Shaving help >.<

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sounds about right - i do all of the above apart from the 1st, but my acne pisses me off so much :frown:

none of the over-the-counter crap from boots etc. is working - reckon i should go to my GP?

i've had this acne thing for about 2-3 years now :frown:

You should, you won't lose anything from going?

I never really had much, but I get the odd three spots on my back which I hate. I know they do treatments, such as light treatments and creams,- but i'm not sure if you can get light treatment for your face.

Go and ask him, you certinally won't lose from going!

Reply 41

Moon123

you can use a cleanser for acne...it helps. Try using clean and clear one for sensitive skin...but if your acne is vey bad , then better not use it as it gets very tingly on damaged skin.

Reply 42

Moon123

Original post by Moon123

you can use a cleanser for acne...it helps. Try using clean and clear one for sensitive skin...but if your acne is vey bad , then better not use it as it gets very tingly on damaged skin.

or its must better that you ask a dermatologist what kind of products you should be using on your skin...as no one else can tell better to you about your skin

Reply 43

xoxAngel_Kxox

Well first of all you could try getting up 20 minutes earlier, see if that helps..
Common sense really!

Electric razors are much quicker.

As for your skin, I don't know what you mean by "worse" (a lot of teens are total drama queens/kings and wouldn't know what "bad skin" was if it bit them on the backside) but if it's genuinely more than just normal teenage spots then go to your GP and they will probably give you some cream, then if that doesn't worth erythromycin, and failing that the infamous roaccutane :biggrin:

Reply 44

Nix-j-c

I know an 18 year old who doesn't shave yet - he has nothing to shave . . . .

Reply 45

jjarvis

Original post by super.teve

I've tried about 10 different razors, I find those plastic Bic disposable razors the best though,- single blade? More expensive razors rip my skin open and it's horrid.

I shave against the grain though, like the idiot I am, otherwise I'm still left with stubble.

I'd suggest you either go for an electric razor (based on what people here say--never used one myself), or http://www.traditionalshaving.co.uk/mall/productpage.cfm/traditionalshaving/_MER-9025001/268141/Long-Handle-Open-Comb-25C-Safety-Razor-Chrome. Don't balk at the price--it will last you forever, and razor blades are much cheaper than bic disposables (let alone the cartridges for a mach 3). If you've never tried a double-edged safety razor, give it a go.

I usually think Bics suck. They're barely sharp enough to be any good, and will shred you given the chance. An old-fashioned double edge razor will only rip your skin open if you use it wrong, but even then it's a neat, clean nick, rather than an abrasion. I really don't get razor burn and haven't in years.

You might also try a shaving brush if you don't use one already.

jacketpotato

And yes, I am stuck in the 60s! It still takes me less than 5 minutes to shave...

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 46

JmJtr

Why the **** can't I get stubble? Can't black peope get stubble or something? When ever I shave its clean for that day then sort of just turns into a Jungle gradually without the stubble look!? (I sound like some retard).

Are electric shavers better at creating stubble or something?

Reply 47

MagicNMedicine

Ah shaving, one of my favourite topics.

Firstly, to shave properly it's not an activity to do in a rush. You need to do it properly to look after your skin. If needs be do it at night when you have got some time. Most of the products sold these days for shaving are quite poor quality, so I would say the first rule of shaving is to forget any razor which has more than one blade, and forget any shaving foam which comes in an aerosol can.

Good shaving products are a bit more expensive to buy up front but the good news is they last a long time, so you save money in the long run, and they make the whole experience of shaving more enjoyable.

There's a good general article here: http://www.kinowear.com/blog/the-elusive-perfect-shave

Firstly as shaving equipment I would recommend investing in the following:
- A Merkur double edge safety razor
- A shaving brush
- Shaving soap
- A good quality post shave oil

I don't find you can get this sort of stuff over the counter from boots but you can buy it online. I get my shaving gear from http://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/ and blades from http://connaughtshaving.com/ but if you google around there are other places.

