Not getting any results

[ron177]

Hi all,

Mostly out of recommendations from this site, I bought a Merkur HD along with Merkur and Feather blades. My first and second shaves so far have been worst in many many years.

The first time I tried the Merkur blade. The problems I encountered have been the following:

1. I had to slow down (which everyone had said that to me before, but somehow I didn't expect this much slow down). It took me three times as much time to shave as I would do with a Gillette Fusion (which was my mode of shaving before switching). I wonder if it's worth the time. If I had gotten a good shave, I hadn't mind it but I didn't.

2. So I slowed down, and then the blade is not really shaving the hairs. My strokes are small and I make sure to rinse the razor after two strokes on each side of the blades. I am not shaving against the grain either (something I would do with a Gillette without much problems). With all this, after one time shaving, I had still so much hair left that I put on more foam/soap for another shave. With a second shave, I came a little closer to an OK shave (still nothing like with a Gillette).

3. Another problem is that my neck is filled with either ingrown hairs or some sort of rash which came as a result of shaving with this razor and even worse I can't shave this area of my neck without bleeding and causing more rash. Unthinkable. I had no idea what I am getting myself into....

So I am thinking that maybe this not working for me. Any tips? Am I missing something? I dislike Gillette shaving and I so much wanted to like my razor and wet shaving but I am now contemplating whether I should take up electric shaving.

[jsrdrnr]

First off...it takes time for your face to adjust to the new style of shaving.

second...you must go slow in the beginning. Remember to not use any pressure and let the weight of the razor do the work. You are on the right track. Get you some witch hazel for the irritation.

Lastly, give it some time. Your face will get used to it and you will get increadible shaves.

[Luc]

All right, let's take those in order

Time: How much time is 3x time? Don't worry if it takes you between 30-90 minutes. I think my very first shave was 60 minutes. With time, you will get better at it and your time will go down. I average 25 mins with a DE and 35 with a straight at the moment.

Shaving WTG: That's good, time to unlearn those habits with a Fusion. Your shave will become closer and closer with experience. When you will do XTG and maybe ATG, this is when the shave will get closer. Don't give up. The Merkur isn't the best blade around, a razor blade sample pack is the way to go to find what works best for you. I don't think I would get a very close shave either if I was doing a 2 passes WTG. However, stick with it until you feel confident enough and ready to go XTG. It's a learning process.

Ingrowns: Too much pressure. You need to let the razor work for you. The weight of the razor is enough if your angle is right!

How's your prep/Lather at the moment?

[ron177]

I am shaving usually after shower or use pre shaving scrub oil. 25 minutes won't work really for me. I hoped 10 minutes maximum. Right now I spend somewhere close to 20 minutes shaving and I am unhappy with that amount of time being spent for a shave. I can't afford that. I am a student with a very tight schedule in the mornings. You know! My second shave was with a Feather blade which everyone says is the sharpest.

[Drubbing]

Honestly, if you're in it to save time, go back to the Fusion. I recently graduated studying a mix of full and part time, as well as holding down a full time job, with 3 pre-school kids at home. And I could still find time to shave.

But it sounds like you expected DE to be both faster and better. It's not faster; the tools don't do it all by themselves.

This will take time to learn the right technique, and shaves will still probably take longer than a Fusion, even after learning. This is one reason why many of us do it. You won't get clean shaven in one pass, reduction of stubble with 2-3 passes is how it's done.

After 3 months, I'm only just starting to get more consistent shaves, as far as closeness and comfort goes.

As Luc said, burn and ingrowns are the result of pressure; you don't bear down on the razor with a DE - you have to with a cart, as they down weigh anything.

The Merkur blades get very little love, there are far better that cost less.

[Venom8431]

Don't forget that when you are shaving with a DE you don't have a razor that automatically contours to your face. While you are taking short strokes, which is good, you also need to pay attention to where those strokes start and end.

Picture your face as though it is a diamond. You need to make sure that each individual stroke sticks to one facet. If you don't, your blade could start at the right angle at the beginning of the stroke, but be on the wrong angle as you cross over into another facet.

