Serious shaving trouble!

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Permalink Reply by Brian Escamilla on November 8, 2009 at 6:23pm

I can offer some advice, but first I need to know what your technique is for shaving those areas. They can be very tricky. Also, are you shaving with, against or across the grain? Each pass has its own method. Since you're still a beginner I'll cover with the grain.

For the mustache area, you have to make sure you stretch the skin correctly. You have to cover your teeth with your lips (pretend your impersonating an old lady with no teeth) to make the skin as taught as possible. Then, carefully place the blade edge against the area directly below your nostrils and ROLL the blade down to your shaving angle as you shave down. It helps to use the heel of the blade for control.

The chin is similar. You also use the heel of the blade and carefully follow the contour of the chin. The key is to avoid having to follow the curve down to your neck. You should stretch the skin on your neck down so that the very bottom of your chin whiskers can be shaved along with your neck whiskers. This makes it less tricky. Also, shaving across the grain at the soul patch area and even the point of the chin makes it easier.

It's hard to explain without a visual aid so if you have any questions feel free to ask. HTH.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Wheatley on November 8, 2009 at 8:48pm

practice, practice, practice. or just grow a moustache.......

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Permalink Reply by Barz on November 8, 2009 at 9:09pm

That is half the reason I have a mustache and goatee! Much less time and effort invested when you don't have to worry about the upper lip. Also the goat helps camouflage a slight double chin! (at least I tell myself it does)

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Permalink Reply by Michael D. Denny on November 8, 2009 at 11:19pm

Firstly, you're sword is probably not sharp enough. Is there a "pulling" sensation when you shave? Does it seem like you get a better shave with one side of your razor than the other? Does your skin redden? Do you have to apply a bit more force to the blade than you feel you should have to?

All signs of a dull weapon.

Try some of these, for techniques on shave strokes. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=straight+razor+shave&am...

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Ian Richardson on November 9, 2009 at 5:53pm

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'll see how my next shave goes!

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Permalink Reply by Bryan on November 20, 2009 at 1:22am

My advice also is to shave these areas last. I find my facial hair is much thicker in these areas and every little thing I can do to soften the hair in these areas pays off.

I also in general do not go against the grain in these areas (especially the mustache area).

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Permalink Reply by Steve Langford on November 21, 2009 at 12:53am

Many people say that when shaving, they try to figure out the grain of the hair. I've been an offender of this on several occasions, until the problem reached a point where I began getting ingrown hairs. I read an article on ingrown hairs, where the doctor says you should

"Train your whiskers. Does your beard grow in eleventy-four different directions? Dr. Litt advises you to "train it to grow out straight." Do this by shaving in two directions: down on the face, and up on the neck (to prevent neck nicks). Don't shave in all kinds of different directions or back and forth. "You won't get as great a shave at first," he says, "but if you keep shaving down on the face and up on the neck, your beard should start growing out straight in a matter of months.""

As they say, the first couple of months, your face will look odd, and you may get a few ingrown hairs. The article says two directions, but I know people like my father who all their facial hair is trained to be cut by down strokes. The main point is to train your whiskers. I'm glad I did.

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/47/82.cfm

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Permalink Reply by Reg Williams on November 23, 2009 at 12:30am

I also find pulling the skin taught in these ares is quite helpful. I have always had a sensitive jaw line and since I have started straight razor shaving I found that this technique really helps with my sensitivity. I have also found that I am slowly getting less razor burn than I previously used to get. Give this a try along with a new blade like some others mentioned here and you will be golden. Good luck :)

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