Thread: Under the nose and chin.

Hey all, I have been straight shaving now for about a week. I know I know, I am a serious veteran . Anyway, I am having a few issues that I am hoping you could help me with.

First: I am cutting myself under my nose and chin no matter how careful I try to be. Anyone else have this problem and able to get past it?

Second: After my shave my skin is SUPER DRY. I am currently using Nivia after-shave balm. I know its not the regular straight razor after shaves that are popular but it's what I have right now. I don't know if that is contributing to it.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

Grow a moustache.

Well, sometimes irritation and razor burn can lead to that dryness as well. As for me personally, the nivea didn't do much for me at all, if you are just using what you can get at the store for now, go to target and pick up some burts bees aftershave balm, or if you have a whole foods nearby, the herban cowboy dusk aftershave balm is very nice. As far as under the nose, I actually come in from the sides carefully, pulling the skin down and back to my earlobe for lack of a better explanation, I had the same problem w/ a straight down stroke b/c of the divet where the skin creases over your mandible. I will get one side of the crease, then work on the opposite side the same way, no ATG for me there. Also instead of holding the razor traditionally under my chin, I will turn the scales straight (tang and scales inline), and hold the sides about an inch from the shoulder and attack from each side of the cleft in my chin. Hold on and I will try and take a pic on my phone for a better explanation and pm them to you, sorry I haven't shaved yet but will here shortly.

Wow yea pics would be awesome!

Obviously the hand w/the phone would be stretching skin, but I set my thumb just gently on the shoulder to keep the blade from trying to roll and dig the edge in. Short strokes, and I use the scything motion under the chin pulling down w/ my opposite hand. I like the thumb on the shoulder under the nose, and pull back and down just beside my lip. ATG on the neck, I just follow the contours of my face w/ the thumb on the shoulder it keeps the angle just right for me. Sorry bout the pics, I haven't shaved in two days, and I ain't that purdy ta look at...oh well In the 3rd pic it doesn't look like the whole blade is on my neck, and it isn't. I only use about 3/4 of it, just b/c it is 3.5" doesn't mean you have to use all of it all the time, you gotta make the blade fit YOUR face for each pass.

Interesting I was shaving under my nose from the middle out. You are shaving in. I wonder if it makes a difference. Same on chin

It did for me, I hit the sides w/ each cheek, then go from the side for the center. You can see the crease in my upper lip under the nose is pretty prominent, and doing that no matter how much pulling and careful I was, I just kept cutting myself in the center, goes back to you gotta make the blade fit YOUR face and YOUR hair pattern. My upper lip sweeps down and to my cheeks...I could probably grow a handle bar the way it goes! Same on my chin, if I just shaved straight down I can't get all the hair, so I come in from the sides w/ a bit of a down and out scythe stroke, does the trick, but be careful w/ the scythe stroke, very easy and lite or you WILL cut yourself on the sides of your chin. Now you can use the right hand on the right side of the face, hold the razor like I have in the pic, and shave straight to the sides from the middle out. I do this sometimes when my stubble is more wiry b/c I have shaved the day before, but my beard gets softer and curly as the hair gets longer, so doing it the way I do in the 2nd pic works better when I haven't shaved in 2 or 3 days.

Known as the 'coupe de maitre' ........ I do this every time I shave ...... never a cut ...... YMMV ..... do at your own risk ....

http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...de-maitre.html

Wow looks scary!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Known as the 'coupe de maitre' ........ I do this every time I shave ...... never a cut ...... YMMV ..... do at your own risk ....

http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...de-maitre.html

Never knew it had a name...huh learn something new everyday here!