Ask Aaron Q/A: Redness & rash around goatee after shaving
Aaron is asked to provide tips on how to reduce shaving rash around the goatee area after shaving
David Prest, from UK, asks:
“I have a goatee and when I shape it with my razor I end up with red areas and small red spots around the edges of the beard. I try to be very gentle with my razor (single blade) but still get the red areas and small red spots. What advice would you give me? Many thanks. David”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Prest,
I too have a goatee, and feel your concern over keeping it nicely shaped and having healthy skin around it. I would recommend making sure you are shaving with shaving cream applied, don’t shave without the lubrication it provides! Also you might want to look into using a shaving oil instead of the lather to be able to see more clearly and still have lubrication.
Also make sure you are properly preparing your beard area to shave, and properly restoring your skin with a good aftershave balm. Following these techniques will help improve your shave and your skin.
If you continue to have redness & bumps please write again and we will troubleshoot some more!
Cheers,
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Products to fight razor rash & burn & shaving spots
David Mahood, from UK, asks:
“I have just found this site. I am a professional person and need to shave once, maybe twice each day. I currently use Mach3 blades and sensitive shaving foam or gel. My problem is that I suffer really bad redness around the mouth and chin which quite often results in spots after close shaves. Can you recommend any products that will help or relieve my symptoms?”
Aaron suggests using a single bladed razor like the Merkur 37C Slant Bar DE Safety Razor
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Mahood,
Welcome to our site! Glad that you have been able to find us. As one who also works in a professional environment, I understand your dilemma. The first thing I would recommend is using a good post-shave balm. The ingredients in the balm will help to moisturize and heal your skin after shaving, and reduce the redness and burn.
Secondly you ought to try a pre-shave oil under your shave cream. The oil adds an extra protective layer that increases slickness and moisture to your shave.
If you are willing to go even farther down the rabbit hole I would suggest that you reduce the number of blades you shave with, and consider using a single blade safety razor such as many of the Merkur, Edwin Jagger, Parker, and Bluebeard’s razors we have here on the site. Along with this I would use a good quality cream and brush. These products are meant to give a comfortable and close shave without the irritation that occur by using the canned cream and gel products.
For creams I would recommends any Taylor of Old Bond Street, The Bluebeard’s Revenge, Proraso, Cyril Salter and many others here on the site. If you would like any more assistance or help in taking the plunge with traditional wet-shaving please feel free to contact us here and we’ll be glad to help! Thanks for your question!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: How to prevent ingrown hairs & razor bumps
James Chapman, from the UK, asks:
“For pretty much all of my life I have suffered from ingrowing hairs, razor rash and razor burn. I have originally twin blade razors, then Mach 3 and finally Fusion razors. My condition has got progressively worse, to the point where the razor burn has become both embarrassing and intrusive. I have tried a safety razor, for short spells, but again have suffered from razor burn, and so have returned to multi-blades. Any advice would be gratefully received.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr Camp,
Ingrown hairs can be quite painful, let’s see what we can do to help. First off if you can tell that the ingrown hairs get worse as you move up in blade count, I think it’s safe to assume that you need as few blades as possible in your razor. My first question would be how long did you shave with the DE Razor? It takes a few weeks for your skin and technique to get used to shaving with a single blade. Use a good sharp blade, and dull blade or one that is not the right type for your skin and hair can increase problems with ingrown hair. Next is to use a good facial scrub to cleanse the face and reveal any ingrown hairs. Lastly use a good aftershave balm that will soften and moisturize your skin. You should find that these tips should help your irritations. Please let me know if I can help any more!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
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How to get rid of razor bumps, razor burn & razor rash
Many men suffer from shaving related irritation. Whether it appears in the form of razor burn, bumps, rash, or red patchiness these symptoms are unsightly and definitely uncomfortable. Often these symptoms are just put up with as normal or even ignored.
However, there are some simple steps that can be followed for relief. If you follow these tips below you’ll find yourself feeling and looking better than ever.
¨ Use a good quality shaving cream that can be applied with a shaving brush such as The Bluebeards Revenge
¨ Before you shave prepare your skin. If at all possible shower beforehand but if that is not possible wash your skin with a gentle face wash or scrub.
¨ Once you step out of the shower or finish washing apply a small amount of pre-shave oil over the beard area. This will insure that your face and hair will continue to be hydrated before and during the shave.
¨ Use a good quality shaving cream that can be applied with a shaving brush such as The Bluebeards Revenge, Truefitt & Hill, Taylor of Old Bond Street or Geo. F. Trumpers. Specially formulated to be gentle to the skin and safe for the environment, these creams also contain no propellants that can actually dry out the skin and cause irritation.
¨ Very importantly use a clean sharp razor blade, if you use a dull blade it can lead to pulling, excessive pressure, irritation and razor burn!
¨ Last but certainly not least finish off with a good quality aftershave balm. The balm will nourish, protect and hydrate the skin keeping it safe from outside irritants plus reducing or eliminating any affects from the shave.
If nothing else remember these three easy words: Prepare, Shave, Protect. These three words can easily summarize the above steps and can lead to you that smooth, irritation free shave.
