Try switching from the Gillette to Edge Pro Gel, tough beards formula.
You will find it works better than Gillette. I haven’t tried the newest Gillette formulas though.
RJC2001
And tendskin also helps razer burn??? On the neck as well??
Richard, Tend Skin claims they help reduce razor burn, but I haven’t used it for that myself.
Tend skin definitely helps with razpr burn. A bottle should last a few months. You don’t have to put it on real heavy. It also acts like a #4 sunscreen so keep that in mind if you’re going to the beach. Be sure to apply it evenly or you will have stripes.
RJC2001
FIRST POST EVER
hey, i found this forum today, and i am rather impressed.
But on the subject of chest shaving, I too am an 18 year old male (19 in one month…whooo) and i have the same basic problems as Richard. I use the Mach3 (not Turbo, altho i will probably convert) on my chest and face. i too get rather annoying rashes, pimples and other goodies. i have been shaving my chest on a regular basis for almost 2 years, and i still get irritation around my belly button, and along the line where the chest becomes the belly. i do not shave my upper chest, i kinda like the “burly” look (and my girlfriend likes it too) however, i also shave my armpits, shoulders, and my back(which is not easy at all). I find the most irritations seem to come from joints, or places where my skin rubs a lot, which may be one reason for irritations.
i should also mention that for rugby season (summer) i shave my legs comepletly, i find that below the knee there isent too much irritations, but my thighs are like my belly, messed up.
i guess i will throw out the next step to this debate, how can i prevent irritations on the parts that i have mentioned?
most definitaly i will try the methods mentioned already, i am currently growing out my beard (which is kind of funny i guess) but i intend on shaping it soon, so it too will become a concern once again!
oooh one last thing, for richard, i tried waxing my chest… and i only did it once (hurt that much) but i noticed that, for me at least, there were little red bumps that stayed until the hair returned… which can’t be good.
I guess i have said all i can, thanks for taking the time to read this, and before i forget… one word of advice, shaving your back is a very risky job… beware (i made a nice gash in it the other day… i need a safer way)
If you are getting irritation around joints it could be because you are pressing down too hard. It’s very common. I still do it sometimes even though I know better, must be instinct I guess.
Also try different shaving gels. I prefer Edge Pro Gel for tough beards. Make sure you use a lot of water. If I’m using a blade, find it easier to shave my legs in the shower. Some body washes also work very well for shaving. Try Suave in the white bottle. Very good and cheap also. Dove and Oil of Olay are also very good. It’s not as messy.
If irritation is too bad you can try a good electric like the Braun Synchro 7526. Almost as good as a blade and much less irritation.
Hope this helps.
RJC2001
Hello Everybody! I was just reading over your posts today, and I thought I might be able to offer some help!
I too, am a long time Thick-haired, Sensitive-skinned shaver, and I’ve come across some tips in the past that have helped me out enormously!
First of all, just so you know, right off the bat, if you are seriously commited to staying smooth, and you decide to utilize shaving as your method of choice, you are not ever going to be able to accomplish it without adding a good amount of time to your daily regemin. Me personally, if I’m feeling fussy, it can take an extra half an hour or so more than if I don’t shave.
That said, let’s move on. First of all, I find that a good long soak in the water before shaving, (Either in a shower or a bath, doesn’t matter.) helps the hair to soften a little bit, and warms up your skin just a touch. Just be careful not to let the hair soak for so long that the skin swells with the heat, or becomes “pruney” with the moisture.
Before I shave, I usually pick out the areas that are most sensitive and apply a layer to shaving cream to those and let it sit while I shave the areas that need a little bit less attention. (“Joints” get this layer, legs don’t)
After I rinse off the first layer of shaving cream, I apply a thin, (THIN) layer of Vaseline over the trouble area, this goes underneath another layer of shaving cream, but onto the bare skin. (I actually had a friend who tried this backwards once.) (grin)
It helps if you are shaving out of the shower to have an old towel or some kind of cloth that you can get dirty, (T’shirts and stuff work pretty well for this, but I like using a towel better because you can “scrub” the razor against it if necessary.) you place this over the counter, or toilet lid, or side of the tub or anything solid that you can tap the razor out onto. You don’t want to end up just smoothing the hairs all around with a layer of Vaseline, because you have a full razor! (smile) (That one took me a time or two to catch!)
During the actual shaving, here are some tips that I use to prevent irritation and ingrowns. First, try to only stroke the same area twice with a razor. Each time you make a stroke, you’re increasing the stress your skin goes through, and make irritation more likely.
Secondly, try to take no more than two long strokes, or three short strokes before you rinse and tap out your razor. A clogged razor can mak cutting difficult, causing you to go over the same area more than necessary.
