Thread: Smooth, yet, Visible... "What gives?!"

Hello Gents,

New shaver here, been using the straight razor all of 4 days or so. Its wonderful!

I have never really given much thought into issues with shaving but I am experiencing a phenomenon that I have no insight to. I've used the search but can't quite find the right terms to use to find the answer I need.

I shave everyday, in the morning. My beard, I would say is average or below, grows a little slower than most lumberjacks, never much of a problem for me. I typically shave with the grain and then across the grain and get a very smooth feeling shave. I do practice the art of skin stretching and I find that it straightens my little stubble that grows overnight allowing for my razor to shave more than just my face. I mean, if I didn't stretch, I would'nt have much hair exposed to shave off.

I feel smooth yet I can still see the stubble! What can I do? Any suggestions?

Does your face feel smooth when you feel it WTG or ATG? If the former, then perhaps when you feel it ATG you'll feel the stubble.

However, for people with pale skin but thick, dark hair, you're always going to see the remnant of the hair that's below the skin level.


Skin stretching will help you cut a little closer, but even that may not help enough.

Originally Posted by VladimirVernadsky

I feel smooth yet I can still see the stubble! What can I do? Any suggestions?

baby powder

Remember that if you cut too close you could cause problems as well.
Is there any chance that you are just more aware than you were before? you did say that you didn't give much thought to it.

Interesting points gentlemen. Indeed.

Perhaps my heightened awareness IS responsible for my stubble scrutiny.

To answer a good question, No, I can barely feel the hairs when I feel my face ATG... I'm still working on my technique so I do have some patches where I can feel some grit ATG, coincedently those are some of the areas where I can still see the stubble beneath the skin.

Perhaps I will have to try shaving ATG, however, I don't know if my face can take ATG shaving everyday.

GOsh, I really do wish my beard would grow faster! I truly enjoy shaving now!

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

Remember that if you cut too close you could cause problems as well.
Is there any chance that you are just more aware than you were before? you did say that you didn't give much thought to it.

Cause problems? Do you mean skin irritation or nicks? Or is there a possibility for ingrown hairs or worse, shaving too close?

I've always had the same issue. I'm as white as they come with a brown/black beard. Even with a BBS shave I still have a shadow.........eh, what can you do?

When you shave with an M3 thingy the blades pull the hair before cutting it. This means that the cut surface of the hair ends up being just below the skin and your skin looks smooth.

But a straight razor takes off a layer of dead skin, exfoliation, and cuts the hair level with the skin. You can see this in clear detail if you put a USB microscope on freshly shaved skin and look at the base of the hair.

But I must warn you, it looks disgusting.

I had the same qualm for a while, and noticed that with a DE I have less apparent stubble. But I also have more chances of irritations/pimples.

So I decided that if it feels smooth, it's smooth. And that stubble is visible only when you look at yourself closely in the mirror. Most people see you from a few meters away, and it's a different story.

If your facial hair is dark, like mine, you can usually always see it depending on the lighting of the room you are in and the mirror you're looking at yourself in.

If you're smooth there's not much more you can shave off except your flesh LOL.