Thread: Pimples irritation and razor burn. Technique? Blades? Soap/Aftershave?

Hi There,
My Barber in Calgary gives me advice to help with the same issue.....
What I do is use a cleansing wipe before I start anything.
If you have an anti-bacterial soap to wash your face with that is good too.
If it is really bad, get something medicated even a deep cleaning oxy pad works great.
Ease up a bit on the tension in the area that is sensitive.
Before I use a cold towel to close up the pores again, I cleans my face one more time.

DON'T touch your sensitive areas. Use the oxy pads or some other cleanser for those areas and STAY AWAY from any oily creams etc.....

I am very sure this will solve your issue.

GOOD LUCK!

Try.
Marda Loop Barber Shop.

Hi there,

I started to use a parker barber razor a couple months back with shark single blades also I have problems with my skin natural, with pimples and blemishs to much natural oils in my skin. I use my parker daily using the three pass method, wtg/xtg/atg with no problems and over time think it has actually began to clear up alot of problems for me. What I do is make sure to use my regular soap or a face wash such as clean and clear deap action face wash or something similar to throughly was my beard area. I take my time here as it helps get the beard ready to be shaved. I aply my shave soap, I use VDH D, I shave and after my third pass splash the area I just shaved with as cold as water as I can take then pat dry and then follow up with oxy's after shave which has acne med in it can burn if you have nicked yourself but otherwise not bad stuff. I then let the after shave dry and follow up with a mostiorizer I use aveeno's clear complexion daily mostiorizer as it dries fast and is not greasy also has small amout of acne med and helps that my wife likes the way it smells.

Hope this helps you some

Originally Posted by dinerroll1066

I've just recently entered the exciting world of shaving with straights. More accurately
....snip...

The reason I only shave every third day or so, is because if I go more often than that, these razor burn areas turn into
....snip...
Any help or advice would be deeply appreciated.[/SIZE] [/SIZE]

Well there are a lot of possible issues....

Simplify the problem, use a very short list of products.

Use a very mild shave soap or cream.
I recommend a fragrance free shave soap like:
Shaving Lotions, Shaving Soaps, Creams, Lotions & Toiletries - ClassicShaving.com
Do try Williams and VDH first if you can find them local
for the price they are hard to ignore.

Do not use an aftershave, just rinse clean with warm
clear water and pat dry. Twenty min after
you might try Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm. The
twenty min is important.

I would hazard a guess that your blade is dull or it
is being held at too aggressive an angle. I find that
the Yellow handled BiC for sensitive skin tossable razors
are inexpensive enough and sharp enough to recommend
in a situation like this. It solves the sharp enough
and correct angle well enough....

Lastly shave with one simple systematic pass. No
second ATG pass. One pass, re-lather, feel for patches
that you might have missed and tidy only those bits up.
Rinse with warm clear water, pat dry.....

Once you skin is under control you can change one thing
at a time and give that change a three day test.

Use a fresh clean towel each day. The first seven day
set to buy is a set of shave towels (cotton kitchen glass
towels are great).

I'll echo some of LG Roy's suggestions:

Try using very little -- almost no pressure when shaving. Also, resist the urge to make multiple passes across and against the grain. Instead, just make one pass with the grain and call it a day. Yes, you might not end up with a wickedly close, sticky shave but in my experience, using only one pass really cuts down on pimples and ingrown hairs. These techniques are made easier with a very sharp blade.

Also, bear in mind that shaving with the grain doesn't necessarily mean shaving straight down your face. If you refrain from shaving for a few days and then look closely at your beard, you may find that hairs grow in different directions on various parts of your face and neck.

I've also had some success with a product called Burt's Bees Acne Spot Treatment. It contains salicylic acid (don't ask me how it works -- I'm an historian who almost failed HS chemistry) but it does a nice job of soothing ingrown hairs fairly quickly.

Best of luck with straight razor shaving.

Yeah pimple is small infection.... we can control it..here i am sharing some home remedies for pimples that are...

1. Apply grated potatoes as poultice to treat skin blemishes, wrinkles, boils, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads , etc.
2. Applying an orange peel paste on the area of your face with pimples is another effective way. The orange peel should become a paste by grinding it with little water.
3. For additional protection from the formation of blackheads, combine 1 part fresh lime juice with 1 part groundnut oil. Apply the mixture to your face.
4. Potatoes grated and applied on affected area can cure pimples. It is also effective on curing boils, whiteheads, blackheads, and other skin blemishes.

I had the same problem on my chin, mine was caused by too much pressure, but as library says, it could be any number of things.

Originally Posted by Library Guy

1066,

The lesions you describe are an inflammatory process caused by one or more of the following:

*Mechanical irritation caused by the blade or a hair follicle 'pricking' as it grows back through the skin.

*Chemical irritation from soaps, oils, and aftershaves.

*An immunological reaction to chemicals (see above)

*Primary bacterial infection or secondary infection caused by inflammation described above.

Solution?

*Prep technique: Avoid extremes in water temperature and scrubbing the face.

*Shaving technique: Shave with the grain. Use less pressure and avoid multiple passes. A sharp edge will make this easier.

*Chemicals: Use a hypoallergenic shaving soap sparingly and rinse thoroughly. Avoid the temptation to put anything else on the face except water. Consider showering after shaving.

As always, consider seeking medical advice if the problem continues.

LG Roy (Not a doctor but I work with the insufferable bastiges everyday.)

I didn't get over background acne until I was in my late 30s. Funny thing is it makes you look younger, for what that's worth.

In the summertime I have to shave at night and let my skin get over it while I sleep in the nice cool room. Otherwise, no matter how careful or gentle I am, it throws an angry bumpy red tantrum. It doesn't help that my work is sweaty and dusty. But it did help to shedule around it.

+1 on the set of clean towels suggestion, and on the cold rinse. After a couple of hot rinses to remove the last lather, I do a warm rinse then a couple of cold ones, as cold as the tap will run. Then, if I feel at all burnt by the shave, I'll slap on some witchazel and call it good.