Thread: Trouble under my chin

I'm getting fairly proficient with straight shaving, but the place I have the most trouble with is under my chin and neck. Even with multiple passes I still feel prickly there after. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Bthr22

I have abit of trouble with this as well. But i found with stretching the skin and contorting my face ( the OH Face etc ) im able to get a good pass at it.
I hope this helps. Keep at it and you'll get there.

Originally Posted by Bthr22

I'm getting fairly proficient with straight shaving, but the place I have the most trouble with is under my chin and neck. Even with multiple passes I still feel prickly there after. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Bthr22

It's a difficult area for me as well, both because it takes a lot of practice to maintain the proper angle while going around the curve of the chin, and because my hair growth gets anarchic below my jaw line.

Try a mixture of pulling skin and puffing out your neck to get the area taut, and then look at getting a true WTG, or even XTG (but carefully!) in that area. If you can go ATG without irritation then that's also another option, but it isn't necessary.

As many others, I'm still learning, but I have noticed that using the blade on an angle (toe lowest) with a scything motion over my chin and down my neck has really improved my neck/chin smoothness and comfort. One of Jockey's videos shows him using this general method, although I have improvised a bit. As he says, a very light touch...

Great Handle, Elendil.

The angled approach has benefits in many places that traditionally make the edge go for a skin dive. Creases in the skin are helped by bridging the two sides w/ the blade an an angle. Lines of high contrast in beard density can bring a blade to a halt. Any resistance can be lessened by not loading the entire length of the cutting edge w/ a cutting task. By angling, you concentrate on a small area that allows stroke to be initiated with less likelihood of an unplanned second smile.

My bane is the concave surfaces between the jawline and the neck, which include sort of a pocket. I'm still working to get the technique down, but so far the most promising approach as been to scoop the concave area in a similar fashion to the coupe d'Maitre done under the nose for the mid-mustache area.

LawsonStone and I have issues w/ the contours induced by stretching the lower lip over the top of the lower teeth. (he did a thread on it) It causes wrinkles in the chin that are more trouble than other methods.

You'll have your trouble areas - like the rest of us. Asking about it can be really helpful. I hope your questions get answers that make the shave more pleasurable.

I think we all have a tough time with the knob of the chin and, for me, the area on either side of the windpipe. With the chin I take my stretching hand and use my thumb on one side and my forefinger on the other and push toward my ears. I also pull the skin taut from one side and then the other. Getting the taut side of each separately.

On the area around the windpipe, and other hollow or angled neck areas, I try to flatten the area by pulling the skin taut. Sometimes I use the thumb and forefinger spread into a V to push the skin away from the center of the area and apply the blade to the middle, if that makes any sense. Most important is a truly shave ready razor. A so-so edge will perform well enough on the easier stuff but the chin, neck and mustache are more demanding.