One problem I had going from cartridge to DE was the pressure issue. With blades like the M3, you need to apply a bit of pressure to get the blade flush against your skin and catch your hair. I may be wrong, but I think the needed pressure also comes from the that all those blades are so lightweight and the negative effects of pressure are negated by the flexing blades. Furthermore, cartridge razors are a very forgiving type of blade. I honestly don't remember ever cutting myself with one outside of some early shaves. DEs and str8s on the other hand are pretty merciless and unyielding. But that drawback is one of the strengths of traditional wet shaving. You are in charge of controlling the angle and force of the blade which better allows you get more or less aggressive.

It would also be a good idea to try some new blades. Most if not all people hate Merkur blades and the consensus on Feathers is about 50/50.

I'd say give it a few more tries and perfect your technique/process. If that doesn't work for you still then by all means do what is comfortable for you.

[ron177]

More Questions:

1. How many passes would you make on a single area of your face? Do you apply soap/foam for a second pass?

2. How does everyone shave generally? At the grain or agains it?

[kaboom]

Keep with it, I think every new shaver gets discouraged in the beginning. I have been using a DE for almost 3 mo now. Can get a shower and 4 pass shave in from start to finish in about 25-30 min.

DE is not the fastest way from A to B, but it sure is a scenic ride.

As an aside, I broke out my fusion for the first time in 2 months during a trip for work (due to airport security). Was curious how my shave would be with the old standby. I was surprised that I truly hated it - it felt like I was dragging a rug across my face, I never realized how much that cartridge tugged.

[ChrisS86]

I will add on to what Luc said in the end of his post (about shaving prep). The saying " proper preparation prevents poor performance" applies to shaving and is immensely important. Search the forums for "Kyle's Prep" to see what good, barbershop shave prep is like. It basically involves using some pre-whipped lather with a really warm towel on your face to make your beard hairs extra soft. In addition to this, be thorough with your initial face lathering. It's okay if this takes a while (say upwards to 2 minutes), just make sure the lather is thick and creamy and free of any bubbles.

I'll also comment on blade choice. I do not recommend Merkur blades as I find them to be very inconsistent and not sharp enough. I do not recommend Feathers for you because they are VERY sharp, and without almost perfect technique, you will cut yourself. Instead, I'd also recommend getting a sampler pack (West Coast Shaving has good ones). A gentler blade like Derby or Personna might be better for you, but try the different blades in the sampler pack to find the one truly right for you.

As far as technique with your blades/razor, I'll add that blade angle is very important. With your wrist locked, lay the razor about 30 degrees to your face, and take light, short strokes WITH the grain. Mantic (on the forum and YouTube videos) says to think of your face like a golf course. Shoot for "shaving par" by not taking more strokes than you need. The proper blade angle will help you cut all the hairs in the razor's path with minimal effort.

Make sure you also shave with the grain on your neck to avoid ingrown hair formation. This area is also problematic for me, so I can only go, at most, across the grain on my neck, or I will get ingrowns the next day. Again, the key is a light touch and proper blade angle. See if you can pick up an ingrown hair treatment like Anthony's or Baxter's to treat the bumps you have now.

Hopefully you will stick with DE shaving and get results. I'm sure you will as long as you are patient and follow the advice on the forums.

[dbconlin]

You really need to map the direction of growth on your neck. Many of us (including myself) have growth on the neck in every which way. Watch the Mantic video about mapping this growth, apply it to your own face and you may see dramatic improvements in the neck area in particular.

[lvsc10]

You have been given some excellent advice. As previously stated, you need to unlearn all your bad habits and sloppy technique with those other razors. First you need to take it slowly and work on your technique. Secondly, I would advise you to only shave WTG. This obviously will not yield the much sought after BBS. However, you will save your face much grief. To answer your question, shave your whole face, rinse with warm water, then reapply your cream/soap to shave again. Due to your current condition of your face, I would limit the amount of shaves right now. Hang in there and you will be rewarded with quality shaves. I shave WTG & ATG but never ATG. I have a heavy beard and sensitive skin and shaving ATG creates undue rash and possible ingrown hairs (something I try to avoid). Keep us posted on your progress!
BE PATIENT & BE SLOW

[s1mp13m4n]

