Thread: Importance of stretching/ Stretching techniques

Thanks guys for all the tips. I will have to give it a go tommorow as I just finished shaving today a little while ago. I guess it all comes with practice practice and more practice. I am starting to realize that there are many individual techniques, and some things work for some people that dont work for others, and I just have to find my niche. Other than that, the shave went well today, and I am quickly improving. I am happy to say that I havent used a cartridge razor once since I got my straight. I am loving it!

An alum block also helps with traction for your fingers on your face.

On my face, I have found some areas i should stretch and others i shoulden't due to the whiskar retracting to far into skin after being shaved off causing irritation and or ingrowns.

For me, skin stretching does two things. The first and most obvious is that it makes the whiskers stand up for better cutting. But the second is that I believe it is actually safer in that when your skin is slack the razor's edge can basically bunch up the skin and potentially nick you. With the skin taught, the edge will skim over the harder surface without something to grab onto.

Also, you have to watch the surface condition of the skin when you bunch up the muscles underneath, you don't just make the skin taught, you can also change the surface texture of the skin. Like for me, if I try and bunch up the muscles under my chin, I kind of get a bumpy surface texture which is difficult to maneuver.

Anyway - I am a big proponent of stretching with the free hand.

Originally Posted by Cage

An alum block also helps with traction for your fingers on your face.

How would I properly utilize the alum block in that manner? Just run my fingers across and then start stretching?