Help Needed

Ok, technically the help is for a friend of mine.., I got him started wet shaving a couple months ago and while he really enjoys it, he's getting irritation on his neck after he uses a DE that he doesn't get with his cartrdge razor.

I've tried different creams, soaps, brushes, razors, blades, and most recently suggested face lathering instead of using a bowl, but he still gets the irritation. As for soaps/creams I've let him borrow Proraso, TOBS, AoS, Razorock, La Toja, Soap Commander, Stirling, and more. We've tried new razors, vintage razors, and all kinds of blades, but he still gets the irritation. I don't know what else to try.

Is there any other suggestions that you all have, or do you think it's purely a technique issue? I've tried coaching him in angles, pressure, good lather making, and all the other finer points I can think of, but still no improvement. I'm really hoping he sticks with it, but if he keeps getting the irritation I doubt he will for much longer.

Thanks in advance!

It's likely technique. The neck can be very challenging. Here is a thread with many good suggestions:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-post-tips-suggestions-that-would-help-others

Hope this helps.

I pretty new but I did have neck irritation for the first week or so but it is not a problem now. Nothing will trump proper technique of course but besides all of the other good advice you will see here I would offer my 2 cents. Some or all of this you may be doing but I would limit the amount of passes on the neck. Make sure the pre-shave routine includes a shower and do not wait too long after getting out of the shower to start the shave. Stretch the skin or course. I started using Lather & Wood brand pre-shave oil and after shave balm and they seem to work pretty good (other brands are just as good I'm sure) For ME, switching to Gillette Silver Blue blades made a huge improvement in the irritation dept. I also figured out that could wait longer than 24 hours before shaving again. Guess I was never getting such a close shave as I am now because I used to shave every morning no matter what.

My guess is also that this is 90% technique. I suggest that he read through the wiki and watch a few videos. My guess is that that would be much more productive than focusing on hardware and software.

Another factor could be that maybe he's not checking the blade for proper alignment before shaving and or maybe the gap is off on either side, which could be an issue with vintage razors mostly, but in rare occasion new faulty ones. These are other factors that could be a problem. The razor could be too aggressive for him, just to name a few. What brand and model DE is he using and blade?

If he is getting irritation using the same soaps and creams, most likely it is a technique issue.


Irritation usually is caused by poor blade angle and too much pressure on the razor. The neck is a tricky area to shave because keeping the right blade angle and little pressure is a challenge. The usual advice is to let the weight of the razor do the job - not put pressure on the blade. To put that in action I have found that using the two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can without it falling from your hand. I have found that using the right grip on your razor goes a long way in keeping pressure off of the blade. The wiki deals with holding a razor and may help you. For information about blade angle, look here in the wiki.

Some additional suggestions.


1. Be sure your lather has sufficient water in it. This makes your shave smoother.
2. 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.
3. Take a washcloth and dip it in cold water and then place it on your face after your last pass.
4. Use WH on your face after you do step 3 above. Use an after shave balm that is a good moisturizer.
5. At night, before retiring apply a good quality moisturizer to your face. I use CeraVe but there are other good ones out there, too. Look for a product that has ceramides and hyaluronic acid.

The Neck and Chin for me are the trickiest parts of my shave with under my nose being a distant third.

Perhaps less passes on the neck? I only do one pass on my lower neck. It may not be bbs there but no one notices. Above the lower neck, chin, and jaw line I can get away with three passes. I think he'll have to keep experimenting to find what works best.

I'm new too and was getting problems with razor burn. I've found that since using an alum block straight after the irritation that I've had subsides quickly and disappears soon after. I did change products too though, so it may not just be that! I'm focussing less on trying to achieve the perfect smooth face and more in the decent overall quality. My problem area are the lower side of my neck on either side.

ackvil said:

If he is getting irritation using the same soaps and creams, most likely it is a technique issue.

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Jim's right.

ackvil said:

1. Be sure your lather has sufficient water in it. This makes your shave smoother.

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And right again. It would be useful if you could teach your friend how to make slick, yogurty lather. This is where many new gents need the most help.

k3usr said:

Stretch the skin of course.

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Alas, there's no "of course" about it. For many of us, skin-stretching is a direct route to irritation. Bruce's link is good; this link is even better. Bullfrogging was my path out of neck irritation, apart from low pressure and blade angle. It might also be worth learning the J-hook technique--this is so efficient that I need far fewer passes to get my neck area well-shaved. Fewer passes = less irritation.

In addition to what other have said... I've noticed my skin feels and looks better after my shave if I use my alum block before applying any aftershave or balm. Maybe it's just me but that did the trick for me over the last month.

Thanks for all the good advice everyone! I've been trying to get him to come to B&B, but hopefully when I send him a link to this thread and he sees how help y'all are he'll become a member himself! Thanks again!

Fatheadhill said:

Thanks for all the good advice everyone! I've been trying to get him to come to B&B, but hopefully when I send him a link to this thread and he sees how help y'all are he'll become a member himself! Thanks again!

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Resistance is futile.

Graybeard57 said:

It's likely technique. The neck can be very challenging. Here is a thread with many good suggestions:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-post-tips-suggestions-that-would-help-others

Hope this helps.

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