looking for help shaving

i am not sure if this is the place to post this but here we go. what is the best way to shave someone who has no teeth. everything was going along smoothly until the upper and lower lip area. there is nothing to push back on when youre trying to shave those areas. the beard was very long and had to be trimmed down which i am sure doesnt help any. i did nick his lower lip but luckily he didnt complain to much. he is wanting to get shaved once a week or so which i am hoping will help but any advice or information pertaining to this would be much appreciated.

I'm just throwin this out there off the top of my head but what about a mouthguard? Without teeth, you want to build up the mouth so there is a surface to shave against....I think you could buy one of those cheap plyable ones which require a hot water bath and a quick molding.

along these lines:
Prestige Brands, Inc.: The Doctor's Night Guard

Welcome to the brotherhood {Straight Razor Place}. You came to the right place, and this section, or the newbie section would also be fine. I couple of things need to be considered. Are you DE shaving or straight shaving. About the odd curve of having no teeth, ask the man to puff out his lips, show him so he knows, and tell him to breath through his nose. Also pre-shave prep. Is he fresh showered, hot toweled, pre-shave oil if you prefere. Lather, is there enough glide, this can be a big factor. Also the direction you are travling with the razor; With the grain {WTG} cross the grain {XTG} against the grain {ATG}, those passes are important. If you are unsure of any of this, read the wiki, all this will be covered. Also Lynn Abrams video dvd is a must. How long have you been shaving with a straight? These are all important issues when straight shaving. Good luck and welcome to the Straight Razor Place. STRAIGHT RAZOR 13

Oh, I almost forgot. Is the straight razor shave ready, and honed properly. You can pre- shave prep all you want, but if the razor is dull, it will not cut properly. You may have to re-strop the razor a couple of times during the shave as well. Just a few more things to consider. STRAIGHT RAZOR 13.

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Originally Posted by STRAIGHTRAZOR13

Welcome to the brotherhood {Straight Razor Place}. You came to the right place, and this section, or the newbie section would also be fine. I couple of things need to be considered. Are you DE shaving or straight shaving. About the odd curve of having no teeth, ask the man to puff out his lips, show him so he knows, and tell him to breath through his nose. Also pre-shave prep. Is he fresh showered, hot toweled, pre-shave oil if you prefere. Lather, is there enough glide, this can be a big factor. Also the direction you are travling with the razor; With the grain {WTG} cross the grain {XTG} against the grain {ATG}, those passes are important. If you are unsure of any of this, read the wiki, all this will be covered. Also Lynn Abrams video dvd is a must. How long have you been shaving with a straight? These are all important issues when straight shaving. Good luck and welcome to the Straight Razor Place. STRAIGHT RAZOR 13

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i am using a disposable sr, i actually started a second blade just for doing the upper and lower lip. i gave him 2 hot towels as well as hot lather before i started shaving him. i was going wtg on the upper lip. i believe i was using enough lather but i may use more next time he comes in.

How about asking him to do a big grimace where he is stretching both lips over the gum area????

Just a thought.....

Lynn

Tying into something said above...

Slightly below my cheekbone, and toward my nose, there is a dip that is slightly more difficult to shave. At those places, I hold my breath and puff out my cheeks like Satchmo. It brings these areas up very nicely to the razor!

The same technique will work to pootch out the lips. You won't be able to push very hard with the razor, but then it's supposed to be a light touch! And, with a few tries, you should be able to work out with him how long he can comfortably hold his breath.

An idea...

Maybe use the tongue to push the lip area out a little bit? :shrug:

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Originally Posted by Disburden

Maybe use the tongue to push the lip area out a little bit? :shrug:

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Good call. I am 20 with a full set of teeth, but that is the only way I can get the little patch under my bottom lip even a little smooth, no matter how many passes and angles of attack I try. (Not a straight razor problem, I couldn't do it with a DE either. That part of my face is just evil.)