I seem to be caught in a constant struggle between razor burn and stubbly face. If I shave for long enough to get all the stubble off, it burns hell out of me (in particular, the skin of my neck), making it look awful for at least an hour or two. Even where I don’t get burn, it still seems to take a very long time and it usually seems as though there is stubble left.
I have been using a Mach III and regular shaving cream. I wet my face thoroughly (I usually shave right after I shower) and shave from the outside in. I tried using a shaving oil instead of cream but that made it way worse. Any advice would be welcome.
Personally, I wonder if it would be worth it to get an electric razor. Never used one, so I am not sure if they are better.
I just can’t shave every day. By the third day in a row, my face would be a mess. I wear a beard anyway so there isn’t a whole lot to shave. And with the beard, I seem to get away with a day or two worth of stubble.
I’ve had the same problem for a long time. And I work in the chemical industry, so I have to be clean-shaven in case I need to put on a respirator.
Because my beard grows so slowly, I can get away with a day or two of not shaving. But the best thing I’ve found is to shave the night before I need to be clean-shaven.
I’ve tried electric razors, and endured the months of “acclimating” that was supposed to be needed. No dice. It looked like someone had been slapping me in the face for hours. I tried several brands of electric razor; they all seemed to be ripping the hairs out, painfully.
I use a Mach III, too; more blades seems to work better. But go for the sensitive skin gels. And an after-lotion that’s for soothing sensitive skin, something with aloe. If I have the time, I lay a hot, damp towel over my beardy area before and after shaving (moisten towel, stick in microwave for 35-45 sec).
I seem to be cursed with a beard that is half soft baby bum fluff, and half stout oak. The baby-butt stuff comes off easily, but the only way to do my hardwood chin and upper lip is thus:
Boil a kettle,
Pour boiling water into sink that has a face cloth in,
apply cloth to chin and upper lip - as hot as I can stand it,
apply shaving foam - I just use standard gillette stuff,
Shave with a naked blade - Bic disposables usually - I’ve tried every multiple-blade solution out there with poor results
Bingo!
It’s really annoying though. The hair on the sides of my face might as well belong to a different person. Different colour too. I’ve let it go for a few months a couple of times while travelling - blonde, ginger, my natural dark brown, it’s all there. I think if I ever went goatee I’d get away with an electric razor, but otherwise they are a poor excuse.
Electrics work much better if you use a pre-shave gel. It makes it much smoother, and I get a clean shave on my face though I still get some stubble down under my chin. I sometimes do one pass with a cartridge razor if I want to get rid of that.
Different shave lubricants give different results. I have a very heavy tuff beard.
When I want the closest shave possible, I will use Aramis Maximum Comfort Shave Cream (not the shave gel in the pressurized can) and shave twice. Once as soon as I get out of the shower shaving with the grain, then re-wet my face and shave against the grain. For everyday shaving, I find that the Gillette Fusion Hydra Gel does a very good job.
Your razor makes a big difference also. We have had a couple of threads around here about the Gillette Fusion razor, and the people that don’t use them seem to think that it is hype, the users seem to think they are wonderful, myself included. I find the power fusion (and the power mach 3) give a closer shave.
So if I were going to rate shaves from worst to best it would go
Mach3 < Fusion one time with gel < Fusion one time with Aramis* < Fusion twice with gel* < Fusion twice with Aramis.
I shave each morning by holding the razor under running hot water and then just dry shave. Once in a while I use shaving foam but I don’t find that it makes much difference other than clogging the blades faster.
Make sure your face and razor are as clean as possible. Also, use hot water (as hot as you can stand) to soften up the hairs prior to shaving.
Keep experimenting with lubricants. Creams, oils, gels – there are a million out there, and they are important. I don’t understand the poster above who shaves with just water. That is painful to even think about.
If all else fails, grow a beard. Seriously. I think I’ve done everything humanly possible in the quest for the perfect shave, and I still occasionally get a spot of razor burn on this particular spot on my neck. Different people have different levels of sensitivity and shaving is a violent, unnatural act. Sometimes people just have to look in the mirror and ask themselves whether a beard is uglier than a red, bumpy, throbbing, painful face.
Electric razor, dude. I’ve been using one for at least a year and a half, and I’m never going back. It takes some getting used to, since you’re shaving with a different style, but my Norelco 7735x gets the hair off my face very well.
A couple years ago, I went through a period of super-sensitive skin. I don’t know why. I used to look really raw after I shaved. My neck in particular started suffering from ingrown hairs and a lot of irritation. My friend’s girlfriend at the time worked at a dermatology clinic and recommended Bump Off.
It’s a product especially designed for African American men (who have coarser beards, I guess) and men suffering from very sensitive skin. The shaving gels have a beard softener that really did the trick. You can find it in stores that specialize in hair care products for African Americans.
ebarbershop.com has it listed under Shaving>>Ethnic Shave if you want an idea of what products are available and roughly how much they cost (i U.S. Dollars).