Ingrown hairs

[eggbert]

So I have got a couple of (what I presume are) ingrown hairs on my cheek from my last shave a few days ago. What is the likely reason for this, dodgy blade, poor lather, bad technique?

My current plan has been to not shave until they fix themselves of their own accord, but is there anything else you would do instead?
Should I shave around them, just shave over them, treat them with something, squeeze them or bow down to the almighty FSM (have you been touched by his noodley appendage) and ask for guidance?

 

[Pjotr]

Don't know personally. If you think it's using traditional shaving methods just go back to whatever you were doing before and see if it still happens. Don't persist with DE shaving for the sake of it. I had a bad reaction to a Nivea aftershave once and it's really not a lot of fun. I thought the aftershave was the last thing that would cause it and kept on using it, in the process trying to eliminate all the other factors such as soap, razor, alum block, moisturizer etc. Are you sure it's in grown hairs?

 

[eggbert]

Not positive it is, but I presume so - looks like I have a couple of spots come up on my cheek but they aren't. It's not a major deal, and I can happily wait a while for them (and there are only a couple) to die down if they will.

They don't irritate me much, I just don't want to shave over them, and open the skin, possibly causing more problems.

I had a combination of small things go not quite right on my last shave so I am pretty sure it is a combination of poor lathering and shaving technique combined with an aging blade (I am still trying to blame the Derby's).

Looks like I am going to be moving again soon, so I can hopefully eliminate the poor lighting and incredibly bad mirror position then.

I don't see myself going back to any form of cartridge style shaving, i was more just asking for advice from anyone that might have suffered a similar problem. I'm afraid you are not going to get rid of me that easily Pjotr.

 

[pablo_h]

How was the shave?
Smooth or all jaggedy and rough?
Ingrown hairs are caused by cutting too close, I used to get them with mach 3 shaving all the time.
If your angle was wrong, lather not slippy enough, or the blade and razor was not suited, and tugged rather than cut cleanly I could see some ingrowns a possiblilty.
But even in my bad shaves, I have not got any ingrowns after switching away from the mach3. The mach3 lifts and cuts with it's multiple blades, so bad lather, blades etc could do it with wetshaving if it's a jerky tugging shave.
BTW, derbys always gave me a bad shave, lots of tugging that could cause ingrowns.

Start SE shaving and it won't happen, way easier to get the right blade (only one real option), a lot easier to work out the angle, I promise you'll get better results LOL.

 

[eggbert]

You SE guys are evil, trying to lure us all over to the dark side!

Starting to sound like a combination of several factors then. I did a 3rd pass (XTG), using an older Derby, with a new soap (mediocre lather) and may well have had the wrong angle, or added pressure as I sometimes catch myself doing that still (less frequently now though).

I'm sticking with DE until I can get that right. You might be able to tempt me a little later in my wet shaving career, but not yet.

 

[eggbert]

This has happened with Derby's twice though, so they are definitely going to be put at the back of the drawer for testing with other razors, or pif'ing to those that like them.

Life is too short to worry about dodgy blades.

 

[pablo_h]

When I started I bought 100 Derbys, as they were what was recommended.
I gave it a good go, even came back to them after my technique improved, had better range of razors and soaps and brushes. Just didn't work for me at all, I had to sell 85 of them... I just don't like them at all.
There's other blades I bought in bulk or in sample packs that don't like too, but I found a razor that makes them passable enough to work my way through, so when my SE blade is dull I switch to them to finish the week. Then start of with an new SE blade and a new SE razor the next week lol.
Of course that means if I am not shaving 7 days a week, I never even use a DE. ie. shave 4 -5 times a week. I stick to SE.

edit: I struggled with DE for 2 months, then started with SE, it was sooooo much easier, I was annoyed that no one told me about it. Of course, now I can shave with either, but honestly I found two things easier than a standard DE to begin with. Open comb DE is easier to learn with as it's easier to pick up the correct angle, SE is easier for the same reason. I have no idea why this isn't mentioned to new shavers, and is actually something that is discouraged or not even talked about in most places.

