Thread: skin stretching

I know that skin stretching is an essential part of getting a nice close shave. This may be a dumb question, but I'll ask it anyhow. With all that nice smooth, slippery, lubricating shave cream/soap all over your face, how do you guys get a grip on your skin to effectively stretch it? I have no problems stretching for my sideburn area, but when it comes to the lower jaw line and cheeks, I can't get a grip to stretch properly. Suggestions, comments??? Thanks
Jason

Originally Posted by jjs1235

I know that skin stretching is an essential part of getting a nice close shave. This may be a dumb question, but I'll ask it anyhow. With all that nice smooth, slippery, lubricating shave cream/soap all over your face, how do you guys get a grip on your skin to effectively stretch it? I have no problems stretching for my sideburn area, but when it comes to the lower jaw line and cheeks, I can't get a grip to stretch properly. Suggestions, comments??? Thanks
Jason

Jason,

Two words. Damp washcloth. I use one when I use a straight. Sometimes when I use a DE. Give it a shot!

RT

Originally Posted by jjs1235

I know that skin stretching is an essential part of getting a nice close shave. This may be a dumb question, but I'll ask it anyhow. With all that nice smooth, slippery, lubricating shave cream/soap all over your face, how do you guys get a grip on your skin to effectively stretch it? I have no problems stretching for my sideburn area, but when it comes to the lower jaw line and cheeks, I can't get a grip to stretch properly. Suggestions, comments??? Thanks
Jason

Jason,
When shaving my neck, that is the only place I lather. I can grab the area on the jaw line and stretch or just below the hair line on the throat to stretch depending on if I'm going north to south or vice versa. I find that I don't need to stretch the skin on the face at all, I can make funny faces to get an awesome shave there.
I've also heard alot of people complaining about lather drying up before finishing the shave, I only lather sides or areas at a time, then I don't run into this problem.
-Fred

when stretching the skin on the cheek, I pull the skin taut from almost next to the eye, which is not lathered; however when I am pulling the skin for the neck I will wet my hand and wipe lather from the spot that I am touching with my fingertips whethe stretching, then reapply lather

Jason, both RT and Fred have very good suggestions about how to get a grip. For my last stretch on the touch up pass which is the most important stretch, I use only water which gives a decent grip as I use my whole hand to get a decent grip.

X

I find that if I stretch my face from my sideburns during the last pass using water only that takes care of my face. I can tighten my chin without actually stretching it and on my neck I'll pull up from the jawline also on the last pass once all the lather is gone.

yea if you try and stretch when your all lathered up your hand will just slide all over the place.

THanks for the suggestions

For what it’s worth, here is how I tackle this issue – I’m new to this as well, but have been having some success lately.

I start with the area above my sideburn pulling up and shaving down. I shave about 2” down towards my jaw line and then pause. I move my fingers into the area I just shaved and pull up, then shave the next inch or so down; I can finish from sideburn to jaw line in three moves.

I find that if I don’t make my cream to “soupy” I don’t have problem getting a grip. If it is too slippery I simply use a towel to dab off the spot I want to tug on and then proceed.

Then slide over to the next strip (towards the corner of my mouth), and repeat. I continue this until I get to my chin, and complete my cheek.

I do this exact same thing on my across and against pass – and these two really allow me to get a close shave w/o bloodying myself. I am now always trying to work within 2” of my tugging fingers to get the stubble to really lift off my face.

Cheers,
Keith