold back on the AS products for awhile.... finish your shaves with just a cold water post rinse...
Sometimes even for me the AS balms like Nivea have caused irritation.
- Thread starter
- #39
Ok so I tried cold water shaving. I got a bit less irritation but paid for it with a rough feeling shave and alot more cuts. Also my razor kept clogging and I had to keep removing the blade to clean it.
Am I supposed to rinse the razor with cold water too or use hot water for this? It makes me think of a cold knife through butter, that's how it felt.
Am I supposed to rinse the razor with cold water too or use hot water for this? It makes me think of a cold knife through butter, that's how it felt.
- Thread starter
- #40
Edit: so after 15-20 min the irritation is pretty significant and alot of razor bumps and cuts. So unless I did it wrong, cold water shaving didn't really solve the irritation issue. Again, unless I'm supposed to keep the razor hot.
