Thread: Around a goatee

Any tips for this area? I seem to get more nicks and cuts here than anywhere else. Both sides.

My biggest piece of advice would be to watch your angle. It's very easy to get way too steep, and that can be very harsh on the face. Also, work on stretching and keeping a light touch. You may find it easier to use the portion of the edge near the heel for more control, or you may prefer the area near the toe for more precision with a square point. Or maybe both. Experiment.

I too have found this area to be very easy to nick, mainly because of the thinness of the skin in this area of the face. The best tip I can give is to keep your attention to the task at hand and keep practicing your overall shaving technique. You'll eventually lessen or even stop the nicks and weepers while trimming your goatee.

I wear a goatee as well. Personally I use the heel of the blade, and plenty of care, while paying close attention to stretching the skin and holding the beard out of the way so I can see exactly where the end of the blade is. The biggest thing I've found is that it can't be rushed. Precise work and sensitive areas take time.

For outer edges I'll WTG the cheeks and as close as reasonable to the hair.

XTG I go from ears towards the mouth. Seems to work more comfortable to get to the haig line of the goatee.

Trimming the sides of the goatee, I'll place the blade right on the soaped up hair line,where I want my hair line. With blade still, I'll scrunch my mouth to opposite direction, maybe slight flick of the wrist. Sorta letting my mouth move the face of that area, instead of razor moving over the face at that trimming section.

Similar technique you might use on side burns. Place blade on hairline, and stretch the skin up, while holding blade stationary vs moving the blade down.

At least that's how I do it.

As you hear, stretching important. Part of benefit of stretching not only helps the hair to stick up as you swipe the razor over it but also keep skin from shifting. Skin moving around is an easy way to get nicked.

I too work from my ears toward my mouth to get the outline shaped. I use my left hand for the right side, right hand for the left both on the cheek and under the chin. I use an electric trimmer for the length though. I have learned that it is important to be decisive as to the start and stop points of the razor stroke. That is to say I'm not just 'guessing' when I place the edge on my face. I find it helps to think of the stroke having a definite beginning and end.

I used to have problems with cuts in this area largely because I tended to slightly rest or stop the edge on my face either at the beginning or the end of the stroke due to detailed nature of trying to shape the outline. I now try to concentrate on where I can feel the edge of the blade rather than where I see it in the mirror (it's a bit like shaving by braille). And I always remember that there is a distinct end to the stroke, at which point the edge is lifted smoothly but immediately from my face; I do not dally with the edge resting on my skin. If it takes a few extra short strokes to reach the desired outline, so be it. I puff my cheeks out to get the stretch I need on the sides of the mouth.

I guess I'm just lazy cuz I just use a DE around there. I get up close and do the detail work with something that I can get closer to the mirror with.

I also use this mini detail -electric- shaver to get the stubble around my goat. It's one of the foil head things with small holes. It's great cuz it won't cut the longer hair of my beard and only clips the short stubbly stuff.

Edit: electric

Originally Posted by WhiskerBiscuit

I guess I'm just lazy cuz I just use a DE around there.

+1.

A _really short_ straight razor might work OK, but a normal-length straight is very clumsy. And stretching the skin distorts the lines of the goatee -- it's tricky to judge.

But with the corner of a DE razor, it's easy.

Charles