I am a newbie to this form of shaving as well. There is some great advice listed here. The goal of this type of shaving is hair reduction with each pass....not total removal in one pass. This is about pampering yourself, enjoying the shave and spending time on yourself. :) I can understand the rush and this type of shaving does not lend itself to rushing. Here is something you can look at that will help you learn more about wet shaving, this was a great help to me and still is. Mantic has some wonderful videos for learning. Remember this is about getting a wonderful shave over time. After a while this becomes relaxing and enjoyable. Please keep trying, you will be rewarded with a great shave if you do. :)

[19Delta]

Yeah, what everyone has said. I started with a merkur futur and bought cf lavender sc, as and the pre shave and was seriously dissapointed in the shave. But after a while my shaves improved and now I shave about as fast with the fusion. But believe me, I felt EXACTLY like you did, so keep at it.

[michiganlover]

Originally Posted by ron177

Hi all,

Mostly out of recommendations from this site, I bought a Merkur HD along with Merkur and Feather blades. My first and second shaves so far have been worst in many many years.

Woah...what?? Someone on this site actually recommended Merkur blades for a newbie? Most newbies have minimal success with them, and even veteran shavers tend to agree they are an average blade at best.

I wouldn't recommend a new shaver start with Feather's either. They are super sharp, and not very forgiving of errors in technique.

Ok, let me be really blunt here: You have very unrealistic expectations of what your first wet shaving experiences should be like.

1) Until you hone your technique (which will take at least a month, and perhaps 2-3) your shaves with a DE are going to take pretty close to 30 minutes.

2) You can't expect a top quality shave right off the bat. You are just developing your technique, and while you learn your shaves are not going to be perfect. You will improve but it will take time: probably at least a month.

3) You are using way too much pressure, which is leading to ingrowns, and irritation.

4) You need to give DE shaving a fair shake, and 3 shaves is not enough time to decide if this is the best option for you

5) If you are not willing to put the time in to learn technique, and not willing to dedicate enough time per day for a proper shave, then clearly this style of shaving is not for you.

[Boba Fett]

Originally Posted by michiganlover

Woah...what?? Someone on this site actually recommended Merkur blades for a newbie? Most newbies have minimal success with them, and even veteran shavers tend to agree they are an average blade at best.

I wouldn't recommend a new shaver start with Feather's either. They are super sharp, and not very forgiving of errors in technique.

Ok, let me be really blunt here: You have very unrealistic expectations of what your first wet shaving experiences should be like.

1) Until you hone your technique (which will take at least a month, and perhaps 2-3) your shaves with a DE are going to take pretty close to 30 minutes.

2) You can't expect a top quality shave right off the bat. You are just developing your technique, and while you learn your shaves are not going to be perfect. You will improve but it will take time: probably at least a month.

3) You are using way too much pressure, which is leading to ingrowns, and irritation.

4) You need to give DE shaving a fair shake, and 3 shaves is not enough time to decide if this is the best option for you

5) If you are not willing to put the time in to learn technique, and not willing to dedicate enough time per day for a proper shave, then clearly this style of shaving is not for you.

+1. I agree with John here. The Great Mantic compares wet shaving with a DE to driving a car--using the cartridge is the automatic, and going with the brush and safety razor is a manual. It takes practice and time to get good shaves, and they don't happen right away. Once you figure out all the products that work for you, then you will get great shaves resulting in a smooth face. But that takes time and use of different blades, razors, and creams, among many other things.

If you want perfect shaves in 10 minutes after a days practice, you will not find that here. You need to make time if you don't have it. Have a tight morning schedule? Shave at night, or get up a few hours earlier and go for a run first to wake you up. I am a full time pre-med student with three jobs, and I manage a 3 or 4 pass wetshave everyday--always in the morning? No. Always at night? No. I do one or the other depending on when I have the time to enjoy my shave and when I need to look most presentable. There is always time for an enjoyable shave, even if you don't know it.

If anything, wetshaving will not only help you enjoy the time you have, but it can help you budget that time and discipline yourself into a healthy daily routine, as it has with me. With the proper practice and technique, you will get better shaves, but it takes some commitment.

