Shaving, Razor Bumps, Ingrown Hair

[AKIRA]

Ok on a another thread I asked about how to get rid of razor burn. I then saw a dermatologist and he said I had follic...itus (Trouble, what the fuck is it called again). I have been prescribed Tetracycline and Clindamycin. A pill and a lotion. I also asked my doc about my neck and he said I had ingrown hairs beyond belief and thats whats causing the redness.

He told me to shave against the grain to keep the hair shortest. AND To shave every day. "You can either grow it out or keep it short."

Well, I have been doing it and so far so good, but I just glaze over the fucking in grown hairs! Its come to the point that I have to take a needle, pull up the hair, then tweeze them out! Plus, I have to do it after I shave cuz then I wont see them as well.

In conclusion, this fucking sucks. I just pulled out 10-12 hairs and now I am bleeding. Am I really gonna have to do this every damn day now? Is there an ointment that melts the hair off or something (something like NAIR that wont make me run to an ice bucket)? Something to get rid of the redness?

My procedure is as follows..

Shower and wash my face with a Neutrogena Pre Shave (has exfoliators in it..yay)

I then get out and dry my face off, then immediately put on a shaving lather with aloe and some other shit with the letter L. As I apply this shit on my face, I let my mach 3 razor sit under the hot flowing water.

I then shave against the grain, taking my time.

I then rinse off with cold to lukewarm water.

I apply the Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion thats supposed to be for redness, irritation, sensitive skin. It burns a little.

Next that goes on once the Lotion is dried, is the clindamycin.

At this point, my face is still red and just doesnt look good. Plus its pale since I cant get any sun while using these medicines.
I also got some bump remover thats directly for black men when it comes to this shit. Fact is, I dont know when to apply it. I tried it today after I shaved, but it didnt disappear like the lotion did, so I rinsed it off and applied the neutrogena instead.

 

[MyK]

are you using short strokes? changing your blade regularly??

I also use gillete shaving gel for sensitive skin with aloe, I find it is the best

 

[AKIRA]

Holy shit, I thought this reply was going to be a joke. Short strokes as opposed to long? Ill divide my strokes between my cheek and my neck. Hell, even my jaw bone gets a stroke of its own!

 

[MyK]

the more strokes the better! is what BigDyl always says!


your rinsing your blade between strokes right???

 

[AKIRA]

the more strokes the better! is what BigDyl always says!


your rinsing your blade between strokes right???

Yes with hot water.

 

[Stewart14]

they told you to shave AGAINST the grain?

Damn, if I did that, my neck would look like a fuckin road map. Of course, shaving with the grain is no where near as close and by 5 pm of the day I shave, it looks like I never did, but I can't imagine shaving every day.

did they say that with time, your face would become accustomed to the shaving and all will be well? Like, maybe in the beginning your face would get mangled, but after some conditioning, it will be better in the long run?

I am curious, I can't shave well either, my face gets messed up, red bumps, ingrown hairs, etc, so I just shave every 4 days or so and look like a bum.

 

[MyK]

they told you to shave AGAINST the grain?

Damn, if I did that, my neck would look like a fuckin road map. Of course, shaving with the grain is no where near as close and by 5 pm of the day I shave, it looks like I never did, but I can't imagine shaving every day.

did they say that with time, your face would become accustomed to the shaving and all will be well? Like, maybe in the beginning your face would get mangled, but after some conditioning, it will be better in the long run?

I am curious, I can't shave well either, my face gets messed up, red bumps, ingrown hairs, etc, so I just shave every 4 days or so and look like a bum.

ohh, I missed that!

yes always with the grain!! ouch!

 

[AKIRA]

He said because of my already ingrown hairs, he wanted the hairs to be at their shortest. When I shave with the grain the hair gets shorter, but its pointed downward. So it digs into the skin, thus ingrown hairs. When I shave against the grain, I shave the hair completely off and when the hair grows back, it grows in a upward direction.

