thread about shaving the mustache

[pio]

I have a full goatee...
and today i will fully shave for the first time in over a year (prior record was 8 years but that was just the goatee)...

so i have little experience straight shaving the lip and chin...

should i trim before shaving?

can someone point out to a good video about shaving the lip area?

Thanks!

[singlewedge]

If you have a pencil thin mustache. I would not worry to much. If you look like the OakRidge Boys or ZZ Top. I would probably trim that.

The wiki has some good pointers for the moustache area. Basically you attack the lip at an angle relative to the upper lip. There is also the fools pass. Just bite your lip to stretch the area. Lifting the nose helps too.

[pio]

If you have a pencil thin mustache. I would not worry to much. If you look like the OakRidge Boys or ZZ Top. I would probably trim that.

yeah...its kinda thick right now...
so i guess i'll trim it first!

thanks!

[Pabster]

I recommend trimming it up first so its easier to manage.

Good Luck!

Pabster

[Tony Miller]

A very timely post. I have always had a short beard that is easy to trim around but I will be ditching the moustache very soon. Sort of a private protest I suppose one would say. My Church of the Brethren (Dunkers) tradition is much like the Amish, beards without a moustache but the flock has really strayed from tradition with every mix of beard and clean shaven face and pretty worldly dress and ways. Time to set the traditional example and see who follows.

Shaving my upper lip will be a whole new experience.

Tony

[RollTideMach]

i would say check out xman's video. search one handed shaving technique. He does a full face shave so you will have to do a little bit of fast fowarding to get to the part you want. he also does the fools pass. i wouldnt try that without about 1000 upper lip shaves under my belt.

[JimmyHAD]

Whatever you do don't shave it ATG to start with. I do a WTG on the first pass at kind of an oblique angle more than a straight down pass. Then on the second pass I do the coup de maitre which is not as scary as it looks if you have a good and sharp razor. If after you have the mustache area down you decide to try ATG go for it. I can't do it comfortably and I get bbs with the above mentioned procedure.

For the chin area I do WTG first pass and ATG second pass on the sides of my chin. On the tip I stretch towards my ears holding the thumb and forefinger in a U shape and I do short buffing strokes XTG. These are the toughest areas for my particular beard along with either side of my windpipe. Separates the sharp from the not as sharp razors real quick. YMMV.

[lawman2]

I recently shaved a full, thick mustache that I had for 31 years. You should definitely trim before shaving.

I only shave my upper lip wtg and xtg. Still, it took me a good 2 weeks before I could shave my upper lip without irritation despite having a well honed and polished razor.