Reddit reviews Bump Fighter Mens Disposable Razors, 48 Count

You have to use “Black Dude” razors, lol! Seriously... Bump Fighter Mens Disposable Razors - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IFR04BO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_XoARBb5S5Y969

I’m not sure the actual name for them, but the blade is set just a tad higher. You can pass a military face inspection (at least USAF), but it doesn’t cut the hairs deep enough to cause them to get irritated or ingrown. This is usually the first thing recommended for black/white/brown/calico Airmen before applying to get a beard waiver. There are a few different brands to check out. Ghost skin here and these have helped my neck drastically.

Because of this, there are razors marketed specifically towards black men, for example; Bump Fighters

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IFR04BO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_8LJPDbEWATTCC

Gosh, I need to start charging Amazon for sharing these links... also, I need to stop browsing Amazon.

Source: my husband loves them!

u/H0kusai has given you great advice. If it is possible for you to take a wetshaving kit, you will not go wrong following it.

But I'm not sure that you will be allowed to take an entire DE wetshaving kit as a newbie. Its perfectly possible to learn to wetshave with a cartridge razor, as long as that razor is a single blade type. My suggestion is that you get a shaving cream (the type that comes in a tube, not a can), and a brush to start with. For your razor, your choices are a Gillette Guard cartridge razor, a Bump Fighter razor, or a single blade disposable. Those orange BIC disposables are available in a single blade version, & cost less than $3 for a pack of twelve. The best choice is the Gillette Guard, but its only available online, while the other options are easily available at your local Walmart or pharmacy. Said pharmacy can also provide you with a cheap aftershave or witch hazel.

I'll add to this, especially for the Afro-Americans out there.

 

Shavers...

 

After all of the cordless electric shavers I've used over the years, my Remington F5-5800 Foil Shaver gives me the smoothness shave I've ever had without using an actual razor. I finish off by edging up and trimming with a [Philips Norelco G370] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FED5DU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_F702AbWT46ATE) (it was <$100 and it's probably outdated by now) I've used it for ~4-7 years and dropped it a few times. It leaves the skin a bit rough, though, but I've rarely ever nicked myself with it (if at all).

 

Instructions & Maintenance...

 

Read the instructions and follow proper maintenance (brush, clean, oil, etc.). Always.
And for the record, both of my shavers are easy to clean. The Remington requires more effort, especially once a month, but the Phillips only requires a quick brushing (I add Andis Clippers Clipper Oil). The "hardest" part is letting the Remington dry for so long before putting the head back on. Don't brush the clippers while it's on, btw. Seriously, you'll ruin the brush and end up needing to replace it.

 

Battery Life...

 

If the instructions say to let the battery die before its first charge, I do so. If it says to fully charge it for X hours before its first use, I do so. Now, people of Reddit had a particular conversation about battery life once. I never looked into the matter myself, but I started practicing it with all of my chargeable devices. After the initial required drain (if instructed), I always charge it after it hits 30-50%. I do my best to never let it drain completely to 0%. The idea is that the battery will actually degrade much quicker if it drains to 0% and will need to be replaced sooner. Feel free to call me a fool on this one, but please explain your reasoning.

 

Razers & Magic Shave...

 

This one requires a story or warning.
I wet shaved with my brother's razor when I was in high school because my cordless one (probably a Phillips) wouldn't work properly when I put it back together after taking the top apart for a full-ish cleaning for the first and last time (the school started reinforcing its facial hair policy).

Though it was my first time, and I shaved against the grain, I didn't cut myself or apply anything to my skin before or after. My face was so smooth that I kept touching it. Three days later, I start noticing bumps. By the fifth day, I had full on razor bumps everywhere I originally shaved. Bump Stopper II took a month or so to really any progress and around three months to really make an impact, but it left my skin dry and very flaky. Eventually, I moved to Skin Tight Razor Bump Ointment Extra Strength. It burned like hell in the beginning, but showed better progress. That and washing my face daily with soap and a towel of course.

