I will be switching from DE to straights soon and I was wondering how important it is to pull and stretch your skin during straight shaves. I get a great shave without stretching my skin with DEs, but a better, closer shave when stretching. The problem is that when I stretch my skin, it feels mildly irritated for a few hours and my face feels kind of numb when I touch it. Because of this, I don't stretch my skin and still get pretty much BBS shaves, they just don't stay that way as long as they do when I pull/stretch the skin.
The tutorials I've been reading all say to pull your skin when using a straight. Is this really necessary? Will I be able to shave pretty much the same as I do now in this regard or do I really need to pull/stretch? Are the mechanics of a straight different enough that I probably won't suffer the same feelings from it (after I start to get my technique, that is. I know I'll most likely suffer in the beginning like I did when switching to DEs)?