First full shave down! ATG Only Question???

Knocked out my first full three laps over the whole mug and neck shave! Thank you, SRP for your brilliant posts that covered all the bases!

Couple of nicks. Nothing that didn't stop bleeding by the time I was done. Wicked razor burn on the right side of my face, though. Kinda funny.

So far, I like the Proraso. Comparing it to the cheapo soap that came with my brush kit, I can now understand what is referred to as "cushion." Cheapo had none.

My fiance has made enough fun of me for watching stropping videos! She now walks through the room refering to "that shaving guy" on youtube. I think all the watching has paid off, though. I am still working on muscle memory and correct form. But, I'm starting to look halfway respectable in my speed. And, I was able to take the edge from non-HHT to passing HHT!

I have already started looking for a nicer razor! I was happy to purchase a cheaper razor, to get used to the idea. If it wasn't for me... nothing big lost. But, now that I'm starting to enjoy the shave, I'm thinking that I might pick something up from the classifieds around here or SRD.

A question: Anyone see any problem with only going ATG? If the largest problem is some extra razor burn for a few days, I can handle. My beard grows in blond and red, so not the thickest or coarsest hair. On the days leading up to today, while I was practicing on my neck, I would make one quick ATG swipe over my cheeks. The cut seemed smooth.

Any opinions on Proraso after shave?

Thanks again, SRP!

Can't see a problem but not experienced enough to know why if only doing one pass you should go a particular way, i always do three.

However something that sets alarm bells off for me are the words "quick" and "swipe"..

Take it easy, take it slow, get the blade angle right and learn the growth pattern on you face and you may find the razor burn goes away

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Originally Posted by tekbow

Take it easy, take it slow, get the blade angle right and learn the growth pattern on you face and you may find the razor burn goes away

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This is good advice.

Proraso is good shave soap, it's my "work horse" that I always keep on hand.

ATG only? Try it and if it works for you...go for it. That's the cool part of our "sport" as there are guidelines...but no rules when it comes to shaving. Experiment on what works for you. Knowing how your beard grows is very important though so that you know when you are going atg, xtg, or wtg.

Don't rush shaving...quick swipes can lead to quick nicks...

Thanks, guys!

I guess I should be more careful with the language I use. No, I'm not taking a running start at my face! When I said quick, I mean about half as fast as Lynn in the shaving wiki video.

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Originally Posted by Peasel

Thanks, guys!

I guess I should be more careful with the language I use. No, I'm not taking a running start at my face! When I said quick, I mean about half as fast as Lynn in the shaving wiki video.

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All those words are relative, and so it's best to err on the side of caution.

That said, I'd suggest avoiding ATG until you can get a burn free WTG shave. A good shave should have NO razor burn. A DFS should have no razor burn and last you a good day even if you're a guy like me who grows hair pretty quickly. (I could easily shave 2x a day with a cartridge) BBS might not be possible without ATG passes, but if you can't get a good shave or better with no burn, I can't imagine going ATG as the first pass and not getting serious razor burn.

On the other hand, I just read a thread today about a 12 year old girl at a barber shop who shaved first pass ATG and the recipient/poster had no burn...but I have no idea how long she's been practicing.

If you want to, and it works for you, great. But don't be surprised if your face feels like California forests in summer when you're done.

Peace,

The problem with ATG is that the whiskers invite the razor to angle downward into the skin. If you complete a WTG pass first, this tendency is minimized although it is not eliminated.

Makes sense.