Since I still had to shave, I just went over the bumps with a shaver and routinely wiped the blood away. Due to a barber's suggestion, I started using Bump Fighter Razors. He warned me that they were going to miss some hairs, but it worked well enough.

At some point, I was recommended (powder blue) Magic Shave because it would "eat those bumps up" (oh, boy). This stuff stinks, flakes all over the place, and can tear up your skin if you aren't careful. I tore a descent sized section of my skin off when I dragged a wet towel down my chin at the wrong angle once. I could see the skin sitting intact in the towel with the inner-end of my hairs barely sticking out of it. Was a really weird moment. That section of my face was pink and hairless for awhile before it healed over. Looked funny on my lovely complexion. For the record, I only used it every three or four days. Three is the minimum, IIRC.

If you're going to use Magic Shave, use a wet towel to wipe it off (prepare to rinse repeatedly), designate a magic shave cup that is to be used for nothing else, consider only wearing boxers, bring a broom and dust pan, and stay in one room or outside. Hell, turn the vent on, you stinky mutt. Overall, I do not recommend Magic Shave's original formula (powder blue). I cannot speak for its powder gold fragrant or creme light fresh scent version, though.

Now for razers...
I started using the cheap pack of (dark blue) Gillette dual-blade razers from Walmart in high school. They worked very well. Here are my instructions: Shave with the grain, rinse the blades after every stroke, thoroughly rinse the blades after you're done, wipe them carefully with a toilet paper to get extra crud off, and let air dry somewhere. Hell, thanks to another Reddit conversation, I kept a short round plastic container of isopropyl alcohol around in college to "shake" the razer in as a finishing touch of cleanliness. Supposedly, the alcohol evaporates after awhile, so I just let it air dry after that (read the 4/24/18 edit at the bottom). The blades lasted a pretty long time doing all of this before I need to pull out a new razor. That combined with how cheap they were...

 

Razer Bumps / Ingrown Hairs...

 

I found that daily shaving, Skin Tight creme, and actually washing or just wiping my face with a clean damp paper towel kept the bumps from fully returning. A trick I discovered to get rid of the ones that lingered was to grow my facial hair out. It looked awful for a month since the bumps returned as the hair grew (they might have been curling into the skin), but there's a point where the bumps start to recede into the skin and all you have is a full beard (minus some areas of the lower neck). Now just maintain it or shave it off. What you'll find is a smooth face with practically no bumps. You must keep the hairs from growing back, though (and maybe wash your face?). Mess that up, and the lingering bumps will return.

Oh, to hell with Bump Stopper II and don't bother with Skin Tight. My physician recommended Tend Skin Solution after I graduated college, and, let me tell you, it works better than both. I hear the ingredients aren't that bad for your health either.

 

My Routine...

 

I wash my hair (including facial) with Bubble & Bee's hard water shampoo (the price is worth it, especially since it lasts for a surprisingly long time), pour on and rub in their vinegar rinse ratio (a fourth of the bottle tops; it's optional when you purchase the shampoo), wash that out, apply Nature's Way Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to my facial and scalp hair while still damp/wet (I'm not 100% certain about using it on the scalp yet; used to use AVEDA Dry Remedy Daily Moisturizing Oil twice or thrice a week), brush my facial hair (soft bristles for the cheeks and neck; medium bristles for the beard and moustache) once in the morning, and apply Tend Skin Solution twice a day with cotton balls.

I should be using the foil shaver daily, but I don't always. Hence why I brush my cheeks and neck.

 

In closing...

 

If you're close to (or cool with) any Afro-American males, especially ones who've just started growing facial hair, consider having them read this so they can learn from my mistakes. Those razor bumps were rather unsightly.

 

tl;dr: Use Tend Skin Solution for razor bumps, wash your face, follow instructions, foil shavers leave smoother skin, read the section on battery life, don't shave against the grain with a razor, and don't use magic shave or bump stopper II.

 

EDIT (4/24/18):
About my shaving cleanup steps. I later realized that letting the isopropyl alcohol dry on the razer caused the blades to dull quicker, so I started rinsing them off and wiping them with toilet paper a second time as the final step.