Lastly, I always try to rinse off with water a little cooler temperature than the water I’m using to shower/shave with. In my experience skin tends to swell up just a little bit when subjected to “wet heat” and the cooler water, helps to prevent the follicles from swelling up over freshly-cut ends.
Now, as for aftercare, I understand that different people have different stuggles with the various problems that come after shaving. Me personally, I used to struggle heavily with ingrowns and breakouts, chafing at the “Joints”, and even a minor skin infection once.
These are the things that I use to help me keep those away. (Note that I said I USED TO struggle with those things, it is a rarer occurence now if one of those things happen than if it doesn’t, which was the case before.) (smile)
ANYWAY! After you’ve rinsed off, (And I usually end up using my towel to help wipe off any left-over Vaseline, because it just DOES NOT come off in water!) (smile) take a cotton ball or gauze pad, or whatever you decided to use, (Something sterile, hopefully!) and wipe the area down with Isopropyl Alcohol. (Stingy!)
After that, try applying some kind of hypo-allergenic moisturizer. I use Baby Oil, but whatever works best for you, works best for you!
Since I shower at night, and not in the morning, I haven’t got to worry about the joints and stuff untill after the moisturizer has already been absorbed into the skin. If you dress for your day right after your shower, you might want to make sure that your moisturizer is rubbed in before the next step.
Since chafing had actually become a big problem, and irritation on any of your skin is never pleasant, I found that to avoid “rubbing” or chafing or whatever on those close-together areas, (armpits, upper thigh, etc.) I use baby powder. Just a small amount’ll do it, and it really helps me during my day.
If you decide not to opt for the baby-fresh scent, and use a regular body powder instead, make sure not to use one containing talc. Scents and colors can cause more irritation than they relieve as well, but defenitely avoid talc. If you can’t find anything that suits you, the main ingredient in baby powder is cornstarch, and that works just as well as anything else! (Just trust me on this one!)
As far as cosmetic appearances, I’ve found that when I want to go out sunning, and I’ve gotten a little razor burn or a bit of leftover redness from some light irritation, just dab a bit of Visene on the red skin, and in five minutes, it should look as good as new! (Note: Please, don’t do this unless you decide it’s necessary, using Visine too much on your regular skin can have the same effect as it has when overused on your eyes. Also, all the extra chemicals and such just aren’t terrific for your skin to have on it all the time. It’s not damaging in any way, but please be sure not to overdo it.
Anyway, that’s just about all I have, just make sure to keep the area clean (Sanitary, with the alchohol. Even though it’s a pain, it’s really a good idea and should be done EVERY TIME you shave, in my opinion.) and moisturized after you shave, and if you stick with a good routine for a while, your skin really WILL start to get used to it!
hey thanks a lot Princjjess, that was a lot of typing on your part. it being winter now, i don’t shave my legs, it’s only for rubgy (don’t ask, long story… now it’s just something i do)
but about the “joints” (i think it is funny how you this) i haven’t really been shaving the armpits for long, just one day a few months back i was like “hey my arms would look much more muscly without this hair” so i got rid of it. Pressure must be the problem, because i use a lot blush
anyways, right now i am currently nursing the skin near my belly button… the blade didn’t LOOK dull when i used it last week… boy that was a mistake!! 
thanks for you advice.
oh and RJC, thanks for your response. i have noticed you on a lot of other discussions and you seem to REALLY like that gel, almost enough to convince me to check i out 
and i also shave the legs in the shower, it saves time and makes less of a mess (im a big clumbsy guy, i don’t bend that well to do a clean job with my legs)
anyways, time for me to hit the sack, thanks again
Hey guys I 'm new to this board but a long time chest shaver. I’ve been doing it since I was a senior in highschool, and now i am a senior in college. Alot of good info/tips in here. I too suffer from irratation after I shave. My Stomach and my lower chest doesnt show the irratations, its the top of the chest that give me problems. It gets red and often some how I cut myself doing it, not bad cuts or anything but just little nicks. Also I have to shave every day in the shower cuz if I dont i get little stubble. Sometimes I dont shave it for a day or to to let the irratation go down or just to give my skin some rest. I dont mind the shaving I guess i would just like to find some way to keep the irratation down and have the hair grow back less…and not have to pay an arm and a leg. I tried that Epil Stop stuff and it burned me pretty bad, and I tried the new stuff from Nair for men and it didnt work. I guess I am going to try some of these things to see if it works, thanks alot guys
Depilatories like Nair and Epil Stop generally do a poor job on chest hair unless it is very fine. You are better off shaving.
RJC2001
I officially nominate Princjjess member of the month for January! Posts like that are the reason I love our readers. That is some first-rate advice for anyone! 