Stretching your skin

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The weekend is when I experiment with different razors and techniques. This weekend, I decided to try stretching my skin as I shave.

Usually, the only stretching I do is to lift my chin high when shaving the neck area, puffing my cheeks out for shaving the cheeks and above the mouth, and putting my tongue between my teeth and skin when shaving under my mouth.

This time, I used my hand to pull my skin taught. Result - very close shave but absolutely destroyed my skin, tons of weepers, and little pinpricks of blood.

I won't be doing that again without guidance :)

Does anyone here stretch their skin when they shave, and do they have any tips for me?
 
Neil Miller once made an observation in a thread on straight razors - stretching from above raises the whiskers but from below it flattens them out. Thinking about that, if you stretch from below when shaving ATG - say shaving your neck towards the chin, I can see why it could cause weepers.

Generally speaking stretching is more important when using a straight - you obviously don't want to shave into a fold of skin, but I find myself doing much the same skin stretching regardless of what type of razor is being used.
 
Try this after shaving...Feel for remaining stubble then stretch the skin in different places and feel again. You will note sometimes stubble can be felt with loose skin that can't be felt in that same place when stretched, and vice versa. A logical conclusion is stretching is beneficial in certain places on the face and neck as is not stretching, if the goal is a close shave that is.

Any half ass shaver will know this. :D
 
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Neil Miller once made an observation in a thread on straight razors - stretching from above raises the whiskers but from below it flattens them out. Thinking about that, if you stretch from below when shaving ATG - say shaving your neck towards the chin, I can see why it could cause weepers.

Generally speaking stretching is more important when using a straight - you obviously don't want to shave into a fold of skin, but I find myself doing much the same skin stretching regardless of what type of razor is being used.

Brilliant observation. I've just tried it and 100% correct.

I employ stretching to help deal with the hair in the folds of my mouth which grow in all sorts of weird directions and it does indeed help. I don't pull too tight and I guess my subconscious is spot on as I always pull from above when using a DE.
 
Try this after shaving...Feel for remaining stubble the stretch the skin in different places and feel again. You will note sometimes stubble can be felt with loose skin that can't be felt in that same place when stretched, and vice versa. A logical conclusion is stretching is beneficial in certain places on the face and neck as is not stretching, if the goal is a close shave that is.

Any half ass shaver will know this. :D
The Half Ass Way..:p

Billy
 
I have stretched my skin far too much and as a result it won't go back to how it used to be. My gut is now a deflated spare tyre after losing five and a half stone so if anyone needs a graft donor, let me know....:D

@SeanC not that I've looked but it never occurred to me shave in my mouth. Do a lot of you guys have trouble with this? :p

On a more serious note, I'm with @Dave-the-rave on this point. Some areas need it, some don't. Mention Fray Bentos again and I'll shove that cartoon motorbike up yer erse! :D:p
 
I have stretched my skin far too much and as a result it won't go back to how it used to be. My gut is now a deflated spare tyre after losing five and a half stone so if anyone needs a graft donor, let me know....:D

@SeanC not that I've looked but it never occurred to me shave in my mouth. Do a lot of you guys have trouble with this? :p

On a more serious note, I'm with @Dave-the-rave on this point. Some areas need it, some don't. Mention Fray Bentos again and I'll shove that cartoon motorbike up yer erse! :D:p

I don't deny being a hairy b**ger, but it definitely doesn't grow their or on the palms of my hands or anywhere else where it really shouldn't :eek:
 
I have stretched my skin far too much and as a result it won't go back to how it used to be. My gut is now a deflated spare tyre after losing five and a half stone so if anyone needs a graft donor, let me know....:D

@SeanC not that I've looked but it never occurred to me shave in my mouth. Do a lot of you guys have trouble with this? :p

On a more serious note, I'm with @Dave-the-rave on this point. Some areas need it, some don't. Mention Fray Bentos again and I'll shove that cartoon motorbike up yer erse! :D:p
Fray Bentos..:p:D:p

Billy
 
I've watched a couple of videos on it before I started straight shaving and now I use it when DE shaving. I get a ridiculously close shave now.
However, like Sean, I also struggle when shaving in my mouth. I've resorted to using squirty cream rather than shaving soap, because it tastes better but looks similar, I hope that helps.
 
Neil Miller once made an observation in a thread on straight razors - stretching from above raises the whiskers but from below it flattens them out. Thinking about that, if you stretch from below when shaving ATG - say shaving your neck towards the chin, I can see why it could cause weepers.
That's correct if the hair growth is downwards. At the bottom of my neck my hairs grow upwards, so I need to stretch from below to raise the whiskers. Below my jawline the hair grows earwards, so I need to stretch towards the chin to raise the whiskers. So I think the general rule is to stretch the skin ATG.
 
Try this after shaving...Feel for remaining stubble then stretch the skin in different places and feel again. You will note sometimes stubble can be felt with loose skin that can't be felt in that same place when stretched, and vice versa. A logical conclusion is stretching is beneficial in certain places on the face and neck as is not stretching, if the goal is a close shave that is.

Any half ass shaver will know this. :D

I do now :)
 
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