tried something different - great results!

[northpaw]

So I was reading something today about how shaving removes layers of skin cells, and I got an idea: maybe the key to BBS without irritation wasn't only being extra careful in the final, ATG pass.

When I shaved, I was a lot more conscious of using little to no pressure during the WTG and XTG passes. In other words, I used even less than I would normally feel to be "not irritating". Sure enough, after a usual careful ATG pass, not only did I feel less irritated, I wasn't even the slightest bit red anywhere! The aftershave splash afterwards barely tingled.

In short, the effects of passes are definitely cumulative, and having a lighter touch earlier in the shave gives you more remaining skin as a buffer later on.