It does hurt shaving everyday, but it looks better than before. My razor burn is now my fine tuning, if you will. The hair I was tweezing earlier looked like little dots before I dug them up. When I pulled it out from under the skin, it looked almost as long as a pubic hair!

 

[KelJu]

He said because of my already ingrown hairs, he wanted the hairs to be at their shortest. When I shave with the grain the hair gets shorter, but its pointed downward. So it digs into the skin, thus ingrown hairs. When I shave against the grain, I shave the hair completely off and when the hair grows back, it grows in a upward direction.

It does hurt shaving everyday, but it looks better than before. My razor burn is now my fine tuning, if you will. The hair I was tweezing earlier looked like little dots before I dug them up. When I pulled it out from under the skin, it looked almost as long as a pubic hair!

Yeah, it???s creepy pulling those 3 inch hairs out from under your skin. It feels like some alien thing in you. I have had what you describe since I was 13. I can???t use blades. I have been using a Braun electric razor since I was 18, and I will never go back. It cost about $120.00, but they are worth it. It also takes much longer with an electric razor, but I do what I got to do.
Dermatologist gave me tetracycline, and it never did shit. My dad told me his went away during his late 20's, so I expect my skin to clear up in the next 3 or 4 years.

 

[AKIRA]

Yeah, it???s creepy pulling those 3 inch hairs out from under your skin. It feels like some alien thing in you. I have had what you describe since I was 13. I can???t use blades. I have been using a Braun electric razor since I was 18, and I will never go back. It cost about $120.00, but they are worth it. It also takes much longer with an electric razor, but I do what I got to do.
Dermatologist gave me tetracycline, and it never did shit. My dad told me his went away during his late 20's, so I expect my skin to clear up in the next 3 or 4 years.

Whether I shave with the grain or against it, I still get rocked. Against it nets a smoother shave however. BUT. It doesnt matter if I shave with a straight razor or electric either. In fact, i stopped using my electrics only cuz they stopped charging. I went through 2 Self-cleaning Brauns, then I got the newer "titanium" self cleaning braun and just like the others, it stopped getting a charge.

I started then stopped taking the tetra cuz of its annoying dosage. Plus I started to clear up...maybe I didnt take it long enough. I didnt even finish half the bottle, but theres so many pills, I am not sure if I have to finish the bottle! But I am back on...

Still though, what do you guys do for your ingrown hairs!!!

 

[Gordo]

Still though, what do you guys do for your ingrown hairs!!!

Try a mild daily facial scrub. Then once a week (or every second week) use a deep scrub and facial mask. On the weekend I let it grow to give my face a break from daily shaving. Makes a big difference.

 

[slip]

dude, shave BEFORE you shower. wet your face with warm water. put the product on, and use VERY SHORT LIGHT STROKES that go WITH the grain, rinsing very very regularly. ridiculously regularly. i used to be very sensitive and get lots of red dots/ingrown hairs - now im bump free.

shaving after showering, and espeically after exfoliating, is madness. stop it. use a mild cleanser in the shower after a shavee, and then a toner after you dry. nutrogena and l'oreal if have found to be good cleansers, but cetafil/cetaphil is a very mild and effective one.

 

[BigDyl]

the more strokes the better! is what BigDyl always says!


your rinsing your blade between strokes right???

I saw that!

 

[Witchblade]

Maybe you could use some product that removes hair? The male version of what women use for their legs, for example.

 

[Gordo]

Maybe you could use some product that removes hair? The male version of what women use for their legs, for example.

On your face........ouch. From what I understand it irritates the hell out of your skin. Your face would probably melt off

 

[DOMS]

dude, shave BEFORE you shower.

You've got this wrong. Shaving after you shower is the way to go. The skin is supple and softened by the warm water and in a better state to be shaved.

I used to shave before and I had way more razor burn than I do by shaving afterward. In fact, I get very little razor burn now.

