This has been driving me mad lately.  I've always had sensitive skin, and shaving would irritate it, but now, after a few months on spiro, it's gotten to the point where I dread shaving my face and especially my neck.  Of course, I don't want to just go around with whiskers either! 

For a while after I shave the skin is red and irritated.  Isopropyl alcohol helps it a little and seems to limit the redness and keep it from spreading (I don't always use it, so it's not the cause of the problem).  The thing is, as soon as the 5-o-clock shadow starts to grow even a little bit, where you can't even really see it, it starts chafing my skin badly, especially on the area below my jawbone, including my throat.  The skin there is loose, and any movement seems to cause this chafing.  Then I have to decide whether to shave again and irritate my skin that way or just deal with the whisker burn. 

Does anyone else have this problem? Know of any good solutions? Long-term, electrolysis will hopefully remove the problem, although I don't look forward to how my skin will react to that! Is there anything I can do in the short-term though?

I moisturize, which makes my skin feel better, but maybe it also makes it more sensitive?  I have tried shaving with an electric razor and with various types of regular razors with different numbers of blades, but nothing really works well enough.  I haven't tried facial depilatory, though.  Is that a good option?  What about the spring-like tools for pulling hairs out?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

~ Marissa ~

I had that too, but laser has largely eased it as I have lost most of my facial hair now except a few patches. 

The best I came up with is a slow, slow 2 pass. If at all possible, it is soooooo much better if you can do that during a hot bath, or failing that after a hot shower or else a hot face soak. Use the best foam, the best razor and then a small amount of zinc sulphate (also used as nappy cream), followed by a generous amount of an aloe vira moisturiser and after a minute to soak, an aloe vira infused baby oil.

Thanks, Akira!  I'm going to try those things.  I really want to stop using rubbing alcohol, so I'm hoping those products will do a better job!

Why kind of razor are you using?

Quote from: Ms. OBrien CVT on September 29, 2013, 03:36:42 PM
Why kind of razor are you using?

I think I'm going to stop using my electric razor (Philips Norelco) because it hurts too much, but the current hand razor I use is a replaceable-head 4-blade razor.  I don't remember the brand, maybe Gillette.