New DE shaver needs advice on his "problem areas"

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p9ul

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First DE shave last night - apart from a cut on my top lip it didn't go too badly, but it has highlighted a few problems...

Firstly - my chin is a difficult area, it has the densest (sp?) concentration of hair, and I'm sure some follicles are responsible for multiple hairs - the hair is also pretty coarse. My main concern is the actual shape of my chin, are there any tips for maintaining the correct shaving angle as you pass over a curve?

Bumps just above my chin - I have a few of these, quite small and I think they're clogged pores or trapped hairs, my shave last night seemed to take the top of these off resulting in a few pin prick marks this morning. Is this just a consequence of cartridge razors and is something will be eradicated by DE shaving?

Mouth - I seem to have hair right up to my lips and I'm concerned about how to effectively get at this without me turning into Heath Ledger's Joker - especially at the sides of my mouth where there's hair in "the creases" if you follow me...

Finally - the back of my neck, yes I shave the back of my neck roughly once a week - does anyone else do this? Is there a knack to doing this with a DE or am I better off sticking to a cartidge razor for this?

Thanks in advance.
 
Radically shorten strokes for difficult areas so you can maintain correct angle when you are technically better they will naturally lengthen.
 
I have the same problem as you with tough beard whiskers right up to my lips in the corner of my mouth...the chin is nearly always a problem area...As Antdad says ...Short strokes, and shaving in every direction.....Firstly a with the grain pass to get rid of the thick of it...then a which ever direction you need to shave in.....there are no hard and fast rules...all faces/skins/chins/beards are slightly different...

Moustache...I start with a down stroke/with the grain....then a sideways pass(from each direction)..ie..from nose outwards then corner of mouth to nose....followed by a against the grain upwards towards the nose....mind you don't slice your top lip..........Done that ..it makes you jump a bit.....
 
As antdad says, short strokes work well - as does jutting my jaw out and giving it the wide mouth frog/gurning face to flatten out the underside of the jawline.
I shave my entire head about once a week with a DE, including the back of the neck - I tend to hold the razor far nearer the head, using sound and feedback through the razor to tell if I'm at the right angle.
 
Cheers for the advice - I think the hardest part of the shave at the moment as actually applying the razor to my face at the correct angle and pressure, finding it a little hard to judge but I suppose that'll come with time and "feel".

Ordered some proraso cream which should make it easier for me to lather up a bit better.
 
Might be a good idea to try the "tilting" tip - hold the razor on your cheek with the handle parallel with the floor so that you can see the angle in the mirror, then slowly tilt the handle downand stroke it down the cheek until you just feel the blade touching. Stop tilting the razor and examine the angle in the mirror. Gradually, as you use the razor, you'll get used to the correct angle.

As an example, I've recently used my Gillette Slim a lot as I took it on holiday with me; since I got back and used my Merkur 34c again, I've found myself holding it at the Gillette cutting angle, which, with the Merkur is too steep. I could feel the blade too aggressively against my skin, so I concentrated on holding it at a shallow angle to get used to it again.
 
Lips:
Push your tongue inside the corners of your mouth to stretch your lip "wrinkles" out a little. Go carefully in just a few short, miniature strokes, you very quickly get the hang of it.

Neck:
I did use a cartridge razor on the back of my neck (I do my own crewcuts) for quite a while but over time (maybe 6 months?) I had the odd go with a DE now and again, and now I've got used to it and just use a DE. I cut myself once (quite a hum dinger!) so do be careful, but honestly it's something you'll get confident with in time.

Mikael uses a DE for his whole head, so you can become really quite comfortable with your technique.
 
Well I had another go last night and everything seemed to go much better. The shave was a lot closer, not quite to where I was with cartridges yet but getting there. Chin was still a problem - I think I have a pointy witches chin...

Felt quite good about it overall - even had a crack at the back of my neck - got away without any nicks!

My front of my neck felt a little sore afterwards however, but not too bad this morning after plenty of balm before going to bed.

Still feeling a little tugging with the shave and not sure if it's my technique or the blades I'm using - I've just stuck with some Boots own blades that came with the razor - but I also have some Feathers on stand-by which I was leaving until I was more comfortable with what I should be doing. Any pointers?
 
p9ul said:
Still feeling a little tugging with the shave and not sure if it's my technique or the blades I'm using - I've just stuck with some Boots own blades that came with the razor - but I also have some Feathers on stand-by which I was leaving until I was more comfortable with what I should be doing. Any pointers?
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I've never used Boots blades so I can't comment on the quality of them but it would be a good idea to try out some other brands to see which works best for you. I think that there is currently a selection of blades being passed around members so that would be a good option but I can't remember where I saw the thread...
 
What razor are you using?....Try to concentrate on shave Angle and Pressure....just let the weight of the razor do the pressing on.....
Don't be terrified of the Feathers.....yes they're sharp..........but they're also superb blades for effortless shaving.
 
I've got 2 vintage gillette's on their way from eBay but I was itching to make a start and pop my cherry, so I bought a cheapo from Boots. I know the shave angle is likely to change when swapping razors but I need the practice!

I bought the feathers due to their reputation as being the sharpest blades, I have quite coarse hair and I think I need something with a bit more oomph. I've visited Barbers before for a pro-shave and still experienced tugging with a straight razor after all kinds of prep treatments.
 
The Gillettes should help out a lot and may be better built than the Boots you are using (I haven't heard of the brand). As for the Feathers, yes they are really sharp. I have thick growth myself and for me they don't tug. The only thing is that I find they don't last as long. I get maybe 3 shaves per Feather blade, before they get uncomfortable to use.
 
GOLDCREST said:
Don't be terrified of the Feathers.....yes they're sharp..........but they're also superb blades for effortless shaving.
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Just to echo the above, don't be afraid of the Feathers! I have only been DE shaving for a few weeks now and really did not want to try the Feathers so soon after reading some horror stories but I am so glad I did! Take your time, don't rush and the Feathers will give you a great nick/cut free shave.

PS. I believe the Boots own brand blades are basically Israeli Persona's so should be a good blade?
 
...and when short-strokin' don't forget about lubrication... meaning (no, not that :D) re-lathering, there's no better way to irritation than shaving dry...
 
Tried the feathers last night - a few more nicks than normal but nothing serious. Chin and jawline are still a problem, as is my neck - at least the hair growth is all the same direction (left to right to me) but finding it awkward to shave in this direction which is resulting in the majority of the nicks.

Couple of more Q's...

Pre-shave oil - should this be used after the hot towel but before the lather? Currently have some Bluebeards Revenge oil and I'm not seeing any advantage from it.

Does the lather need to be on my skin for a certain length of time before I start the shave?
 
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