Also Akira, don't just throw the shaving cream on your face and start hacking away. Make sure to rub it in well and give it a few minutes to do its job of lubricating. Also, if you haven't already, give shaving gels a try.

Another thing that helps is to crane your neck back when you shave (thus creating a flatter surface) and learn how to pull on your face so that you flatten the surface of all the places that you shave.

You might also want to buy a shaving cream brush. Badger hair is the way to go. It's more expensive, but it's worth it. This will work the shaving cream into your beard better than your fingertips can.

Don't use disposable razors. They're absolute crap. Get the Gillette Mach 3 or something like it. And don't forget to throw out the razor head every week.

 

[MyK]

I saw that!

 

[je1199]

I'm a not a male so I'm not an expert on shaving a face, but I have had similar problems with shaving my legs and after seeing all the work you go through to get a smooth finish, I feel for you guys! Ingrown hairs suck! Not only are they uncomfortable, they irritate the skin so much it ends up looking like crap. -They suck!

Some tips that might help (from a female's experience):

Warm-hot water and applied pressure on the area where you get the ingrown hairs will help bring the ingrown hair to the surface. This will also give you a much closer shave. Ever wonder why some barbers heat up the shaving cream before they apply it on your face? or put a hot towel on the area before shaving? ... they know what they're doing. You can buy products that will warm your shaving cream for you, but ultimately applying pressure with a hot towel is the best for pesky ingrown hairs to come out)

Exfoliate your skin by scrubbing. Some experts recommend scrubbing in a circular motion with luffa-type scrubbers. This didn't solve my problem with my legs because my skin is too sensitive for tough exfoliators, but even mildly doing this has helped reduce ingrown hairs.

Another way to exfoliate your skin is to use face washes, skin toners, and moisturizing lotions with ingredients that will help regenerate new skin cells and get rid of dead ones. This is important especially if you have been digging hairs out because you have most likely damaged the follicle and surrounding skin-which will lead to even worse ingrown hairs from the damaged follicle in the future (trust me, I know). Also, the dead skin cells caused from digging at your skin will clog your pores and hair follicles in that area, leaving pimples and blocking hairs in more follicles. You need to get rid of as much of those dead skin cells as possible and generate, new healthier skin in its place to avoid scarring (not always visible to the naked eye). Make sure the products you use are for sensitive skin and have aloe, etc. to reduce redness. Ingredients to look for as far as removing dead skin: Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, and Salicylic Acid. Ingredients to look for that will help you regenerate healthy skin cells are: Allantoin, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, and important vitamins for your skin like Vitamin E and Vitamin B. And of course, be weary of any products with ingredients you may be allergic or sensitive to. If the ingredients above irritate your skin, then seek alternatives...those are just I always look for and have worked for me.


As far as a hair removal cream: Stay far, far away! If you have sensitive skin, it doesn't matter how much aloe the product says it has or how much you plan to apply afterwords... it cannot "soothe" your skin enough to avoid bumps and redness of skin irritation. These creams are BURNING the hair ....so yes, they will burn like hell on sensitive skin. If you think shaving causes bad bumps, its nothing compared to putting cream on your skin strong enough to hairs off (btw, hair is burned below the skin surface and as it starts growing back with your horribly irritated skin cause further irritation occurs).

As far as topical lotions and products you may also want to explore, there are products that can slow your hair growth. Usually, they are applied after waxing or sugaring methods of hair removal and tend to contain natural, gentle ingredients. You can find them at beauty supply stores for sure, but I've never seen them in a grocery store or drug store.

That's all the tips of females that I know of.

 

[Built]

Weird one, but I'm so happy I discovered this I really must share: coconut oil. Get a jar of regular coconut oil (this does not have to be extra virgin, just regular coconut cooking oil. I get mine at an Iranian grocery store.) Have your shower, exfoliate blah blah blah... then when your skin and beard are really hydrated and still wet, smear about a teaspoon of coconut oil onto your face and shave. It is SO soothing, not at all drying, and you'll get the closest shave of your life. No skin irritation whatsover. Cheap, natural, no weird chemicals, emollient...

