Thread: shaving mustache help

Every part of my face shaves perfectly fine and easy without pain and almost no grain left over. My mustache is the exact opposite no matter what razor i have used. when i shave the mustache it still leaves really thick hairs that are a tiny bit shorter but still very visible. there is also a part of my mustache area to the left that has these small bumps that never go away and make it very difficult to shave the spot because it is easily irritated and tough to actually get rid of some hair there. For all this i have to resort to a shave with a razor blade disposable i recently used mach 3 turbo, then followed by a razor machine that has to too circled metal plates on top with holes on them too get it down with pressure. I get my desired no stub shave from this but it causes irritation. I wanna know how i can fix this by just using a razor and cream alone to get rid of the hard stubs on my mustache, get rid of the really sensitive spot on the right side of my mustache, and not have to use a machine anymore. Please help.

Give this a good read:
Category:Straight Razor Shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki

You need to find your own comfort zone how to ace this area. The first pass is WTG to get the hairs short. This pass is good enough to get me by the corporate world that day. But I can do better and work up an xtg or atg approach to achieve great BBS results. If I don't hit the angles correctly, I get the weepers. But cold water rinse closes up the weepers.

I started out xtg and slowly changed the angle to be atg. Some of my mustache area toughened up and takes the atg pass well. Other areas do better with a xtg/near atg pass.

Trial and error is how I learned this.

Pabster

Maybe your razor isn't sharp enough. I can easily shave to BBS everywhere else, even with a less than perfect blade, but my moustache whiskers are much tougher -- hard to believe they spring from the same face.

I didn't figure this out until I got a truly sharp blade -- it cut through those beasties when nothing previously did. In fact, now I judge a razor's level of sharpness with this shave test alone, and I will keep taking it back to the hones until it wipes away the upper lip debris -- even if it's handling the rest of my face with ease.

Until you're able to get to that level of honing, I would deal with the problem area with a sharp DE -- maybe a Feather or IP. That's what I did, and it worked (for me).

Originally Posted by CoolHandJaden

Give this a good read:
Category:Straight Razor Shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Well, that's a bit too general, isn't it? Shaving against the grain on the upper lip - The Fool's Pass - Straight Razor Place Wiki deals with the OP's specific problem, but this method is in the advanced section for a reason.

Back to the original problem. While I do a regular multiple pass anywhere else, I've abandoned the ATG pass on the upper lip for an oblique pass, i.e steeper than an XTG, but shallower than an ATG pass. The result is quite similar, but the chances of skin irritation are lower.

Another factor that might induce the OP's sub optimal results may be lack of skin stretching. It is a tad difficult on the upper lip, but a technique well worth learning. Open mouth, and a U made up of index finger and thumb have helped me.

I found the solution to going ATG was to hold my upper lip with my teeth this allows you to stretch the skin tight and then going slowly with an ATG pass. This gets it smooth and limits the cuts....lol

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

While I do a regular multiple pass anywhere else, I've abandoned the ATG pass on the upper lip for an oblique pass, i.e steeper than an XTG, but shallower than an ATG pass. The result is quite similar, but the chances of skin irritation are lower.

Another factor that might induce the OP's sub optimal results may be lack of skin stretching. It is a tad difficult on the upper lip, but a technique well worth learning. Open mouth, and a U made up of index finger and thumb have helped me.

I also use an oblique stroke on the upper lip, changing the angle of the razor and slightly modifying the stroke just following a true ATG pass. In other words I do the ATG, and while I'm there also the oblique. I wore a mustache for years, and that may or may not have an influence, but the upper lip has been a problem area for me with a straight.

Stretching the skin is one of the most important aspects of shaving with a straight and being rewarded with a great shave, in my opinion. Learning how to stretch different areas calls for experimentation and innovation and may result in some humorous positions.

Gentlemen,

The upper lip is also a problem with which I continue to struggle. For some years I had a mustache, so no trouble. I even had a goatee for a time, which made me look like an assassin, prompting me to shave the thing off.

Your thoughts here are quite helpful. Thank you. I'll take your helpful hints and continue the struggle until I overcome the problem.

Obie

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

Well, that's a bit too general, isn't it? Shaving against the grain on the upper lip - The Fool's Pass - Straight Razor Place Wiki deals with the OP's specific problem, but this method is in the advanced section for a reason.

Back to the original problem. While I do a regular multiple pass anywhere else, I've abandoned the ATG pass on the upper lip for an oblique pass, i.e steeper than an XTG, but shallower than an ATG pass. The result is quite similar, but the chances of skin irritation are lower.

Another factor that might induce the OP's sub optimal results may be lack of skin stretching. It is a tad difficult on the upper lip, but a technique well worth learning. Open mouth, and a U made up of index finger and thumb have helped me.

ATG passes are the absolute worst for me no matter how i stretch my skin or make it soft with warm water or anything. I dont know if it is my technique but everytime i try the atg which actually gets me BBS it always feels like it will cut when i start it up and when i actually doit it hurts i start bleeding and i get bumps a day after. ATG used to be my answer when i first started using it which quickly turned into my worst option that made me switch to WTG ultimatley. Can you guys be more specific with help with ATG passes and or how to deal with extremley tough mustache whskers that atg can remove but will damage. XTG and WTG just remove the excess mustache but not down to BBS like ATG for me.

The mustache area. My areas on the the sides are the most prone to weep if going ATG. If I can sense that my blade isn't sharp enough, I just give it a good XTG pass and leave it at that. The XTG pass may get close to an ATG pass, but not exact. The middle section takes a good ATG pass with a semi-sharp to sharp edge.

By forcing an ATG pass with a semi-sharp edge on the sides, it just looks a bit irritated after the shave, not to mention I have weeper or two. No problem, cold water just closes them up. If I have a very sharp blade, yes, I will go ATG as it works easier, but not worth pushing the ATG pass on the edge with less than a sharp blade.

When learning to shave the whole face, there are just some areas you need to not force an ATG pass. Close angled XTG passes near ATG angles may be a better solution.

Good Luck!

Pabster