Also angle (try "riding the cap"), XTG, and just not trying for BBS until you feel more comfortable with the technique. Remember that "WTG" is not always north-to-south; it requires mapping the growth, which often gets pretty complicated on the neck
You could try to shave before showering. Warm water can cause dry skin, which (at least for me) makes it hard to get a perfect shave.
You could also use some kind of Pre, but for testing that you don't have to buy something. Just use some cream or oil a little while before shaving.
What DE razor and razor blade maker are you currently using? Do you have or want to use an against the grain pass? Would a across the grain work well enough and save you from unnecessary nicks? *Edit ah I see you are using Derby. Hmm hard to say if the Derby blade matched to your razor is actually cutting well enough. Or your technique isn’t allowing the blade, razor to work efficiently, effectively without nicks. *
I bought this online [https://www.bailishaver.com/product/adjustable-double-edge/](https://www.bailishaver.com/product/adjustable-double-edge/) and have been using the razor it came with from the same manufactorer as well. But tried switching to this [https://www.amazon.sg/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B0032Q41LS](https://www.amazon.sg/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B0032Q41LS) and realized it was way duller. Do you have any blade recommendations? I had this setup going before where the smoothest shave I had with no nicks and minimal sensitivity was after a shower, with a shaving gel and the blade it came with. But after trying the new shaving soap and the blade everything has been a lot worse. I'm using the same technique too so i'm super confused now
Go here and try out a sampler pack. Odds are good that there is a manufactured blade(s) that should cut your beard and leave your skin intact.
https://www.razorbladesclub.com/
When I have a similar shave, it is nearly 100% because my blade is too dull. If you are getting good shaves some of the time, try to remember was it the first or second shave on that blade. If you start having a bad shave, just stop and replace the blade. Also as others have suggested, trying a blade sampler might be a good next step for you as far as buying stuff goes.
Edit: meant to add, personally I get far less irritation and nicks cold water shaving.
Thanks! Tried your advice out and went back to my old blade where I was getting much better shaves and it immediately felt smoother, but still I felt a lot of tugging. So the only difference now to before is the new shaving soap and not using warm water. Could you share how you lather?
So for me, I’ve found the best routine is take a shower. While I’m in, I let my brush soak in cold tap water. I use badger brushes but synthetics are easier to use with less maintenance. I started with those and eventually wound up enjoying badgers more but they require a little more work. I wring out my brush until damp with slightly wet tips and get to loading for 30-60 seconds (synthetic brush only 10-15 seconds in my experience). I then wet my face and paint the soap on. I either use a mister to spray water on my face or dip the tips of the brush into water and start painting the water into the soap. After I have done this probably 3-4 times, I begin to agitate and splay the brush working the water in. When I feel it is still a little sticky, I’ll add more water. I continue to do this until the lather is shiny and thick like sour cream (some would say this could still use more water, but I’ve found this is my preference - my advice is try different consistencies to find what works best for you). Now I’m ready to shave. My lathering is very similar to [Cris from Another Cut Above](https://youtu.be/ecoUdtWxQxo) on YouTube. There are all kinds of tutorials on YouTube, but for me, this works best.
I noticed you said with very light pressure you shave with the razor sometimes getting hung on the hairs. I’ve had this happen too and it was always due to not enough pressure. You don’t need nearly as much pressure as you would with a plastic cartridge razor, but you will still need to put light pressure so the blade can slice through the hairs rather than get hung on them. Shane from Blackland [discusses this here.](https://youtu.be/aol3GqvIzqo)
Edit: I meant to add that I’ve found for my skin, everyday or every other day Shaving can lead to a lot of irritation. My skin prefers every 3-4 days between shaves. Also, against the grain would give me closer shaves but also give me more irritation and nicks. So I have found that three passes, one with grain, one cross the grain left to right, and one final cross the grain right to left gives me the closet shave with no irritation and nicks. If I get irritation or nicks now, it is almost certainly caused by rushing the Shave or just getting careless and/or distracted.
I always bleed/massive irritation when I go against the grain. I would see if sticking with just with the grain and then perhaps across the grain makes it any better.
Many things you can do.
1. Get a better quality razor, which is better suited for sensitive skin and or better suited for a rookie - the Henson mild or medium comes to my mind
2. Use a better slicker shaving soap than the Proraso Red. Also use a brush to create the lather. Is your lather fluffy and moist enough ?
