Completed first DE shave and OUCH!

[blackglass]

I quite obviously need to work on my technique. I also used the stock Merkur blade that came with my Mergress and probably need to shop around a bit. The shave didn't actually feel bad which was rather deceiving and most likely why my results were so poor. My neck looks like I exfoliated with a cheese grater LOL! Oh well, I knew that there would be a learning curve.

[Zach V.]

Hang in there, my brother; there is definitely a curve. West coast shaving has good sample blade packs.

[ouch]

What did I do now?

[ssilcox]

I've found that focusing on using no pressure when shaving my neck is incredibly important. Otherwise I end up with the same results

[DisBeAliG]

Hang in there. I've only been doing it for about 4 weeks myself, but you'll feel yourself getting it down to a science after about 8-10 shaves. Like SSilcox said, apply minimal pressure until you get the hang of it.

Also, read up on the blade reviews and you'll see there are better blades out there. As will be the advice of many, pick up one of the blade sample packs from westcoastshaving and you'll be able to tell the difference between blades and will narrow your choices down to 1 or 2 that really work well for your face.

[JEEP]

What did I do now?

He completed his first DE shave and you. So now you are complete


Regards.

Jakob

[DirtyDave]

I quite obviously need to work on my technique. I also used the stock Merkur blade that came with my Mergress and probably need to shop around a bit. The shave didn't actually feel bad which was rather deceiving and most likely why my results were so poor. My neck looks like I exfoliated with a cheese grater LOL! Oh well, I knew that there would be a learning curve.

That was my first experience with my HD. It all got gooder in a week or so. Light grip on the razor's handle and be mindful of the angle. Just using a light grip, holding the handle at the bottom, improved the results dramatically.
Keeping the angle was the hardest part.

After a week or so, it will be come mostly automatic. And get the sampler pack.

[saegoose]

Definitely angle (keep your wirst locked) & zero pressure. I think most newbies here would agree that we all got cocky after our cheeks went so smoothly that we got careless and endured the neck fire for a day as penance.

[flabajaba2213]

I found that when doing the neck, sometimes it was helpful to move my head as I moved the blade, which helped me keep the blade at the right angle more comfortably.

[6mungo6]

Been getting similar results myself. Using a DE for eight weeks with varying results. Seems the upper lip and neck area are the most sensitive

It all boils down to razor, blade, soap and technique. Find the right combo and you are on to a winner. With all DE's if you get cocky you will pay the price. These are not your 5 blade units tucked safely behind a couple of vertical safety guards.

IMHO it is a better shave but you need to work at it. It may well be that you need to change your razor to another model to get better results. Likewise it may just be down to the choice of razor.
Experimentation and perseverance seem to be the key.

[Disburden]

To force yourself to not use too much pressure, try holding the razor way down on the bottom of the handle and not choking up past that. That will definitely help you not press the blade into your skin while you complete a stroke.

Also Merkur blades, which were the first I used, killed my skin. They're not that sharp, so they can irritate your skin a bit. Make sure your lather has enough water in it. That is something that always gives the new guys issues with a nice shave.

I've been there. We've all been there. It takes time and once you see the light, you got it. I have BBS shaves everyday and it's only been six months for me.