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Hey everyone, question about stretching during shaving. I find myself manipulating my face to stretch, and pulling my skin tight by opening my mouth for cheeks, lifting chin for neck, etc. I rarely find myself using my free hand to stretch my skin, partially because I forget, and partially because I simply do not want to try stretching by putting my free hand on an unshaved area with lather on it. Is this poor technique? Should I always be using my free hand to stretch skin?
I think you'll notice an improvement in your shaving experience if you incorporate your free hand to further stretch your skin.
Its really a matter of what works for you. I have tried just face twisting and just free hand stretching and have come to use a combination of both. As for putting your free hand in lathered areas there are ways around that. If you start on your cheeks you can put your free hand over your head and pull up at the side burns then as you move down the cheek you move your hand down to the freshly shaven area. On the neck if you pull down at the base of your neck and lift your head up you will get a good stretch. Also you could lather in sections.
I suspected that it would improve the shave. I am just having trouble shaving in patterns that consistently leave unlathered skin to get a grip and stretch out. Any tips for that? I can get the cheeks by gripping my head right above my ear, and can sometimes use the back of my neck to shave the sides, but other than that I seem to always have trouble finding a place to get a grip.Quote:
Originally Posted by UPD
I begin with a down pass from the sideburn/cheek and I'm pulling up, with my free hand above the pass. As soon as I make the pass I can place my stretching hand on the area I've just shaved, which is now free of lather. On my second pass I reverse the procedure. I start at the bottom (neck) and work up beginning with a stretch below the pass. I also tilt my head to the side to increase the stretch. My stretching hand is never on lather. If using your jaw to stretch works for you all well in good. I find it more efficient to stretch with my opposite hand. BTW, I stretch the skin taut. I don't try to stretch to the limit of flexibility.
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.
How would I properly utilize the alum block in that manner? Just run my fingers across and then start stretching?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cage
I find that stretching the face gives me the best results and from everything I have read here on the forums it is recommended.
Yes, just moisten your fingers and swipe them across the alum block.
I couldn't shave with a straight razor without stretching my skin, its pretty much essential. Even more necessary if you have beard growth that mimics a world map of sea currents. Stretching becomes your favourite friend.
Something I've noticed as well, if you have to stretch your face so much that you could probably see your nipples in the mirror... your pulling too tightly and your razor isn't sharp enough. It shoiuld be pulled taught, not overly stretched, just so the razor has a nice flat surface that it won't catch on and to prop up the hairs so they can get guillotined.
regards Alex
I use a combination of stretching and grimacing, and that seems to work well for me. As far as where to hold, well, it's wherever you can. I pull my ears back and up, push the tip of my nose, tug my lip (don't do this with alum soaked fingers - it won't kill you, but don't do it) and pinch and pull the skin on my neck.
It's a fair guess that you'll find your own way of doing things as you get more practice, pretty much the same way we all did. Some techniques will work, others not so much.
Truth is I have to stretch my skin more now than when I was young(er), but it has become second nature and don't really think about it as I do it. Probably a good thing because I would hurt myself laughing if I paid attention to the faces I make during the shave.
For me it works to start with the area directly under the sideburns, and that gives me a grip for the cheeks, which gives me a finger-hold for the sides of the chin and so on. Again, the secret is no secret; what works for me probably won't work for you and vice versa. The key is to try different things and keep what works.
Good luck,
Marcos
Years ago my barber would apply lather to the back of my neckQuote:
Originally Posted by asj1991
and sides. He would then strop his razor on leather almost never
using the canvas side. After stropping and a story the lather
will have done the job... he would then wipe the lather clear with his
thumb wipe it on the back of his hand then stretch the skin and
tidy up my sides and the back of my neck. Wipe shave, wipe shave
bit by bit.
The point is that he like you wanted clean skin and a clean
thumb for the stretching.
Me I pull up with my off hand in my hair and shave down
my sides a bit. Once I have cleared some skin I move my
off hand to the clear skin to stretch.
I also stretch in front and behind the razor. Sometimes I shave
away from my off hand and sometimes toward it... Always short
light shave motions feeling of wiping the lather off works best.
Sometimes I just puff my cheeks or make a face... depending on
the patch I want to shave next. Patches... think small postage stamp
wide patch.