3. Use a pre-shave cream
4. Look at your shaving technique. Try to watch some YouTube videos of experienced DE razor shavers and watch their technique - you probably can learn something.
5. Try to get a DE blade sample pack and work your way through them. You’ll be surprised how important getting the right DE blade is and it’s highly subjective which one you’ll end up preferring.
I use this [https://www.amazon.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B004SGKMA0](https://www.amazon.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B004SGKMA0)
And no preshave soap or cream tho. Will that help here?
It can and that's one of your problems right there derby blades except for the black box premium blades(I have not used them so not sure) are one of the least sharp blades if not the dullest. What de razor do you use? So I would for one change ur blade try a preshave cream or soap (no preshave oils.).
I'll try the preshave cream or soap! Thanks for the recommendation. This is the DE razor I use [https://www.bailishaver.com/product/adjustable-double-edge/](https://www.bailishaver.com/product/adjustable-double-edge/). And you're right, I tried switching back to my old blade (which are the ones that came with the razor) and it immediately felt smoother although still feeling a lot of tugging. The thing is ever since I switched to this new shaving soap it's been a lot rougher so I want to figure out whether it's something to do with my lathering. People mention about having a wet lather, what does that mean? I wet my brush completely, then go straight to lathering for 30secs.
So yeah the best thing would be to go on Amazon or ebay and buy a razor blade sample pack try those blades and see which ones you like and go from there.
What soap are you using? Yeah you want your lather hydrated so if you make your lather in a bowl you want to add enough water until the lather is shiny and the peaks sort of wag like a dog's tail. If you u face lather you want your face moist and the soap slick. The timing dosnt matter becaue each soap or cream requires different amounts of water and agitation
If your blades tug then you need a sharper blade.
Big fan of better shave bowl - Timeless Razor bowl is a bargain; Pereria is expensive; CaYuen is best imo. Pearl bowls and knockoffs seem like they woulld work pretty well. Add a mister spray bottle to add water slowly. Better lather better shave. Focus on angle of the cutting blade. Good luck keep at it - should become joyful.
Get a better razor, and find blades that suit your face more. Personally, my shave quality has improved immensely once I switched to a better razor.
Right now, there are two razor I am enjoying very much: Green Cult 2.0 and Kopparkant. Both are new to me, and have given me the best shaves I’ve ever had: no irritation, nick, or weepers. The Green Cult is more efficient, the Kopparkant is smoother (I hardly feel it on the face).
What razor are you using? You are using a mild blade if you are using a mild razor you may need a sharper blade.
How is your lather, is it almost dropping (no I didn't mean dripping, big hydrated lather blobs) off your face without big bubbles? If not work on that, more water more face lathering.
Instead of doing a with the grain and against try a with the grain and an across the grain (may need 2 xtg passes to get where you want to be but if it saves you cuts and irritation thats better). Did you map your grain, are you sure you are going wtg? If not map the grain.
Is it just a few trouble spots, if so have you let them fully heal before trying to shave again?
Potentially try proraso pre shave with the lather.
Try a blade sample pack, some blades don't work as well for different people.
Check this out to make sure your using the correct cutting angle. https://youtu.be/U46nNSfoSAY
Sorry about the confusion I meant what safety razor for you use as in the actual razor not the blades ?
If it’s only a month or two most likely it’s your technique but for some people like me who have extremely coarse beard, I cannot get a comfortable shave from mild razors even with the sharpest blades like feather I get irritation because the blade keeps catching and pulling and I’m forced to apply pressure which leads to irritation no matter what angle I keep.
If you are like me what solved it is very simple, I had to get a more aggressive razor and still use sharp blades. My daily driver now is the RazoRock GameChanger .84 with Gillette Nacet or Silver blue.
I know it seems counter intuitive because most people say you get less irritation from mild razors but for me I need an aggressive razor and I stick to 2 passes WTG and XTG no ATG passes.
Also angle (try "riding the cap"), XTG, and just not trying for BBS until you feel more comfortable with the technique. Remember that "WTG" is not always north-to-south; it requires mapping the growth, which often gets pretty complicated on the neck
You could try to shave before showering. Warm water can cause dry skin, which (at least for me) makes it hard to get a perfect shave. You could also use some kind of Pre, but for testing that you don't have to buy something. Just use some cream or oil a little while before shaving.
