I visited these boards back in November when I was weighing the option of getting an inhome electrolysis device and you ladies talked me out of it. I'm grateful, because in retrospect I really dont think I have a steady enough hand to do my own electrolysis, even if the at home kits are up to snuff.
But until I can afford laser or electro, that leaves me living daily with shaving.
Here's the problem.
When I first came out and went full time a few years ago my hair growth was extremely light for a mid-twenties male. I could go a day, two, or three before I really 'needed' to shave anything on my face and not look unkempt. When I went full time, I just started shaving daily, and I have to admit that I didnt have a lot of practice at first and some of the results I used to achieve a smooth face involved a LOT of blood those first year or so.
Flash forward a couple years. I've become something of a hermit because of my face. Although I look pretty and passable and have grown out my own hair down to below my shoulder blades and blah blah ... my face gives me away whenver I go out because I have razor bumps.
A typical shaving day starts like this. At the start of a week. I exfoliate first, I press a hot wet towel to my face for 5 minutes, I use a theraputic shave gel and spend a few minute massaging it into my skin. I use a Venus Embrace razor cartridge (best no-irritation blade I can find on the market) NEW every day (yes, really) and carefully shave my face against the grain of my hairgrowth. Only once is usually needed for my cheeks, neck, and jaw, but a single pass over my chin leaves a lot of short stubble that i can feel if I run the pad of my fingertip along the chin against the direction of hair growth (as if I was shaving again). I feel smooth (mostly) if I run my finger down my chin in the direction of hair growth, but not if I run it the other way. I feel bristly and stubbly. So I do another pass (or two) until the hair is gone. I rinse my face, apply a moisturizing skin creme (with cocoa butter, aloe, or even Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Creme) and then a razor bump fighting solution like the ones provided by Bikini Zone, Bump Stopper, and currently Nuetrogena (for Men :( ).
I let that soak into my face for 20-50 minutes before I apply liquid foundation and powder (mineral).
When I get home after a while of relaxing I use the same exfoliating scrub and remove all the makeup from my face, then apply a moisturizing creme and an anti-razor bump solution and go to bed.
Results:
If this is the first day of the working week and I have had a couple days off (and not shaved at all on those days) I usually get through the day (10ish hours at work, an hour or two at home before I strip my face off) without any terribly visible bumps on my face. My makeup looks okay, but there is a shadow under my face that wont go away.
The second day in a row of a work week the perfectly feminine face facade begins to crack. By mid-day, within a couple hours, I have some razor bumps on my face, unde rthe makeup, and the shadow is more pronounced. Redness and irritation show up sometimes through the makeup. If you look at me, you might or might not see that I have razor bumps on my face, but you'll definately see a masculine-pattern line of irritated skin under the makeup around the lips and chin.
By the third day it's all on display. I still wear my makeup and try to feel good about how I look from the nose up, my eyes and eyebrows, but there's definately razor bumps within a couple hours or shaving going on, and visible redness and skin irritation around my cheeks. Sometimes I get small pimple like growths where hair is ingrown that will eventually be somewhat pussy and gross.
If I have to go through a fourth day of work in a row, well, you can imagine it getting worse, I dont feel like spelling it out.
4 is pretty much the maximum. On day four (if not on day three) there's a lot of blood, unsightly scabbing and the skin under the makeup is red RAW, painful all day long. If I try to go any more than four days it just gets worse, to the point where I have patchy flakey skin that will take a week or so to shed.
I've had to cut my job back from a 5 day schedule to a 4 day. I make them avoid scheduling me more than 4,5 days at a time. On my days off, I can't GO Anywhere because I need to wait one, two, three, or even four days if I can get away with it so that my face will heal so that I can be passably smooth for one or two days again.)
What am I doing wrong? I didnt have all this trouble when I first came out -- I used to be able go out dancing every other night, see a movie whenever I wanted, go shopping... now I feel like I have to hide in my home because if anyone sees me my face will give me away just because of the razor bumps.
Any help, please. :)
Try a loofah and anti-bacterial soap.
you said you are getting the razor bumps a couple days AFTER shaving? are you sure it's razor bumps? it might not be ingrown hairs, maybe it's a reaction to a lotion make up or cleanser?
I was going to suggest exfoliation since it helps me prevent ingrown hairs, but it really does sound like you have tried everything.
Usually the second day in a row of shaving I start to see bumpiness on my skin, especially around the chin and upper lip where hair growth is the thickest. (I'm not very hairsuiet (sp?)). And I've considered that it might be a reaction to various things I use, but the breakouts (bumpiness under makeup and skin) ONLY occur where I have shaved. Makeup applied to the forehead may result in acne breakouts occassionally (I'm prone to oily skin) but not the same kind of red bumpiness.
Other ideas? Pleaaase?
Possibly you are pressing too hard. That can cause irritation. Bumps are ether ingrown hairs or irritation again.
