Just completed first DE shave - woke up with with whiteheads?

I would concentrate on cleansing your face for the next few days without shaving. If you haven't actually shaved to down to your bare skin for 3 years, your pores could have all sorts of oil deep down in them and could probably benefit from some cleaning out...

I've found that my whiteheads are hairs trying to poke through the skin. Recently started using an exfoliating scrub (neutrogena razor defense) the night after my shave to try and give the hairs a clear path to the surface. Had good results with it last night followed witch hazel. Whiteheads are gone today

also, perhaps if you're faceturbating like I do after a good shave, dirty hands are causing dirty pores

I've got the following selection of blades in my sample pack:

Gillette 7 o'clock super stainless
Gillette 7 o'clock sharp edge
Shark super stainless
Astra superior platinum
Prema sharp super

My facial hair is weird. It's not very coarse but nor is it soft. I feel like the merkur blade was too harsh, which should I try tonight?

I have spots still but I need to shave anyway.

For me, I had the irritation and whiteheads when using Nivea ASB.. I have since stopped using ASB, and just use witch hazel. Also, I now shave with cold water. Really helps too.

tom6915 said:

I've got the following selection of blades in my sample pack:

Gillette 7 o'clock super stainless
Gillette 7 o'clock sharp edge
Shark super stainless
Astra superior platinum
Prema sharp super

My facial hair is weird. It's not very coarse but nor is it soft. I feel like the merkur blade was too harsh, which should I try tonight?

I have spots still but I need to shave anyway.

Click to expand...

Out of those blades I'd choose the Astra as a reasonable compromise between sharp and smooth.

Plenty of good advice already given. I don't have much to add on that front. It might just be your skin adjusting and your technique might just need practice.

Good luck going forward!

Just tried again with the Astra blades.

Skipped the alum bloc and went straight for the thayers alcohol free toner witch hazel aloe. Not sure how to apply this properly since its rather funny.

Finished with a small dab of the maca root razor relief.

Will report back in the morning

Ok so I woke up with about 3-4 soft whiteheads which I simply squeezed out. My face doesn't feel as burned or tight as last week so that must be the thayer's taking effect.

Beginning to think the body shop razor relief is the culprit?

You might try Aqua Velva Blue. When I first started, I had some post shave irritation, the Blue fixed most of problems, if I didn't get to carried away with the razor.

Thanks I'll look into that after shave.

Re: pressure, I don't feel like I'm applying too much pressure and I've been 99.9% nick-free over these 2 shaves.

I do however feel my lathering technique is rubbish and I'm going to look into a smaller brush.

I have the same issue with the whiteheads man. I just made a thread not too long ago about irritation on my skin. I have what I believe to be very sensitive skin. Sometimes I wake up the next day and have several white heads and red bumps all over. But on my neck and cheeks usually is the worst. I've been at this DE shaving for over a year, and I'm still learning how to do it. Just watch your angle and pressure. Let the razors weight do the work for you. I agree try a different blade....Merkur blades have a bad rep here. I used them when I first started and I was surprised I still had a face after shaving with them.

The issue with me is my skin really itches bad when I get these whiteheads....I'm not sure if they're ingrown hairs or just irritation from the shave. I've been getting these pimples very frequently for the last few weeks now. I have to itch the spot on my face rather harshly with my finger tip to stop the itching and it just turns more red and irritated. This is turn makes me want to shave, but that also irritates my skin. I like to shave at least every other day due to my sensitive skin. I've been in a rut with my shaving lately...so I feel your pain OP.

As to the bald spot....I wouldn't worry too much about that unless it starts to get bigger in size. When you shave after using a trimmer for such a long time, you're not used to seeing your skin shaved so close. If you look in the mirror and the right angle you will notice the slight grey color dot(s) in that bald spot...that's your hair follicle. I have the same issue on a few places in my beard...I just chalk it up to the razor blade cutting extra close there.

Also not a dermatologist, but I'm thinking go with a straight alcohol aftershave, like one from Fine.

Washed my face before bed last night using man cave, but still woke up with 2-3 whiteheads this morning. Starting to stress over this.

Also, I'm not convinced my omega pure bristle brush is very good at lathering up. The handle is too big and the bristles are too long making it a very strenuous task to lather my face.

Excellent advice above. I'd insist on too much pressure... and the dreaded Merkurs.

Take a day or two off from shaving and let your face recover. It might just be repeated stress from shaving. And when you do shave try a single, or maybe two, pass WTG.

Maybe try a different soap or cream. Could be one of the ingredients in that giving you grief.

If you want to try a different brush you can go wrong with an Omega 10066 boar brush. Fantastic brush and cheap to boot. If you face lather I can also recommend a Semogue 610. I use mine almost everyday.

Failing that it might be that your face and DE shaving just don't get along. No worries. You can always use straights, or carts, or electrics, or grow a beard

Update #2

Had a nice slow shave last night.

Used a new brush, still don't think I'm doing it right in the end I just squeezed the lather out of the brush and applied to my face using hands!

Skipped the maca root and went straight for the Nivea original ASB. Tingled a wee bit that then it was rather pleasant and I'm pleased to report that when I went to look in the mirror to brush my teeth this morning no whiteheads!!

Now, I haven't looked in the mirror since and my face is known to spring afew surprises on me throughout the day but so far so good

One more vote for whiteheads actually being ingrown hairs. That's my nemesis, anyway. The solution: better technique and regular exfoliation. And a wife with an unhealthy desire to pop bumps.

Well 2 very nice shaves using the Thayer's as an aftershave my most recent shave this past Friday although leaving me looking dashing resulted in 5-10 whiteheads in the days following

Uh Oh guys ... after a month off with the DE and using my babyliss i-stubble I thought I'd give the razor another go...

Shaved on Weds night and looked and felt amazing .. Woke up saw a few pimples forming but ignored it and went to work ...

Came back from work around 6pm and looked in the mirror, there is a cluster of whiteheads on my chin and both sides of cheeks around the tips of my mustache area

tom6915 said:

Uh Oh guys ... after a month off with the DE and using my babyliss i-stubble I thought I'd give the razor another go...

Shaved on Weds night and looked and felt amazing .. Woke up saw a few pimples forming but ignored it and went to work ...

Came back from work around 6pm and looked in the mirror, there is a cluster of whiteheads on my chin and both sides of cheeks around the tips of my mustache area

Click to expand...

Bummer. You've certainly given it more patience than I would have. If the DE isn't working out then so be it. May be time to move on and leave the worry behind.

You're shaving either against the grain or across the grain and these are ingrown hairs. If I were a guessing man, these whiteheads are on the lower portion of your neck and/or around your adam's apple?

I really wouldn't sweat the bumps. Your technique and gear will get better and you'll find they only happen once in a blue moon. One thing I can suggest is an aftershave splash containing willow tree bark extract will help you with these bumps. I couldn't tell you why, but any aftershave I've used with this in it cleared up these whiteheads in a jiffy.

I will reiterate though that this is likely from any of the following: too much pressure, wrong head angle, crappy blades, going XTG/ATG in an area where the hairs grow more parallel to the skin.