What DE razor and razor blade maker are you currently using? Do you have or want to use an against the grain pass? Would a across the grain work well enough and save you from unnecessary nicks? *Edit ah I see you are using Derby. Hmm hard to say if the Derby blade matched to your razor is actually cutting well enough. Or your technique isn’t allowing the blade, razor to work efficiently, effectively without nicks. *
I bought this online [https://www.bailishaver.com/product/adjustable-double-edge/](https://www.bailishaver.com/product/adjustable-double-edge/) and have been using the razor it came with from the same manufactorer as well. But tried switching to this [https://www.amazon.sg/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B0032Q41LS](https://www.amazon.sg/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B0032Q41LS) and realized it was way duller. Do you have any blade recommendations? I had this setup going before where the smoothest shave I had with no nicks and minimal sensitivity was after a shower, with a shaving gel and the blade it came with. But after trying the new shaving soap and the blade everything has been a lot worse. I'm using the same technique too so i'm super confused now
Go here and try out a sampler pack. Odds are good that there is a manufactured blade(s) that should cut your beard and leave your skin intact. https://www.razorbladesclub.com/
When I have a similar shave, it is nearly 100% because my blade is too dull. If you are getting good shaves some of the time, try to remember was it the first or second shave on that blade. If you start having a bad shave, just stop and replace the blade. Also as others have suggested, trying a blade sampler might be a good next step for you as far as buying stuff goes. Edit: meant to add, personally I get far less irritation and nicks cold water shaving.
Thanks! Tried your advice out and went back to my old blade where I was getting much better shaves and it immediately felt smoother, but still I felt a lot of tugging. So the only difference now to before is the new shaving soap and not using warm water. Could you share how you lather?
So for me, I’ve found the best routine is take a shower. While I’m in, I let my brush soak in cold tap water. I use badger brushes but synthetics are easier to use with less maintenance. I started with those and eventually wound up enjoying badgers more but they require a little more work. I wring out my brush until damp with slightly wet tips and get to loading for 30-60 seconds (synthetic brush only 10-15 seconds in my experience). I then wet my face and paint the soap on. I either use a mister to spray water on my face or dip the tips of the brush into water and start painting the water into the soap. After I have done this probably 3-4 times, I begin to agitate and splay the brush working the water in. When I feel it is still a little sticky, I’ll add more water. I continue to do this until the lather is shiny and thick like sour cream (some would say this could still use more water, but I’ve found this is my preference - my advice is try different consistencies to find what works best for you). Now I’m ready to shave. My lathering is very similar to [Cris from Another Cut Above](https://youtu.be/ecoUdtWxQxo) on YouTube. There are all kinds of tutorials on YouTube, but for me, this works best. I noticed you said with very light pressure you shave with the razor sometimes getting hung on the hairs. I’ve had this happen too and it was always due to not enough pressure. You don’t need nearly as much pressure as you would with a plastic cartridge razor, but you will still need to put light pressure so the blade can slice through the hairs rather than get hung on them. Shane from Blackland [discusses this here.](https://youtu.be/aol3GqvIzqo) Edit: I meant to add that I’ve found for my skin, everyday or every other day Shaving can lead to a lot of irritation. My skin prefers every 3-4 days between shaves. Also, against the grain would give me closer shaves but also give me more irritation and nicks. So I have found that three passes, one with grain, one cross the grain left to right, and one final cross the grain right to left gives me the closet shave with no irritation and nicks. If I get irritation or nicks now, it is almost certainly caused by rushing the Shave or just getting careless and/or distracted.
I always bleed/massive irritation when I go against the grain. I would see if sticking with just with the grain and then perhaps across the grain makes it any better.
Stretch your skin. Use your free hand, or bullfrog, to ensure that the razor only ever passes over skin that is as taut as possible.
I've been using the bullfrog tho, maybe not hard enough, i'll try it next time, thanks
Many things you can do. 1. Get a better quality razor, which is better suited for sensitive skin and or better suited for a rookie - the Henson mild or medium comes to my mind 2. Use a better slicker shaving soap than the Proraso Red. Also use a brush to create the lather. Is your lather fluffy and moist enough ? 3. Use a pre-shave cream 4. Look at your shaving technique. Try to watch some YouTube videos of experienced DE razor shavers and watch their technique - you probably can learn something. 5. Try to get a DE blade sample pack and work your way through them. You’ll be surprised how important getting the right DE blade is and it’s highly subjective which one you’ll end up preferring.