Try it.

 

[goob]

Weird one, but I'm so happy I discovered this I really must share: coconut oil. Get a jar of regular coconut oil (this does not have to be extra virgin, just regular coconut cooking oil. I get mine at an Iranian grocery store.) Have your shower, exfoliate blah blah blah... then when your skin and beard are really hydrated and still wet, smear about a teaspoon of coconut oil onto your face and shave. It is SO soothing, not at all drying, and you'll get the closest shave of your life. No skin irritation whatsover. Cheap, natural, no weird chemicals, emollient...

Try it.

Cocunut oil, virgin oil? What is this, a recipie Built?

 

[KelJu]

Well, two years later and I still can't shave with a blade or I break out big time. I'm growing another beard, because I'm tired of fucking with this shit.

 

[min0 lee]

I always thought this was exclusive to Blacks.

 

[AKIRA]

I am still fucked over here.

 

[lucifuge]

shit, I'm 34 and half the time I still look like I shave with a chipper shredder....
I tried the electric's for a while and they tore me up worse than the blades...
however, the best option I've found,(and it's not 100% effective mind you) is to actually shave during your shower. Especially if you blade your head like I do. Put some shaving cream or gel on about 5 minutes before you hop in the shower and let it soften up the hair and then go to town. The only drawback is finding a decent anti-fog shave mirror.

 

[biggfly]

Akira...I shave IN the shower. I sit in the hot water on my face, thus opening the pores wide open, and while shaving while taking a shower(get a fogless mirror), the steam keeps the pores at their widest open stage. I shave against the grain, and I QUIT using any Neutrogena after shave products, regardless of what they claim on the label. After I shave I spray on a facial toner spray(mostly witch hazel, glyceral water etc), and then use a light amount of a vitamin e/vitamin c facial specific lotion(The BOdy SHop) and it works perfectly. I have thick, coarse hair and my beard(whiskers) are very thick and coarse thus making me very susceptible to ingrowns. But with this process I get zero, none. Clear as day. Try it. OK...now I am officially gay...nah fuck that...I'm just vain.

 

[danzik17]

You could give a DE (double edged) razor blade a shot. I find that it is way less irritating than shaving with one of those multiple blade deals.

I also use a badger hair brush and use actual shaving soaps and creams, not the prepackaged chemical bath in a can.

If you're interested in it, a good starting razor is the Merkur HD (that's what I use). The actuals razor blades vary quite a bit too. I like the Israeli made razors where some other people like Gillettes or Derbys. It's a lot of experimentation.

There is a bit of a learning curve though, it's much more difficult than hacking away with one of the newer Gillettes or something. Make sure the first time you try it is during the night so your face has time to heal from the inevitable cuts while you're learning.

 

[AKIRA]

For me it looks like I have no choice. I am either going to have to take some advice and try new things or just get laser hair removal for my neck.

 

[KelJu]

For me it looks like I have no choice. I am either going to have to take some advice and try new things or just get laser hair removal for my neck.

Yep. I have seen your pictures, and you and I have the same skin. We have coarse hairs that cause serious skin problems under the neck when we shave with a blade, and it may never go away. I have already tried nearly everything out there, and I am left with only these options: Grow a beard, shave only with a quality electric razor, or get laser hair removal on my neck. .

 

[min0 lee]

Yep. I have seen your pictures, and you and I have the same skin.

Have you ever check to see if your related?

You just never know....this could be the start of a beautiful relationship.

 

[AKIRA]

Yep. I have seen your pictures, and you and I have the same skin. We have coarse hairs that cause serious skin problems under the neck when we shave with a blade, and it may never go away. I have already tried nearly everything out there, and I am left with only these options: Grow a beard, shave only with a quality electric razor, or get laser hair removal on my neck. .

I wonder why (cuz I get asked) and I wonder what a "quality razor" is? I would assume its a razor that, uhhh, works.