Janet
oh, I understand now. I actually have the same problem if I shave 2 consecutive days (I'm also not very hairy and going through laser now to remove what is there). unfortunatly I have yet to find a solution other than skipping a day between shaves (i'm not full time yet).
I exfoliate after I shave, and it does seem to help prevent those ingrown hairs a bit, but it's not perfect.
Electric razors can help for the in between times. Use a pre shave. And don't press, let the razor do it work.
Janet
ooh oh! Ideas! Thanks.
Now for questions:
Electric Razors for the In-Between Times --
In between times.. you mean my days off? Or do you mean every other day?
And what's a pre-shave?
And Eliza Beth (Btw, I love your thumbnail icon picture, I think you look absolutely gorgeous, why are you not full time yet?) you exfoliate AFTER you shave, not before? Doesnt that... hurt? What is your shaving routine, if I can ask.
Use one for a couple of days when a really close shave in not required. I have Braun and use Williams Electra Shave. Pre shave after exfoliating. It allows the razor to glide effortlessly over the skin.
I use my electric most days even when going to work. It lasts at least 8 hours or more. I only use a regular razor about every four or five days.
Janet
Ah, the horrors of male-scale facial hair removal!! I'm not sure if my advice will apply to you: I've never worn makeup, and I'm guessing that that's not helping with the irritation, but as someone who definitely hates facial hair and who is happiest being read as a woman, I have some advice for you:
First off, I cringe at the thought of using a cartridge razor on the face. If you think about it, all of the blades behind the first are scraping against unprotected skin: The leading blade scrapes off all the shaving cream. I used to get nasty razor-burn with cartridge razors, though even that wasn't as bad as what an electric would do.
If you're up for a little equipment investment, you should try a double-edge razor -- the old- fashioned kind. A good one might cost you $25 on eBay, and the blades are super-cheap. The blades I'm using now cost about $0.15 apiece and last five or six shaves; top of the line cost about $0.50 and might last a day or two longer. It worked for me: I haven't had a razor bump in two years. If you're interested, PM me and I can give you some pointers and a good blade dealer.
Second, shaving against the grain will give most people bumps; few people that I know have the right combination of tough skin and fine hair to tolerate it that well. If you're going to try, first at least shave with the grain, then across the grain, then across the grain in the opposite direction.
Third, for me, rubbing alcohol is an excellent aftershave. Following it up with moisturiser will counteract the drying effect.
Most importantly, tolerate a little shaving imperfection. A face with tiny bit of stubble and a few stray hairs is far less obvious (not to mention more comfortable!) than a baby-smooth face with nicks, bumps, and burn. Life's too short to let your facial hair ruin it.
Hope this helps,
Burgundy
--
A really great shaving resource is the ShaveMyFace forums (http://shavemyface.com/forum/). While the readership is predominantly straight men, they're extremely helpful and they they take their shaving more seriously than most of us do.
This may sound like a dumb question Janet, but what is a pre-shave?
Quote from: bellanocturn on February 05, 2009, 12:27:25 AM
And Eliza Beth (Btw, I love your thumbnail icon picture, I think you look absolutely gorgeous, why are you not full time yet?) you exfoliate AFTER you shave, not before? Doesnt that... hurt? What is your shaving routine, if I can ask.
thanks for the compliment :) it's a long story why i'm not full time, hun. LOL
basically my transition was halted when I hit a rocky patch. I"m about to start HRT again and after a few months of that I think i'll be ready for full time again.
my routine is pretty simple. I use hot water (not really hot, but hot) water to open up the follicles and then shave against the hair. rinse the face, lather up again and this time I go across my neck and every other angle I need around the chin. this gives me the close shave, and I will then exfoliate with a gentle scrub. I use st. ives apricot scrub. it's pretty gentle but it does seem to prevent ingrown hairs.
I've never found a good electric razor that works for me, I never bought a really nice one and usually bought the cheaper ones that I could afford. somethign about buying a mans electric razor that put me off, lol. I was never able to get a close enough shave with one.
my facial hair grows REALLY slow. if I really tried with makeup I can probably go 2.5 days between shaving, if I try to shave the next day, I am almost guarenteed to have some bumps on my neck. but maybe if I used an electric razor for the second day it would still be close enough and give me that extra day without having to spackle on makeup.
preshave is a lotion that you put on your face before you shave (instead of the after shave which goes on after, lol). i've never used it, but basically it's very useful if your hair is extremely course. it softens the hair a bit and makes it easier to shave off.
Pre shave is a lotion that lubes the skin so the razor glides over the skin. Mostly it is Isoproyl Myristate and green tea extracts. Shaving oils can also be used.
Janet
My two cents... if your gym has a steam room use it for a while before shaving, it softens the facial hairs up nicely and I find it makes the skin more forgiving.
I would also suggest a nice scrub beforehand, get rid of the dead skin. This allows you to shave closer to the wood.