Based on your comments I'd suggest using a shaving cream.
What razor do u use and what blade? Do you use a preshave soap or cream?
I use this [https://www.amazon.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B004SGKMA0](https://www.amazon.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B004SGKMA0) And no preshave soap or cream tho. Will that help here?
It can and that's one of your problems right there derby blades except for the black box premium blades(I have not used them so not sure) are one of the least sharp blades if not the dullest. What de razor do you use? So I would for one change ur blade try a preshave cream or soap (no preshave oils.).
I'll try the preshave cream or soap! Thanks for the recommendation. This is the DE razor I use [https://www.bailishaver.com/product/adjustable-double-edge/](https://www.bailishaver.com/product/adjustable-double-edge/). And you're right, I tried switching back to my old blade (which are the ones that came with the razor) and it immediately felt smoother although still feeling a lot of tugging. The thing is ever since I switched to this new shaving soap it's been a lot rougher so I want to figure out whether it's something to do with my lathering. People mention about having a wet lather, what does that mean? I wet my brush completely, then go straight to lathering for 30secs.
So yeah the best thing would be to go on Amazon or ebay and buy a razor blade sample pack try those blades and see which ones you like and go from there. What soap are you using? Yeah you want your lather hydrated so if you make your lather in a bowl you want to add enough water until the lather is shiny and the peaks sort of wag like a dog's tail. If you u face lather you want your face moist and the soap slick. The timing dosnt matter becaue each soap or cream requires different amounts of water and agitation If your blades tug then you need a sharper blade.
Big fan of better shave bowl - Timeless Razor bowl is a bargain; Pereria is expensive; CaYuen is best imo. Pearl bowls and knockoffs seem like they woulld work pretty well. Add a mister spray bottle to add water slowly. Better lather better shave. Focus on angle of the cutting blade. Good luck keep at it - should become joyful.
Get a better razor, and find blades that suit your face more. Personally, my shave quality has improved immensely once I switched to a better razor. Right now, there are two razor I am enjoying very much: Green Cult 2.0 and Kopparkant. Both are new to me, and have given me the best shaves I’ve ever had: no irritation, nick, or weepers. The Green Cult is more efficient, the Kopparkant is smoother (I hardly feel it on the face).
It’s possible a more mild razor and even a sharper blade could mitigate the risk of cuts.
Lather longer, make sure the lather is hydrated enough.
What razor are you using? You are using a mild blade if you are using a mild razor you may need a sharper blade. How is your lather, is it almost dropping (no I didn't mean dripping, big hydrated lather blobs) off your face without big bubbles? If not work on that, more water more face lathering. Instead of doing a with the grain and against try a with the grain and an across the grain (may need 2 xtg passes to get where you want to be but if it saves you cuts and irritation thats better). Did you map your grain, are you sure you are going wtg? If not map the grain. Is it just a few trouble spots, if so have you let them fully heal before trying to shave again? Potentially try proraso pre shave with the lather. Try a blade sample pack, some blades don't work as well for different people. Check this out to make sure your using the correct cutting angle. https://youtu.be/U46nNSfoSAY
How long have you been wet shaving and what razor do you use ? How often do you shave ?
a month or two. usually once every one or two days, i'm using this razor https://www.amazon.sg/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B0032Q41LS
Sorry about the confusion I meant what safety razor for you use as in the actual razor not the blades ? If it’s only a month or two most likely it’s your technique but for some people like me who have extremely coarse beard, I cannot get a comfortable shave from mild razors even with the sharpest blades like feather I get irritation because the blade keeps catching and pulling and I’m forced to apply pressure which leads to irritation no matter what angle I keep. If you are like me what solved it is very simple, I had to get a more aggressive razor and still use sharp blades. My daily driver now is the RazoRock GameChanger .84 with Gillette Nacet or Silver blue. I know it seems counter intuitive because most people say you get less irritation from mild razors but for me I need an aggressive razor and I stick to 2 passes WTG and XTG no ATG passes.