Aaron Wolfenbarger
The Shaving Shack’s Grooming Expert
Shaving-Shack.com
Ask Aaron Q/A: Oily skin and spots after shaving
Jason Hearne, from the UK, asks:
“I’m about to switch to DE shaving and have now set my heart on the Merkur HD as my first step away from 5 blade plastic monsters. My question though is about my skin type. At 30 I still suffer from oily teenage skin that’s prone to clogged pores and spots (if I don’t shave regularly). What I wanted to know was what is likely to be the best soap/cream for my shave and what balms you’d suggest to keep the grease away post shave? Here’s hoping you can help. ”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Hearne,
The first thing I would suggest is to use a daily cleanser/face wash. This will help you to remove the excess oils that our skin can produce and also eliminate dirt, which can cause the acne and blackheads. Using a cleanser consistently will help PRE-shave. For the shave itself most available soaps and creams will do just, fine just avoid products containing lanolin. Lanolin can aggravate some skin types. For a POST-shave solution use a light balm (some being The Bluebeard’s Revenge, Taylor of Old Bond Street, and Proraso). You can also lighten a balm by keeping your face moist after rinsing and applying a small amount of the balm. This helps thin and spread the balm. I hope this helps!
Smooth Shaving (and skin!)
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: I Always Get A Red Neck After Shaving
Peter Ford, from the UK, asks:
“I use a Mekur safety razor with Gillette 7 o’clock blades and Cyril Salter cream, I always shower 1st and shave straight after using warm water. I always have to shave against the grain on the 2nd or 3rd lather to get even close to a close shave, but this is leaving me with permanent red neck and cheeks. Is there anything I can do or any pre or post shave products that will get rid of this?”
AARON SAYS
“Mr Ford,
Thanks for your question! Before I recommend some post-shave products let me first say that using good prep is the first step in getting great shaving results. Be sure to use good technique and hold the razor at a proper angle. My first thought is that you might want to try a few different brands of blades, the 7′oclock may not be the best for you. If you have done this and have found that the this blade is good for you, use a replenishing aftershave balm. One that moisturizes and restores the face’s natural oils and helps to heal any nicks and cuts is ideal. The Bluebeards Revenge, Proraso and Taylor of Old Bond Street balms/balsams you will find on the Shaving Shack shop are all great choices for this. I hope this helps! If you continue to experience problems please write in again and we’ll revisit the issue!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Preventing razor burn & razor bumps
Matt Herridge, from the UK, asks:
“Hi there, I’ve recently started shaving with a DE razor, I always get a very good close shave with no irritation, nicks or cuts even after shaving against the grain which I often have to do as I am in the British army, until the day after, that’s when I wake up with red bumps and very tender feeling skin especially under and on the front of my chin and my neck. My cheeks and top lip stay fine, any help would be greatly appreciated.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr Herridge,
It sounds as if you’re getting some razor burn and bumps. I would suggest paying very close attention to your razor angle, and making sure it’s not too shallow on your face. Also, try some stretching techniques to flatten and smooth those areas. This should greatly help! Also, use a nice soothing aftershave balm to help calm the areas, and a lotion or moisturizer before bed.
Smooth shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q&A: Should you ever have a days rest from shaving to give the skin time to recover?
“Should you ever have a days rest from shaving to give the skin time to recover, from being over shaved?” asks David Parker, from the UK.
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Parker, Thank you for your question! In short, yes! If your skin is burned and irritated from an overly aggressive or bad shave experience I certainly recommend giving it time to rest, regenerate and heal. I don’t think it’s necessary to rest the skin if you are not experiencing problems, but certainly do give it some time to rest if you are experiencing discomfort.
Smooth Shaving! Aaron”
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Choosing an effective shaving cream (Part 1)
The trick when looking for a shaving cream to use in your daily wet shaving routine is to find a product that will work well with your skin. This formula may not be as easy as it sounds though, as a person’s face is individual to them and so what works great for one man may not be suitable for another.
We will now be looking at how best to go about finding a shaving cream that proves to be effective and makes the whole wet shaving process much more pleasurable and enjoyable, leaving your skin feeling fresh and looking good too.
With so much choice on the market, it is hard to identify a suitable men’s shaving cream without a bit of old-fashioned trial and error. However, this can cost money – and a lot of it too – so it is certainly worth narrowing it down a little first before taking the plunge.
Instead of going into things blindly, trying out every product under the sun, the following is what you should look out for.
Firstly, it is recommended that those with sensitive skin should opt for a moisturising shaving cream. This is also a major pointer for those who struggle with razor burn as keeping the skin moist when wet shaving is essential.
No matter what products you eventually decide to go with, don’t ever give in to the temptation to just use regular soap. This is a big no-no as it will only dry out your skin even more, unless it is a specialist shaving soap, and will most definitely not result in a closer shave.
We will publish part 2 on Tuesday, so please check back.
Men’s grooming tips: A guide to wet shaving (part 3)
When wet shaving, if you try and follow the tried and tested approach we have been talking about, you are more likely to have a pain-free experience that goes easy on your skin. However, there are a few extra techniques you can use if you are a more experienced shaver, while there is also help out there for blokes with sensitive skin.
Post-shave
Immediately after you have finished shaving you will usually rinse the shaved area with cool water. If you find that this approach frequently leaves you suffering from razor burn and dryness, you can always try a final rinse with hot water instead, before dabbing a cloth soaked with witch hazel across your face.
There is also a number of soothing after-shave treatments available to buy which contain aloe to help calm the effects of shaving and alleviate any dryness. These creams, gels, balms and lotions can also encourage the healing of any minor nicks and cuts. You can apply a small amount of lotion evenly onto freshly-shaven skin straight after shaving.
A few final points
While you are shaving it is important to regularly rinse your razor in hot water.
As you become more experienced shaving with the grain, you can always experiment by passing the razor against and across the grain. These techniques are only really advised for those who are skilled at shaving and willing to try different combinations to find out what works best for them.
Everyone’s hair pattern grows differently, therefore it is often only through trial and error that you can determine what gives you a great smooth shave, by finding the right combination of passing the razor that works for you.
The pressure you apply, the amount of lather used and the angle of the razor are other factors that can influence the quality of the shave.
Again, it all depends on your skin, and smoother shaves often come at the expense of skin irritation.
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