shaving rash/bumps

bombidol

sometimes i get a rash or red bumps (i think its called razor burn), on my face after having a shave,
i knows its fairly common but does anyone know of a way to get rid of it? i heard witchazel works but im not sure.
anyone know anything about this??

Dr. Loon

Shave properly, and use Vitamin E, ie - E45.
Although some people get it even if they shave properly. I get it on one side of my neck sometimes, E45 sorts it out.

Thanx 4 The Fish

Curing razor burn is simple and easy, simply soften face with a light layer of moisturizer before applying shaving foam. Allow the cream to penetrate into the skin and then shave off. Your skin will feel softer and supple and no more rashes too!

To start with, ensure that the toiletries used for shaving are up to the mark; avoid using blunt blades as these give a poor shave. It is ideal to shave after one showers as the skin is moist and supple. Here are a few hints to get a close, clean shave:
Wash face with a facial wash as this will soften the beard and dislodge grime from the skin.
Apply shaving foam/bar/cream and work up a rich lather (use a shaving oil in case you suffer from dry skin) massage well into the area.
Shave in short strokes in the same direction as hair grows this avoids hair in-growth.
Rinse the residue and apply a toner.
As regards after-shave, opt for one with sandalwood as the herb has a cooling effect and exudes a natural fragrance that is soothing. Furthermore sandalwood has antiseptic properties that can heal nicks and cuts.

Gordon

Yeah, as pointed out -
Shave with the growth of hair (I usually shave this way and then shave against the grain afterwards)
Try to shave with a nice lubricant type cream
Always use the sharpest razor (3 blade razors are great but really are expensive - but last longer etc..)
Rinse your face with cold cold water afterwards - closes the pores too.

However, in saying that, occasionaly I get away with shaving with no creams and no soap against the grain with a one razored bic razor. It could just be the time you take and the care you take in shaving.

As an ex-girlfriend of mine used to say "Put love into your cooking or I'm not eating your food". Maybe this applies to shaving too?!

WhiteWashMan

shave with a sharp razor. dont be chaep and use the same one for 6 months running.
use hot water. clean the razor after ever single stroke.
use a decent gel or foam
no need to press so hard, all you are doing is removing the skin.

after that you shouldnt get any razor burn.
and as loon says, use e45 moisturisor. its good for the skin.

not that you need it bone-idle, dont oyu wear a blue mask with a silver lightening strike on the face when you wrestle?

BEAT

A common mistake is rinsing the razor with hot or warm water as you are shaving...are you doing this?
if so , that's your problem. rinse with hot and then Dip it in cold water before you put it on your face...this is ofcourse if you are not using an electric razor hehe
if you are , then do what gordon said and rinse your face with cold water.
also, use a sharp razor each time, throw out the old one after the second or third use, depending on the brand ofcourse.
witch hazel is used after facials to close the pores and make the skin tighter...if you want to try that you can but it tends to dry out the skin.
It wont help to rinse with cold water then use the hazel...for the hazel to work you must rinse with warm water then apply.

so try both ways and goodluck!

bombidol

the old mask is in the dry cleaners wwm, the new one has an open front you know;) thanks lads ill try that, my biggest thing is that i shave in the shower in the mornings with a mach 3 with king of shaves foam or palmolive sensitive skin foam, so im not cheaping out on the gear. ill bring a cup of cold water into the shower with me and try that. i probably shave against the hair too, so ill stop that!

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by bombidol
the old mask is in the dry cleaners wwm, the new one has an open front you know;) thanks lads ill try that, my biggest thing is that i shave in the shower in the mornings with a mach 3 with king of shaves foam or palmolive sensitive skin foam, so im not cheaping out on the gear. ill bring a cup of cold water into the shower with me and try that. i probably shave against the hair too, so ill stop that!

i shave in the shower too.
i reckon you either have over sensitive skin, or you are just feeling your face for stuble, and then shaving the shít out of yourself to get it. which is a big mistake. you will always have alittle feel of it, especially in the shower as your skin is so soft, so just try running, or gliding the blade over yourself, and try not to remove several layers of skin at the same time.

softly softly catchy monkey

po0k

Can you say bumfluff ?

bombidol

lol, i wish i had bumfluff, it would make things a lot easier:)

corkey

Jse a good facecream afterwards and a good aftershave put it on before your just leaveing 10 mints

Baldy

I never get anything like that anymore but thats but i shave after spending ten minutes in the shower! so soften up ye olde face with a bit of water in da shower and ye old problems with the rash shall dissappear!