Lastly, I find a nice cold splash of water post shave helps.
danielle
Quote from: eliza beth on February 05, 2009, 12:42:35 PM
I've never found a good electric razor that works for me, I never bought a really nice one and usually bought the cheaper ones that I could afford. somethign about buying a mans electric razor that put me off, lol. I was never able to get a close enough shave with one.
That's funny, I recently bought a women's electric shaver and it seems to be mostly useless. It makes the underarms easier to do, but doesn't seem to do do anything to leg hair. Has anyone here found an electric leg shaver that they've found works well/decently?
This is the one I got, for reference:
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-ES2216PC-Curves-Ladies-Attachment/dp/B000G0GW6K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1232605601&sr=1-2 (http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-ES2216PC-Curves-Ladies-Attachment/dp/B000G0GW6K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1232605601&sr=1-2)
Quote from: Vesper on February 07, 2009, 07:55:30 PM
Has anyone here found an electric leg shaver that they've found works well/decently?
I've given up on them honestly. I've bought at least a dozen electric razors, both men's and women's and have never been satisfied. I never spent more than say $80 US, so there may be some more pricey ones that are OK and I just never found one.
for legs, arms and torso i've been epilating. lasts longer than shaving but it can take a while to do your body the first few times until you get your technique down and the hair becomes thinner. I use a braun episilk - the one with the cord. I've been tempted to buy a new one that is cordless soon.
Hmm, I found this:
http://www.amazon.com/Braun-5270-Silk-%C3%A9pil-Xelle-System/dp/B000EZYKTS (http://www.amazon.com/Braun-5270-Silk-%C3%A9pil-Xelle-System/dp/B000EZYKTS)
Does that look good?
I'm probably months away from hormones and I need something better than manual razor shaving, because it takes so long and the hair just grows right back which is frustrating.
Quote from: Vesper on February 07, 2009, 09:42:54 PM
Hmm, I found this:
Does that look good?
that's the one I've been thinking of buying. it's very similar to the one that I have now except it's rechargeable.
the thing with epilators is that you have to stick with it, the more you use it the less your hair comes back. just don't expect instant results or to eliminate shaving all together (I still shave when I don't have time to eiplate, but it's a really quick shave usually).
epilating isn't neccesarily a time saver - it takes a long time to remove all the hair in an area, but it does last a lot longer than shaving, you can also use some hair inhibiter lotion like Aveeno's daily smooth lotion. between that lotion and epilating I can go 6 weeks between sessions and only shave once or twice during that time if I need to - and i haven't even been on HRT for a few years now.
Quote from: eliza beth on February 07, 2009, 09:53:16 PM
that's the one I've been thinking of buying. it's very similar to the one that I have now except it's rechargeable.
the thing with epilators is that you have to stick with it, the more you use it the less your hair comes back. just don't expect instant results or to eliminate shaving all together (I still shave when I don't have time to eiplate, but it's a really quick shave usually).
epilating isn't neccesarily a time saver - it takes a long time to remove all the hair in an area, but it does last a lot longer than shaving, you can also use some hair inhibiter lotion like Aveeno's daily smooth lotion. between that lotion and epilating I can go 6 weeks between sessions and only shave once or twice during that time if I need to - and i haven't even been on HRT for a few years now.
Thanks, that's really helpful info. I already have the aveeno stuff, as well as hair minimixng shave gel, etc... see a theme? hehe. I'll have to think over this epilator thing, maybe see if i can return the shaver I bought so I don't end up spending $$$ all over the place.
Seeing as you've been using one, how is the pain? I'm thinking specifically for areas like underarm and inner thigh...
I guess that's not the cordless one, the cordless one is $30 more but it's still the same other than that. I swear by that aveeno stuff and considerred trying the shave gel too. how is it as a shave gel? I just stopped using the lotion on my face since i'm going through laser, but I didn't expect it to work as well as it does on the rest of my body.
the epilator hurt like a mug the first few times. some spots more than others! LOL but it gets easier with each use and it's worth it in my opinion.
for sensitive areas like behind the knee, inner thigh and bikini area it seems less painful if you stretch the skin taught. inner thigh and stuff always hurt at first, but a general numbing seems to take over after the initial passes, lol. a glass of wine near by helps too. :D
I can not get the hang of an epilator. Never seem to be able to get the hairs pulled, so I shave.
Janet
Quote from: eliza beth on February 08, 2009, 12:56:37 AM
how is it as a shave gel?
I don't know, I haven't gotten to use it much. I live with other people who don't know about my situation, so I shave when I'm in the shower, but it's tricky to do that with shave gel, and lately I end up just using soap because it's quicker. This is all part of my paradox... I'm already paranoid about what they think about how long I spend in the bathroom when I shower (1-2 hours lol). Of course maybe they don't even notice.
I have weird skin. If i use a new razor my skin breaks out in razor bumps. I start off using Suave hair conditioner and then shaving cream. I use a dull Gillette and shave with out too much pressure.
When i mean dull razor i use it on my legs a couple of times. I seldom get razor bump. Also i don't wear foundation or blush.