Angle of growth

Brendons post got me thinking...

So I decided to pluck a hair from my cheek (ouch) and look at it under the microscope. Some jiggerpokery later, and the photo below is the result. This is the result of one single WTG pass yesterday (couldnt be bothered with XTG). Judging by the angle of the cut end, my hair is growing out of my skin at roughly the angle you see in the pic.

How do you interpret this pic? How would one go ATG with such an angle of growth without causing the razor to dig in underneath the hair?

Si

Use a really sharp razor and keep the angle flat. Spine-on-skin flat, if necessary. If that doesn't work, then get your razor sharper.

by everything that I know, no matter how sharp the razor, the hair will always bend a little when it is cut, leaving the sharp point. All of these sharp points is why the face feels prickly when the hair beings to grow out. So, I don't know if the angle of the cut actally reflects that your hair is growing out of your face at that angle.
I have been successful in obtaining quite close shaves by making sure the skin is tight (pulling on it with the free hand), and just shaving wtg.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mparker762

Use a really sharp razor and keep the angle flat. Spine-on-skin flat, if necessary. If that doesn't work, then get your razor sharper.

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Is that in relation to an ATG pass, or a WTG pass (the flat angle, I mean)?

James.

I keep the razor flatter going ATG than I do going WTG, though I generally keep it pretty flat by conventional standards. Some places I do raise the angle a bit, but those are definitely special cases.

This photo supports a theory I have about why a straight shave feels closer than a Mach 3 shave, even though the M3 cuts "below the skin."

A Mach 3 pulls the hair out of the skin, then cuts it off at an angle, like in the photo. Then it retracts back into the skin, leaving the pointy end beyond the razor's reach. When the beard starts to grow back, it's spikey.

With a straight, the first pass cuts the hair at an angle like this. The second pass cuts it off flat and flush with the skin, so the ends are more neatly trimmed. Hence the shave feels better, even when the beard starts to grow back.

Cool--thanks for taking the hit and advancing the cause. :)

Josh

Thanks mparker - that worked a treat. I used my giveaway razor last night, and after a nice WTG and XTG that felt about as comfy as a shave could, I decided to go ATG.

Using almost no pressure, and with the blade almost flat to my skin, I managed to shave away a good amount of hair from my cheeks and the underside of my jawline. It was my first atg with anything - mach 3 whatever - and though my skin was tender, it still feels unbeleivable some 20 hours later. I have never had such smooth skin.

Thanks.

Si