Shaving angles

[ligonnema]

One thing I've struggled with when learning to use a safety razor properly is going against the grain, I always get irritated, sore and often bloody skin around the top lip and chin.

My technique has improved a lot, as has my lather and preshave preparation, so I was confused and frustrated by this.

I looked into different angles on various videos and read about it, the typical consensus is riding the cap reduces irritation and conversely riding the bar provides a much more aggressive shave.

Anyway, I got so sick of riding the cap and not getting the results I want so though sod it, I'll ride the bar instead, and I got a much better shave, almost no weepers, much happier skin and the first legit BBS shave on my top lip ever (previously it just got too sore with old technique).

Why is this? It seems completely counter intuitive based on the common wisdom? Anyone experience this?

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy about this and this is clearly what I need to do, so will refine the approach, I'm just puzzled by it.

 

[slapo]

It's difficult to say exactly without seeing how you actually wield the razor, but I'll indulge in a bit of speculation.
Your description makes me wonder whether you haven't been overshaving the top lip and chin areas.
Another consideration could be how round your top lip and chin are - if they're well rounded (in or out), it makes riding the cap a little more difficult and even skin stretching wouldn't straighten them completely - that can make it easier to dig into flesh (in the direction of the stroke) at a shallow(ish) blade angle while trying to keep the angle or when the blade encounters skin imperfections .
Riding the bar, the blade angle is steeper, which doesn't dig into the skin as keenly in the direction of the stroke (though possibly a little more so with too much perpendicular pressure against the skin).
That, or other possible reasons.

 

[dodgy]

One thing I've struggled with when learning to use a safety razor properly is going against the grain, I always get irritated, sore and often bloody skin around the top lip and chin.

My technique has improved a lot, as has my lather and preshave preparation, so I was confused and frustrated by this.


Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy about this and this is clearly what I need to do, so will refine the approach, I'm just puzzled by it.

Well I had the same problem when first getting away from the old M3 (back in the day) but the issue was switching to an injector and not a DE. Yeah, that thing about kilt me when trying ATG so I said the hell with it.

Now I know that very early type razor/blade set up is a vampire like object but I'd still get a funky shave even today if I tried one. Just a bad fit that was fixed by trial and error.


So, try another razor.....what's the set up now? Milder usually means less blade feel but the trade off is a little less perfect results. I'm guessing you have a bunch of previous shaves already. Ideally you wanna find the right razor/blade combo and it takes a while as things roll along.

Maybe try the almost new Gillette adjustable available for renting for only $65 per day or a weeks worth for $300 (mates rates discount) and set it onna mild setting like #3 going ATG on the third pass. Yeah, it's worth doing 3 of em. See if that or any other adjustable type might be good for now. Hard to believe but some members here prefer lots of.....close contact kinda feeling under a watchful eye.

Could be that razor and your technique may be fine later but switch things up now. Maybe not the blades quite so much as the razors but really you need both.

Also it's tough with that weird underneath angle trying to let a razor's weight alone do what? It's a totally different kinda technique than WTG for example.

There now, some ideas.

 

[ligonnema]

Thanks, some interesting things to consider and practise here.

 

[Chalkie]

Striving for perfection can sometimes be counter productive.

As I have said before, even if you get the perfect BBS then the next day it just starts growing all over again.

So, stop trying whilst you hone your technique.

Stick with the same setup all the time. Razor, blade, brush and soap.

Initially just do one pass and then work up to two.

It will come, don't worry.

 

[ligonnema]

Re: striving for perfection - I hear you and you're right, aiming for the best possible outcomes when you're not equipped to achieve them is a recipe for frustration.

However, being a self confessed perfectionist, it's a lot harder to apply this knowledge than just type it.

Anyway, I put into practice some of the above points and - I finally did it! Went ATG and had zero weepers and shaving rash - for the first time ever! Really chuffed with this.

There were no significant changes I made, but paid extra attention to 'how' I was stretching the skin on my face, ensuring there was no cheeky double shaving of areas that required more lather, fully applied the zero pressure rule and this achieved the best shave I've ever had. Excited to try it again now.

PS. I did this with a Kai blade, which I have as part of a sample pack. I'm very curious to know how much it contributed to this outcome; I'll try one more time with it and then revert back to an older blade, either KGC / BIC / Iridium, the latter of the three especially impressed me. I want to know if it's the blade type, or my experience growing that caused this. Hoping the latter as I already have more blades than I'll ever need, and Kais are expensive.