Thread: SE Head shaving anyone?

Hi all,

Im new to SE (just had my 2nd shave today). I also shave my head using a DE. I would like to use a SE for both my face and head but a little nervous. I tried just above the sideburns and found the hair really thick and felt some tugging so I stopped. Anyone out there shaves their head with a SE? any tips?

Use a good quality soap, do good prep and be careful about how you move the razor.

Originally Posted by HNSB

Use a good quality soap, do good prep and be careful about how you move the razor.

Hmm... advice from a man who never shows his actual head.

Originally Posted by roughkype

Hmm... advice from a man who never shows his actual head.

Not true! HNSB's avatar used to show an unretouched photo of his head until he discovered morphing. (Or until he actually started to mutate).

I shave my head 1-2 times weekly with a straight. I use a hand held mirror + bathroom mirror to do the back. I too have found that it does dull the razor quite a bit more quickly than face shaving. On the plus side, I have found that pre-shave is not really important in noggin' shavin'.

I like 6/8' blade for the head, as there is more surface area to cover and you wont' have to wipe the blade as often as you would with a narrower blade. I usually do one WTG and one ATG pass. Consider a stroke or two on a barber hone after each shave to keep your blade extra sharp.

I like to use some witch hazel, then glycerin + water, or moisturizing aftershave after. Like mentioned above, head cuts tend to bleed pretty good, so be prepared for that.

I use a Feather non sharpen (RG or my SS model) to shave my head, no problems at all. WTG and ATG.

Originally Posted by HNSB

Use a good quality soap, do good prep and be careful about how you move the razor.

Yep, also go slowly while you figure out the best angles to use. Shaving behind my ears and around the back of the head were the trickiest spots to master.

Keep the styptic handy, too!

i shaved as far back and around as i could see... then i finished the back with a disposable.....

careful with razor placement......

I use a straight for my head-shaves.
I also use a DE or a Feather disposable on occasion.
The straight requires good prep, low angles, very careful placement of the blade when starting the stroke, and as mentioned, a styptic close by.
In the beginning I used a 2-mirror set-up, but nowadays I go by feel on the back of my head.

It does wear the edges a bit more than a regular shave, IMO.

Good luck.

Couple pointers.

At first you might use two mirrors, but will become comfortable doing blind in no time.

When shaving the back of the head, approach the skin spine side first, gently rotating the blade till kisses the skin, and feel the blade angle you want.

Use the razor with both hands. Some areas back there I think would be dangerous if not comfortable being ambidextrous.

As noted above, same for me, the area requiring the most attention is right behind the ears. Especially that little crevice there.

I have many more follicles per given area on my head than I do on my face. This requires shorter strokes up top than my face uses.

It will feel like learning all over again. I used to think when guys would say 'your skin needs to get conditioned to the straight razor' was just a nice way to say hang in there. It is true. Even though I also used a DE on the head for a while, when went to the straight, I had that new guy frustration of poor shaves. Even the easy area just above the side burns.