Firstly the cost. A Merkur razor will cost about £25-30 which is close to three times what you will spend on a crappy Gillette Fusion etc. However this is a high quality razor and you will never need another one. Where you save is on the blades. Gillette and Wilkinson make their money by selling replacement blades well above cost price so you are tied in to spending a lot of money, as the blades dull quite quickly you either have to spend a lot on shaving your face or do what most men do, overuse the blades when they have dulled. With a Merkur you don't need to do that, you just buy blades which cost about say 15-25p each, and depending on the blade and your skin you can get say 5-7 days out of each and then throw it away. When you're spending £1 a month on blades you don't notice it as a cost.

It is vitally important to get a brush and shaving soap. You lather up the soap on your face with a brush and it provides a much stronger base for gliding a blade over your skin, it cuts much better and leaves your skin looking better. You have to learn how to use a double edged razor but it doesn't take long, the key thing is you just have to use the lightest touch and let the blade glide over your skin, and subtly learn how to adjust the angle so it cuts the hairs properly. You can't get it off in one pass, you relather and gilde it back over for say 3 passes, or 4 passes, and then your skin will shine. Over time you get quicker at it but don't expect it to be a 2 minute job, you have to treat your skin with respect. The good thing is the impact it has on your skin, when I used to shave with multiblade razors I had permanent shaving rash and ingrowing hairs and red bumps, but when I started using proper single blade razors I could shave every day without problems. You have to experiment with different blade types to find which ones are best on your skin, I find Dorco and Derby best for mine.

The shaving soaps cost about £16-20 with the bowl but a tub of soap will last best part of a year even if you shave every day and the refills are about £11. So again it is cheaper than using the crap that comes out of a can.

Firms like Taylor of Old Bond Street and Geo F Trumper that manufacture shaving products are the best, these are basically traditional barbers who specialise in it, with Gillette/Wilkinson etc you pay a lot for the aggressive marketing they have with sportsmen and so on but their products are quite low quality.

Now I would also recommend single blade safety razors to girls, who will typically have the patience to spend a longer time shaving their legs or other areas. Yes you need to learn the technique, and go gentle with them, but if red razor bumps are an issue, safety razors are a great way of eliminating this.

Reply 48

Joinedup

Original post by Gemma :)!

Well first of all you could try getting up 20 minutes earlier, see if that helps..
Common sense really!

Electric razors are much quicker.

I never found electrics were quicker on my face as I have to go over and over the same place plus I detest the noise they make.

Reply 49

flying saucers

Original post by super.teve

I don't cut myself, but I tend to cut over a lump caused by the previous days shaving,- which causes a small cut.

I don't know, I was "good" at shaving until a few weeks ago, it seems as if my hair started to grow faster and my skin has just ended up feeling crap.

Don't exfoliate every day, it'll irritate your skin.
Maybe try some gentler products designed for sensitive skin?

Reply 50

PurpleMonkeyDishwasher

Original post by Ewan

You fail at shaving, I can shave in under 5 minutes if I'm in a rush (without cutting myself too, I mean wtf how do people cut themselves? Are they retarded?). Why does it take you so long?

If you've got dark hair and a thick beard it takes much longer, if you can be done so quickly you obviously haven't.

Reply 51

CODKING

I've only just started but would recommend cheapo Bics because expensive blunt and cheap blunt are still blunt. Finishing with a wrung out hot flannel (as hot as you can take) is brilliant and you think your flying first class with British Airways.

Reply 52

Ewan

Original post by PurpleMonkeyDishwasher

If you've got dark hair and a thick beard it takes much longer, if you can be done so quickly you obviously haven't.

My hair is as dark as it comes for Caucasian men... I don't have a beard but neither does the OP and he shaves far more often than I do. Anyone with a beard wouldn't be shaving very often would they? :teehee: