What Are The Toughest Places to Shave For You?

I have heard from people having problems shaving the mustache area, the chin area and the neck area. It would be interesting to hear what areas are problematic for folks and get some input from others on trying new things to make shaving the total pleasure it should be. For one thing, I always advise new people to just take a small area at a time until they get comfy with the razor. Usually works best to shave straight down from the side burn on one side and then the other with your other hand until it becomes natural.

for me, the neck area. i have a goatee, so from the base of my goatee (which is about half an inch under the jaw line) down to about half way to the adams apple. then at the adams apple itself extend about an inch either way, and that is the toughest spot.

sam

The moustache area for me is the easiest place to shave for some reason. There is a hollow on either side of the neck that gives me fits but it seems to be getting a little better with time & practice. Most of the nicks that I get are on my chin - but thats getting better too!

Rick

I have a moustache, so that's easy....

The hardest part with a straight for me is just below the lower lip. I find it hard to start the stroke--whether going sideways along the line of the lip, or going straight down from the lip. I both cases starting and continuing a smooth stroke have been really tough: I don't know if it's lack of lubrication, not-the-sharpest blade (does well elsewhere).

The last few times I've switched back to DE for the toughest of it, until I get my straight skill up. I'm only about a week into it.

I have the same problem as Rick.
There are hollow patches on either side of my adams apple and the problem is that my beard grain grows back and up towards my ear, only in these two spots.
It’s as much a pain with a disposable as it is with a straight, so it was expected.
I'm actually doing a little better with the straight than with disposables, by pulling the skin halfway around the back of my head (slight exaggeration there, but it give you an idea of how much I have to "move things" around), and then pivoting the razor in my hand to create a slight against the grain sweep that catches about 90% of the stubble. But with or with out a straight I always miss some in this area.

Another area I’m having trouble with is just under my chin where you can press up and feel the mandible, for about 3" back down my neck. The stubble here is just tough as all hell and no matter how tight I pull the skin I cant get a close shave with out going directly against the grain and even then its hit and miss some times.

Well, since I shave my nog too, behind the ears is particularly tricky--some strange angles involved. lol... The area, just to the left side of my mouth is never easy. There's a bit of recess there, a dimple of sorts, that makes it tricky to shave.

Hal

The point of my chinny chin chin is tough to get really clean. I've had so many little cuts there it looks like I have a striped chin!

My upper lip and my neck area are the easiest to get perfectly smooth.

....were my chin, and a bit of the neck area. My chin has a lot of smaller "creased" areas, that make a smooth stroke tough.

I solved the chin shaving areas several ways:

1 - made sure it was really prepped well, and relathered before shaving;

2 - divided it into *very* small areas to shave;

3 - change the angle of the blade to face....this also helped greatly just under the chin and jaw;

4 - used different parts of the blade for different areas. i.e the tip of the blade for the creased areas, the middle of the blade for the flatter areas, and the heel of the blade for the jaw.

5. restropping before attacking the chin

6. stretching the neck skin WAY to the side, while pushing the neck muscles out gets it all

7. shaving against the grain in certain areas if needed

For me, the chin area and the adams apple area of the throat are the ones that present the worst problems. I have a moderately prominant adams apple, so when I shave this area, I really have to shave with a light stroke, tracing the countours of the adams apple. I heard Lynn suggest stretching the skin to one side or the other in this area, but that doesn't seem to work for me. Won't streatch far enough.
My chin area is complicated by a small mole which has the toughest hair on God's earth growing out of it and around it. And of course, it also goes a different direction than any other hair on my chin area. So I have to shave it downward righthanded, then downward lefthanded, then crossways righthanded...then down and crossways lefthanded...lol.

Bob

Trying not to feel like a guest in my own home. It seems that the automatic login and password doesn't always work so very well. I feel like one of those pilots in the movie Midway. "Don't touch those automatic arming switches!!!" Ooops. Too Late.

Bob

The point of my chinny chin chin is tough to get really clean. I''ve had so many little cuts there it looks like I have a striped chin!

My upper lip and my neck area are the easiest to get perfectly smooth.

No doubt for me the toughest area is the chin. The upper lip was hard but has gotten easier. I too have the stripped chin effect.

:lol:

Hmmmm.... For me, the hardest to get close is the right side of my neck.

The most nicks occur on the chin, however.

How do you guys shave underneath the jaw? Down only? Up? Across?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by adjustme69

How do you guys shave underneath the jaw? Down only? Up? Across?

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Down normally, then up cross handed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by adjustme69

How do you guys shave underneath the jaw? Down only? Up? Across?

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I tuck my chin down into my chest, and with my free hand I pull the skin taut from just above where I’m going to shave. I find this will pull a significant portion of my jaw line up onto the flat area of my cheek.
Then I trace a line from where my ear and jaw line meet … down to my chin with the razor inverted, so that the tip of the blade is pointed down towards my shoulder and the handle is up in the air.
It sounds a lot more complicated that it is (at least for this lefty) and I’ve found that I can get all of my jaw line plus a little jowl/neck area in the one pass. But, like I mentioned above my beard grows back towards my ear on my neck so that’s still a pain in the you know what.

My first pass is always down...with grain. Cross-handed for each side.

Second pass is across the jawline towrad chin on both sides.

Last pass is up, against the grain, eliminating any stubble fields.

I can usually pull the skin up onto my cheek area, and shave the jaw skin there on my cheeks. The chin jawline is done all three ways....

....and finally gets smooth as a baby's butt! :)

I will let you know a year from now when I figure it out! :D

i love randy's answer.

sam

Yes...... Down, up and across. The last part (across ) sometimes not when I am lazy or scared :shock:

Hardest part for me is the elbows. Yes I shave my arms.

Hands down, the chin. I spend twice as long on this area as the rest of my shave. I shave down, then across, then up and then touch up.

But you know it is just like that one good golf shot, when the my chin turns out nice and smooth (like today), I want to try it again.

The hardest part for me is the back of my head, especially the corners. It still takes a lot of concentration.

I cant get through my lower neck, there is too much arch there to shave with the whiskers, wich grow upwards towards my ears. But, since i am at my 10th shave, i hope ill improve there.

I finish there with M3


hone on,
superfly

My neck whiskers grow from the adams apple out sideways. It is easy to hold the Mach sideways and whip over them, but not so easy holding the straight almost totally upright and swiping across the neck. And forget about looking in the mirror at the same time.

I have been trying an X technique that was recommended and am still working on modifying that. I have success from time to time, but often have to clean that up with a Mach, or risk horrendous burn.

Chin and corners of mouth are sticky places too.

showme

ive gotten better at the hollows of my neck, in fact, sometimes i can get a better shave with the straight then with a DE. to that end, i sold my vision DE and bought a feather straight. i am gonna try to start shaving with a straight exclusively. turns out now, the real problem area for me is just under my chin/goatee. you can feel nice stubble. one guy from shavemyface.com (larry aka gramps) basically told me he has the same problem and just lives with it. great idea. i mean, no one knows but me that there is slight stubble there, as you can not see it, only feel it, and no one comes up and rubs me there, lol

sam

When I shave the hollows on either side of the windpipe, I'm using just the heel half of the edge. The pointy half of the edge is waving in the air. That curve in the heel is just right for me.

I have two spots on the outside high on the neck just under each ear, I can shave it but for some stupid reason I always burn two nice red spots into the neck right there on each side. I can't get the blade to the right angle yet, I would have to hold the handle out away from my face or put the razor in my mouth and cut a slit through my cheek to get the angle right. I"m missing something somewhere.

For under my chin I pull the skin hard up onto my jaw and shave after a half hearted downward stroke, and then upward after that, three passes total.

I have tree trunks for a beard so smooth is a premium. The toughest area is the first stroke around the chin. The technique--because I am scared--is to shave under my throat against the grain with my non-dominate hand (read that left hand). I don't get it close because I am afraid I will cut my neck off. Still practicing.

jmsbcknr