Edit: Also my favourite learning razor ened up being a 1970s vintage long (plastic) handled slim twist/G2000. Once I got that with it's low profile head, heavy head to light handle, and using gravity/leverage at the end of the light long handle, DE fell into place, contact and good cutting without forcing real pressure on the head, gripping at the end of the handle rather that just under the head where you can extert too much pressure, or cut yourself with any sharp sudden movements.

 

[Pjotr]

You SE guys are evil, trying to lure us all over to the dark side!

Sorry, they're just the best.

I did a 3rd pass (XTG)

That's the first thing you need to cut out. I know it's tempting to think after two successful passes that a third one, digging in to those XTG spots, is going to be just fine. But generally that's where you get hurt. I rarely do a complete XTG. Only in areas I know I can get away with it.

 

[eggbert]

THE ORIGINAL SAFETY TOO - From vision collision four point oh

So that is 15 SE's I see plus whatever else is in that GEM box 3rd from the top left and the other non-boxed / lesser condition razors.

I must admit I did get a little razor lust when I first started, but can honestly say I can see me ending up with a max of about 3 razors sometime later. It's strange - I can kind of understand the collecting thing, but not quite.

On the plus side I won't end up with collectors quality razors as I have learned that I just can't have nice things. I have come to the conclusion that i just don't look after things well enough to stay that way.

 

[eggbert]

That's the first thing you need to cut out. I know it's tempting to think after two successful passes that a third one, digging in to those XTG spots, is going to be just fine. But generally that's where you get hurt. I rarely do a complete XTG. Only in areas I know I can get away with it.

Just want to check we are talking the same language, and XTG does mean cross the grain (not against the grain) like I think it does? And yes, I have been guilty of trying to get very close shaves sometimes.

 

[pablo_h]

So that is 15 SE's I see plus whatever else is in that GEM box 3rd from the top left and the other non-boxed / lesser condition razors.

I must admit I did get a little razor lust when I first started, but can honestly say I can see me ending up with a max of about 3 razors sometime later. It's strange - I can kind of understand the collecting thing, but not quite.

On the plus side I won't end up with collectors quality razors as I have learned that I just can't have nice things. I have come to the conclusion that i just don't look after things well enough to stay that way.

Yeah, I cut that out and re-edited, as this thread really wasn't about SE or myself, sorry.

Also if you are going WTG and XTG passes, make sure they actually are!
I know for me, certain places the stubble does a 90 or 180 deg change. For my LHS neck, it's the standard downwards for WTG. On my RHS neck I have to shave upward for WTG for halfway up, and downward from my jaw until halfway down, and really most of it in the middle is right to left, so I should be shaving from my ear to my chin (but don't bother). But ingrowns can be minimized if you know that your are never shaving against the grain straight off the bat without doing a WTG and XTG pass first.

 

[Pjotr]

Just want to check we are talking the same language, and XTG does mean cross the grain (not against the grain) like I think it does? And yes, I have been guilty of trying to get very close shaves sometimes.

Oops, got the abbreviations wrong. Oh well I'd suggest cutting out the third pass whatever it is.

 

[eggbert]

No problem to either you or Pablo.

I don't mind if my threads go off topic if it means this place is busier.

And np Pjotr, I wasn't totally sure we were talking the same language, but understood the sentiment anyway.

Point taken, and I will do a max of two passes for a while, no matter how rough I feel the end product is. That way I can learn if I am improving easier.

 

[Pjotr]

.......I must admit I did get a little razor lust when I first started, but can honestly say I can see me ending up with a max of about 3 razors sometime later. It's strange - I can kind of understand the collecting thing, but not quite......

My sentiments exactly but in between now and the 'sometime later' bit you could have tried a lot and owned a lot more than three. I don't collect but am just a curious user and as I don't really like selling them I'll just end up giving them away.

 

[Nolans]

I had some trouble with ingrowns, switching from Dorco to Feather helped quite a bit. I also use Hovan's Gold, manufactured in Brookvale NSW. If I do get one, a couple of applications of the stuff works wonders. Having to shave every day meant that the untreated hairs and bumps used to get cut every time and never healed.