I hope you manage to obtain a new outlook on wethshaving, and come to enjoy this "hobby" of ours yourself. Good luck.

[Luc]

Originally Posted by ron177

More Questions:

1. How many passes would you make on a single area of your face? Do you apply soap/foam for a second pass?

2. How does everyone shave generally? At the grain or agains it?

1-I usually do 3 passes. I apply lather, shave with the grain, apply lather, shave across the grain, apply lather, shave against the grain.

at this stage, I think that you should try across the grain but don't go against just yet. As long as you don't get rid of those ingrown...

2-See previous.

Normally, you should shave where there's lather only. If you picked-up the lather, you need to re-apply lather again before you can shave the same spot.

Now. Regarding a 10 minutes shave, yes it's possible. However, it will take some time before you get there. It might be best for you to shave at night or when you have time. This is not the kind of thing that you should rush to get to. Like driving a car, it takes practice!

[PeterJames]

There's nothing that I could imagine that would be worse than quickly trying to DE-shave in the morning before class. Most people (and when I say most I mean, me... and presumably some others) are shaving enthusiasts because we enjoy the (long) morning ritual that culminates in a fresh shave.

If you aren't enjoying the process, or simply don't have time, it might not be an ideal thing to do at this point of your life. Maybe put your razor on hold until you can spare the time.

One thing I did while transitioning to wet-shaving was shave the easy parts of my face with whatever new and exotic razor I had, and then shave all the harder areas (like the neck) with whatever I was familiar with. I find it worked well (to a certain extent) for things such as blade angle, pressure, and being comfortable with the weight and feel of the razor.

[ron177]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. I am very indeed appreciative of your advice and tips. I will keep on shaving and learning. I have another question. I have been using my Gillette foam so far only because I want to finish it before buying and using a soap.

In terms of soap and brush, what would you recommend? I browsed through the reviews and I have chosen (tentatively speaking) Colonel Conk Almond soap but when it comes to brush there are tones out there. I wouldn't want something super expensive but I don't want to compromise quality either. So please make a recommendation or two.

[Uber Goober]

I was going to mention the canned foam, I don`t think a newcomer to DE wet shaving would do too well using a Feather blade, Gillette foam and being in a hurry! I would tend to integrate the DE routine with the Fusion at the moment, use the Fusion when you have little time, use the Merkur either at night as Luc suggested or whenever you have the time to spare but make sure you stick with it, improvement will be incremental over time.

When you have a successful combination of technique, blade & razor, lather and confidence DE razors can be almost as quick as the multiblade razors. The multi-blades are only quick because the blades are relatively blunt especially compared to Feathers, but you need three blades in a cartridge type head to do the job of one well sharpened DE blade and are far more expensive both fiscally & environmentally.

I`d try a Red Persona with your Merkur HD, use zero pressure on the handle just guide it where you want it to cut and only shave WTG for the moment until your face adjusts to the sharper blades. I say this in the context of intergrating the DE only when you have time.

As for the foam well I think it is just too weak to cushion against a really sharp blade, so I`d use the rest of the can with the Fusion only. As for brushes grab an Omega 49 series boar brush, economically priced and a very good performer. I wouldn`t buy too expensive a brush just yet until you have decided whether DE shaving is for you. For the soap I`d be buying a reliable shave stick and face lathering with it, this will ensure the ol` whiskas get a good rub up before you shave and you will get a better lather than from a can. I`m not sure where you reside so you may have to order online. Others may have alternate suggestions as to the brand but I`d say you can`t go wrong with Tabac.

Best of luck, be persistent and take your time, you`ll get soon enough

Stephen.

[bluedog]

As far as brushes go, I wouldn't go overboard until you get a bit more down the DE track. I used to use a boar bristle brush for about 18 months and that did the job. I then bought a badger brush for about $40 at one of the big department stores. That was a big improvement, mainly in getting a good lather. However, I forgot to pack it whilst on a 3 week holiday and had to buy a $2 supermarket special. I could notice the difference but it still got the lather on my face, which is the aim of the game afterall. So, I would suggest that you try something at the lower end first.

And as previously mentioned, try some other brand blades. You will be amazed at how different blades suit different people.

Keep at it because it is well worth the journey.