Thread: Beginner ATG shaving

Ok - got it ! Thanks for the clear explanation. I'll give my skin a few days to calm down and will try again with those tricks

I have had the exact same issue as CreativeBass. I've thanked all the reponders and feel like I've picked up some great possible solutions. Special thanks to CreativeBass for starting the thread and to Alembic for what, hopefully, will allow me to get that "Baby's Bottom Smooth" shave that's been so elusive.

You might want to allow some time for your skin to adjust and getting the feel of a str8 before going ATG. I tried shaving ATG within the first month and had trouble and didn't try it again for quite some time. I think it was a combination of not being use to the str8 & my skin needing some time to adjust. As for your upper lip, I don't find the need to go ATG there. Because I'm able to stretch the skin so well with my face muscles & tounge, WTG gets it plenty close enough.

I hope you don't mind me hijacking your topic, but I had a question.

When I try going ATG, I keep the angle very low, but the razor feels like it's getting stuck in place. I feel as if the razor is being glued onto my face. I've never had this feeling while using a DE and I don't know what to do.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Originally Posted by gull

I hope you don't mind me hijacking your topic, but I had a question.

When I try going ATG, I keep the angle very low, but the razor feels like it's getting stuck in place. I feel as if the razor is being glued onto my face. I've never had this feeling while using a DE and I don't know what to do.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

It sounds like you're laying the blade too flat and it's sticking to your skin, this happened to me a couple of times when I was starting out. I found that I had more success when I learned to adjust the angle by feel, rather than visually in the mirror. Remember that evryone's face is different, and the goal is a comfortable shave, not a text book perfect shave-- I generally have to use greater angles than those suggested in the wiki. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by CreativeBass

Hey guys.

I've shaved about 20 times or so with a straight now, and the experience has generally been better every time. When i shave with the grain, i have hardly any problems and i think i'm starting to get the hang of it.

However, when i try to shave against the grain, it's a different story. I find ATG shaving on my neck and upper lip very uncomfortable and slightly painful. I get lots of red blotches and irritation. This is only on my neck and lip, when i shave ATG on my cheeks and sideburns it's completely fine.

What am I doing wrong ? ....

Bass, you're making ATG passes on your upper lip? I doubt if I will ever try ATG on my upper lip! Just the thought of it makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. Or am I just being chicken?

Haha, well i always used to make ATG passes on my lip with safety razors, and it's the only way i can get a smooth finish there for the minute.

I have the same problem as gull too, the blade seems to get stuck under the hairs, and the only way to overcome this is to increase the speed of the pass, which is pretty painful

Painful is always a bad sign. stop immediately when you feel pain or discomfort.

Splash some cold water on the area, stretch and shave ATG on a small angle(just keep your spine off you skin), but it's personal, change the angle on the fly to what is comfortable.

Originally Posted by CreativeBass

Haha, well i always used to make ATG passes on my lip with safety razors, and it's the only way i can get a smooth finish there for the minute.

I have the same problem as gull too, the blade seems to get stuck under the hairs, and the only way to overcome this is to increase the speed of the pass, which is pretty painful

I have the same issue with not getting a smooth finish unless I go ATG. Today I tried doing a hybrid XTG ATG pass and I managed to get my upper lip very smooth. Of course I still felt hair when I went in a ATG direction, but it was so smooth I didn't care.

I think that's something worth trying. No need to do a ATG pass up there if you don't need to.

On the lower sections of my neck, my "whiskers" are more like hair, and are not real tough. And, my skin is more sensitive. I had your same problem on the lower sections of my neck initially. The problem for me was that laying the blade flat was dangerous! I am a little on the skinnier side, and when I laid the blade flat, the skin would sometimes bunch up under and in front of the razor, and I would cut myself. Shaving with the blade flat or close to flat on these sections was out of the question.

(I think the above advice about shaving with the blade laid flat is good advice, by the way. But, it is a generalization, a best guess advice not knowing your specifics. For me, it wouldn't have been good advice.)

The cure involved two adjustments... (1) shave the last pass on my neck with my skin cool and dry, and (2) hold the razor at a steep angle, about 60 degrees.

You might describe my technique as almost scraping the hair off. But, because my touch was extremely light, it worked very well.

Interestingly, now, I just shave my neck ATG with a more conventional angle and way. Something improved in my touch and technique, and it is no longer a problem. But, early on, I do remember the above adjustments. And, they certainly got me by my initial problems.