Gordon

If you're in the shower you could be rushing it, take it easy, [chef mode on] shaving your face is like making love to a woman... etc etc [chef mode off]

Dr. Loon

Originally posted by Baldy
I never get anything like that anymore but thats but i shave after spending ten minutes in the shower! so soften up ye olde face with a bit of water in da shower and ye old problems with the rash shall dissappear!

Aftershave does nothing for your skin aside from make you smell nice! It actually irritates it.

Or am I making this up? I can't remember, so if you're interested enough do a search.

E45 is the way forward. For all your needs.

kayos

I find that "Total Shaving Solution" oil is great for shaving with. I used to get shaving rash all the time but since I start using this I hardly ever get it. I also shave after my a shower so the face is nice and soft

kayos

Samba

Kayos beat me to it, Total Shave solution is the bees kness, i never get rashes anymore and as it says on the label its pain free shaving, only thing you may dislike about is its quite strong menthol fragrence

bombidol

i actually bought shaving iol, it was somerset, same stuff as TSS, i used it once or twice before someone threw it out on me!:mad:
good stuff leaves your skin feeling really fresh, i must try and get some more of it down the chemist.

Bomb

Dave

I use an electric razor. Granted it's not as close as a blade, it gets the job done quickly. Usually i'm legging it out the door in the morning so the quicker the better.

Jimi-Spandex

Fresh razors + cold water splash after shaving + nivea aftershave balm (I dare to care damnit)

But I do get it from time to time, usually after being rushed/ shaving against the hair

po0k

I do the same myself Jimi.
I gave that total solution jobbie a go a while back, must try it again for a bit longer.

LegacyUser

http://www.totalshave.com

As mentioned above

Clintons Cat

lay off the witchhazel its an astringent and may be exacerbating the problem by closing the pores meaning your skin is not breathing properly.
that goes for aftershave and cologne to.

also if your using shave foam make sure you rinse you face THOUROGHLY after shaving.

use disposable razors and never ever reuse them.

shave the irritated area last as if your problem is being caused by bacteria doing this will help contain the infected area

LegacyUser

Do you shave and then let a good bit of growth build up? Thats what always causes shaving rash for me. What I found fixes it is doing all the good things like shaving after shower and using mach 3 etc. but shave every day or twice a day for a week or so. Even if you have no discernable stubble why this works but it really gets rid of the old burn.

alb

I find that shaving in the morning always leaves my skin in bits and I get more cuts, so now I only shave in the evenings and I find its much better. I don't know whether your skin is different at different time sof the day or whether I shave better when I'm not just out of bed

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by alb
I find that shaving in the morning always leaves my skin in bits and I get more cuts, so now I only shave in the evenings and I find its much better. I don't know whether your skin is different at different time sof the day or whether I shave better when I'm not just out of bed

its becuase your skin is more sensitive after you wake up, and hasnt been abused by the days sunshine (yeah right!) smoke, smog, carbon monoxide etc etc etc.

LegacyUser

I used to suffer big time with this when I was younger.
After years of trying different methods below is how I avoid getting the rash...

1. Always shave in the shower
2. Use gilette sensor blades (try to use use the blades for as long as possible - new blades always cut I find)
3. Use gillette saving gel (the stuff for sensative skin)
4. Only shave every 3/4 days or when you have a decent amount of stuble.

Never ever use bic razors.. ever !!!!!

VinceBlack

Top advice from the guys.

Basically it would not be common if we were all taught how to shave by a competent practicioner as opposed to by the old man or not at all. Who remembers Homer teaching Bart how to shave?

All you need is a 'sharp' razor, hot water, washing your face first with hot water to soften the grizzle, going with the direction of hair growth [some top male groomer types disagree with this for closeness] using a good gel based foam such as Gillette and something like Nivea Balm as the aftershave [it's cheap and effective].