razor burn

[pancake]

Hi all,

i've been lurking for a little while and last night had my first shave with my gillette slim/derby blade. as i don't have a brush i just used regular edge gel shaving creme. the shave was nice but i definitely have a bit of razor burn. nothing visible but i have felt it all day. i assume this will go away as my technique improves and i guess i have 2 questions.

1: will a brush and some real shave soap make a BIG improvement? money is very tight.

2: should i hold off on shaving tonight and will shaving just make this burn fell worse?

thanks

[kingfisher]

Hi all,

i've been lurking for a little while and last night had my first shave with my gillette slim/derby blade. as i don't have a brush i just used regular edge gel shaving creme. the shave was nice but i definitely have a bit of razor burn. nothing visible but i have felt it all day. i assume this will go away as my technique improves and i guess i have 2 questions.

1: will a brush and some real shave soap make a BIG improvement? money is very tight.

2: should i hold off on shaving tonight and will shaving just make this burn fell worse?

thanks

The burn is probably secondary to putting too much pressure on while shaving. It is hard to learn how lightly to let the razor glide across the face.
Now to your questions:

1) Almost certainly. Buy an Omega boar brush (less than 20 bucks, shipped) and pick up a puck of VDH Deluxe soap at WalMart for $1.54. Not too expensive.

2) I would hold off for tonight to allow the face to heal.

Welcome to the insanity!

[Gringo]

1. Yes, it will make a big improvement. Especially the brush part. It will make the hairs soft and make them stand up so they're easier to cut. If the hairs are easier the cut, you'll find yourself using less to no pressure and still get a good shave. You'll get a lot less or no razor burn at all! A cheap boar brush will set you back only $10 - $15 or so.

2. I usually don't shave every day, just to let my skin rest and heal. If you're experiencing razor burn, I do not recommend you to shave right away. Irritated skin will much more likely get you nicks and cuts.

[pancake]

thanks guys.

it seems i can get a cheap badger brush from lees for under $30 and i'll order some soap to go with it. col conk certainly fits my budget right now.

i'll hold off tonight.

[Saxmoore]

You can also get a Van Der Hagen set of soap, bowl and brush for something like $10-$12. I've seen them at several different drug stores like Rite-Aid and Walgreens. That's how I started. You can see how it goes for not too much money, then move up as your budget allows.

[curtis909]

welcome and it happened to all of us at one time i am sure

[Oldguy]

Hi. Welcome. Skip a day to give your face a rest. On your next shave take very short and very light strokes. You don't have to go for BBS at this stage.

Len

[kingfisher]

You can also get a Van Der Hagen set of soap, bowl and brush for something like $10-$12. I've seen them at several different drug stores like Rite-Aid and Walgreens. That's how I started. You can see how it goes for not too much money, then move up as your budget allows.

this is a good point, too. Our WalMart sells the VDH soap PLUS bowl PLUS boar brush for something like 10 bucks. If you really wanted to check it out cheaply, this might be the way to go.

[mretzloff]

The burn is probably secondary to putting too much pressure on while shaving. It is hard to learn how lightly to let the razor glide across the face.
Now to your questions:

1) Almost certainly. Buy an Omega boar brush (less than 20 bucks, shipped) and pick up a puck of VDH Deluxe soap at WalMart for $1.54. Not too expensive.

2) I would hold off for tonight to allow the face to heal.

Welcome to the insanity!

Great advice. Razor burn is cause by two things: too much pressure and/or the incorrect angle. Use zero pressure and make sure the blade barely touches the face.

[mdunn]

welcome!

1) yes
2) wait

[pancake]

thanks again guys.

i don't have a wall mart or really any stores near me that sell brushes or soap. i checked the local pharmacy today and they have neither. i'm going to order a vulfix 660 and a puck of col. conk. i can get both for a little over $30. i think this should do the trick but please let me know if i'm off base.

[mretzloff]

thanks again guys.

i don't have a wall mart or really any stores near me that sell brushes or soap. i checked the local pharmacy today and they have neither. i'm going to order a vulfix 660 and a puck of col. conk. i can get both for a little over $30. i think this should do the trick but please let me know if i'm off base.

If you can get both for $30, that's good. If not, I'd opt to spent a little more money and get a Rooney 1/1. You did say you were on a tight budget, so that may be a thought for later.

Good luck

[pancake]

so by last night the razor burn was gone and i had another go at it. set the razor to 2 and went as light as possible. i didn't get the best shave but have no razor burn so i guess i'm on the right track. the hard part for me seems to be my chin and just under my chin. i haven't tried going against the grain yet and probably won't for a little while until i'm more comfortable. this is fun.

[kingfisher]

so by last night the razor burn was gone and i had another go at it. set the razor to 2 and went as light as possible. i didn't get the best shave but have no razor burn so i guess i'm on the right track. the hard part for me seems to be my chin and just under my chin. i haven't tried going against the grain yet and probably won't for a little while until i'm more comfortable. this is fun.

Good job. Aim for no burn at first, and then work toward closer shaves as you gain skill.

I would hold off on ATG for at least a month, but that's just me.