Shaving is NOT like MTB

[Mr Bigmem]

Consider my head messed with!
This may be a loooong process!

Make little changes and evaluate. Just start as I said with the skin prep stuff. If your face is not right no matter what hardware you use or the technique you use your going to cut scrap and irritate your skin. Trying to get a close shave will cause problems till you work out how to get the hairs prime to be cut and while still protecting your skin. Blades will slice more than just hair if skin is ruff or in the way. So find your way to hydrate your facial hair while trying to keep your skin from being irritated and your follicles swollen and raised.then get a barrier between blade and skin that doesn't irritate and over stimulate your skin

 

[SensitiveGuy]

Hot water is the normal thing when you have a run of the mill skin type. With our skin types hot water will make your hair follicles raise. And a plumped follicle is asking to be nicked. Ok so pre shave i'd go with proraso white sensitive or I at the moment I am really loving Nuage shave oil. Its a really good oil and the menthol isn't to heavy but refreshing for the hot days with been having. http://www.expresschemist.co.uk/nuage-men-shaving-oil-with-menthol-20ml.html#.V9nCQ8vTXqA

Trust me its really worth getting this oil.

And as important as my prep is, my shave is the next stage. Making sure you listen to your skin and then the final of post shave. For me I had to stop alum block unless I had a real bleeder and even then only on the cut or nick. Witch hazel applied sparingly and for post shave i've found Cool Fix by Shaveworks, is like a magic of the gods. I took the dive on Cool Fix from a recommendation by @p.b I really can't tell you how much this has helped me. A little goes a long way. I found mine at tkmax for £8. Its costs more online. But i'd pay the full amount now I know how good it is.

Thank you

 

[SensitiveGuy]

I would agree that Feathers aren't necessarily the best, but back to basics - have you mapped your beard? It's important to know which direction the hair grows in, as it may not be straight north to south. Mine goes in some crazy directions on my throat. You've not mentioned how many passes you're doing or whether that's with or against the grain. Start off with one pass with the grain, make sure your lather's good and that you're not pressing down, just let the weight of the razor do the work. Do no go over the same area twice, anything you miss you'll get on the next pass. If that goes well, wet your face, lather again and do another with the grain pass. Call it done. That will get you a close-enough shave and should minimise irritation. Make sure you nail that before you try going in other directions.

I'm one who never shaves against the grain, my beard's coarse and skin can't take it so I do two passes, one with the grain, one across and call it good.

Ah! Good call. Only two passes at the mo as three wrecks my face. Normally one with and the second against the grain. I have mapped it, Adam's apple, and chin are areas of almost swirls! Rest is pretty straight forward. Neck, chin and top lip are the areas of irritation / nicks, so that follows!
Thanks

 

[dadant]

Absolutely no ATG if your face is getting "wrecked", just stick to a couple of WTG passes or one WTG and one XTG pass ONLY.

Just aim for an irritation free shave for the moment irrespective of finish, that will come when your technique improves.

After all what's the point of being stubble free if your skin looks terrible and needs a week to recover.

 

[dadant]

Edited....I meant one WTG and one XTG pass only, no ATG for the moment.

I don't shave ATG very often, don't need to as I get close enough without and that's my point. Most folks arrive here (you're not the first) having scraped the bejesus off their faces for the sake of being uber smooth and think they have sensitive skin because it's such a mess. You don't, you just don't have very good technique yet.