Thread: Need some advice

Just started straight shaving a few days ago. I am getting better around the jaw line but am still struggling with my chin and area under my lip. Any suggestions?

Also, I have a small bump under my jaw line which I have managed to shave off a couple of times

Forunately my razor, being sharpened by Lynn, went right throught it both times! No pain but drawing blood. Do most folks skip these areas or is there a technique I should know about.

Thanks

Keep struggling! You've only got a few shaves behind you and the lip and chin are the most difficult. Watch your angles and even though your face is made up of contours you need to visualize it in flat planes, using shorter, more precise strokes. Keep working at it you are almost there.

The lip is difficult because the skin is so sensitive. Best advise I could give is to take short small strokes with very light pressure. I normally skin the ATG pass on my upper lip, and find that WTG and XTG get that area BBS every time. As for the chin, if your like me the hairs on the bottom of the chin and right under the chin are very thick and difficult to shave. The absolute best thing there is beard prep. I use CF preshave on my chin area just about every time I shave. Good prep is key to those tough whiskers.


Happy shaving,


Patrick

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Keep struggling! You've only got a few shaves behind you and the lip and chin are the most difficult. Watch your angles and even though your face is made up of contours you need to visualize it in flat planes, using shorter, more precise strokes. Keep working at it you are almost there.

+1 This is some of the best advise I have heard. I had a great deal of problems with my chin area until I realized that I needed to divide my face up into smaller flat planes. I was initially trying to take larger sweeping strokes much like I had done on the side of my face. This simply does not work around the chin area where the flat planes are much smaller in size. Sooo... lots of words to say that nun2sharp is right on.
Congratulations on your progress! You are almost there.

Put you finger on top of the "bump" your describing and use it as the leverage point for stretching the skin. As long as your finger rests on top of it it can't be shaved off.

At the end of your shave pull the skin up hard so you can see the bump and carefully shave around it during the water only pass at the end (I'm assuming of course that you are using a traditional straight strategy of a water only pass at the end).

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

(I'm assuming of course that you are using a traditional straight strategy of a water only pass at the end).

Well, I must admit I never heard of it

That makes 2 of us!

Thanks everyone for the great advice especially the idea of putting my finger on the bump and shaving around it. This really is an enjoyable way to shave and I can honestly say my shaves have never - ever been closer than this!