Learning the Lather+Angle+Pressure = Burn formula

So on Sunday, I decided my skill had improved and I was going for a full 3 pass shave. I tried not to say BBS, but I knew I was gunning for it. I stretched with all my might and really concentrated on a smooth slicing stroke (no other way to get a clean shave on this face). On my second pass (XTG) I notice that I was leaving very smooth almost dry skin behind. My lather was plenty wet, so I assumed I was finally seeing the results of good technique. I know think that was a sight that I was using too much pressure. By the time I tried the ATG pass, I was feeling a little burn, but not anything that I didin't think coudl be handle by a little WH and some Clinique PS Healer (great stuff!).

I did get the smoothest straight razor shave I've had to date; probably 95% BBS. But about 15 minutes into church I couldn't concentrate on the sermon because my face was on fire. It was smooth but HOT. I went to bed Sunday evening with a still slightly burning face.

Monday, I shaved with the old Gilette Fusion, my rusting can of Edge gel, and extra light pressure. I got a close, relatively irritaiton free shave, but an hour later my skin was dry and the stubble was hard.

Determined not to give up, today I decided to do one pass with very light pressure. That pass resulted in no irritation, but a crappy shave. So, I did an XTG pass, again focusing more on controlling irritation than cutting whiskers. Then a little touch up on the chin with the Gillette (sorry, had to be done).

My shave was mediocre, but I have NO irritation and no dry skin. I think I took a big step on the learning curve this week. I discovered that when I try to shave closely, I increase both angle and pressure. This is not good. I have to remember that the first pass is not supposed to be BBS. The second might not be either.

So now I sit here at nearly 4:00 PM with a less than perfect shave, but one that is as smooth as a full Gillette shave would be at this time (slower grow-back with the straight razor) and my face feels great!

I'm getting there. One small stroke at a time.

--David

David,

A familiar story to many of us, I imagine. Your last sentence is the most important of your story; "One small stroke at a time".

There is an excellent post in the Beginners section titled "Pulling explained", by AFDavis11. In it he refers to the razor floating on top of your skin. That is the amount of pressure you should be attempting to achieve. It may take some practice. I suggest holding the razor firmly in your fingers to help achieve this. Then, just set razor against your skin, and lift the spine.

I remember that feeling of burn though. After one shave when I began, the burn was so intense that I couldn't concentrate. It felt as though I had rubbed Deep Cold Therapy into numerous cuts!

Soon those days will be behind you, and it sounds like your learning curve is on the up and up.

Have fun.

I went through a few episodes of bad razor burn. I found it helped to let go of striving for the BBS goal and just enjoy getting a comfortable shave for awhile. More beard reduction rather utter beard elimination. I also felt like there was an element of my face needing some time to adjust to straight razor shaving. Forget about the goal, enjoy the process and next thing you know there you are getting great, close and comfortable shaves.

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Originally Posted by raneyday

I tried not to say BBS, but I knew I was gunning for it. I stretched with all my might and really concentrated on a smooth slicing stroke On my second pass (XTG) I notice that I was leaving very smooth almost dry skin behind.

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A couple things came to mind while reading your post. First of all, when stretching your skin you don't have to pull your jowls over your scalp to get a great shave. The idea is to simply keep the skin taut. Second, it sounds like after your second pass your face was already smooth with just XTG. If that's the case why bother with ATG? There's certainly no rule saying that a shave is incomplete without an ATG pass....

I can't really say what's behind the dry skin, other than you might want to try another type of soap or cream. You may find that, coupled with some additional prep, should take care of any dry skin issues you may have.

I use Udder Cream after a shave. It moisturizes the skin well. Found it years ago, and you can get it at most Wal-Marts. Was originally used for milking cow's udders to keep the teet from getting dry and cracked. Mine aren't :D .... hands.

I just threw up a related post, at the end of this thread:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...explained.html

You might find it interesting.

Charles

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

A couple things came to mind while reading your post. First of all, when stretching your skin you don't have to pull your jowls over your scalp to get a great shave. The idea is to simply keep the skin taut. Second, it sounds like after your second pass your face was already smooth with just XTG. If that's the case why bother with ATG? There's certainly no rule saying that a shave is incomplete without an ATG pass....

I can't really say what's behind the dry skin, other than you might want to try another type of soap or cream. You may find that, coupled with some additional prep, should take care of any dry skin issues you may have.

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My reference to dry skin was more that the razor was acting like a squeegee, removing ALL of the soap and related moisture. Between my Mama Bear's soap, Thayer's and Clinique PS Healer, my skin is anything but dry!

I'm moderating the pressure and stretching. Seems to be improving, but still not great. Better, though.

Thanks for the advice.

--David

I like the advice about not overpulling the skin. But if the a lot of the lubricant (cream/soap) is wiped off the skin on a successful series of strokes, wouldn't relathering that area before cleaning that part of the face with a few more strokes be another way to reduce the chances of irritation? I found when I was getting those close XTG shaves that I would be lazy and complacent with less than desirable lubricant. It can work for a little ATG sniping action (which I eventually took to a simple re-wetting with a wetted badger tip) but I wound up paying the price within 3 days time. It was subtle but there, ya know?

raneyday: I've got Clinique's PS Healer, too. I don't mind it but hardly ever use it. For spot healing it does last a very long time. My problem is that it's not the immediate post-shave skin's problem, it's the long-term effects on the skin anywhere I went just a little too far. Been shaving about a year (not total number of days). Here's the good news raney: I shaved with a DE safety razor a while ago but found the one pack of blades that don't work well with them, too aggressive. It left me with relatively large red spots of irritation for over a week. I didn't shave again for a few days and they were still there. I resumed str8 razor shaving before they disappeared and wouldn't you know it after about a week of str8 shaving my face is much clearer. The gillette mach3, if I shaved with a cartridge more than a few times, the disposables and DEs, all of them can bite subtly here and there and leave their mark on my complexion, just not dramatically as cuts or blood spots. The open razor can paradoxically reduce all sorts of micro-trauma to our flesh.

At least with this shaving system it's all us. Unfortunately, it's all us!

Take it easy for awhile and let your skin fully adapt. It will make subsequent shaves smoother and learning easier. Less is more, kind of the gentle-manly part of this gentlemanly pursuit.

I'm at pretty much the same place in my learning curve, right now i am doing hybrid 2 passes then hitting the chin with the ol disposable. I think i am using too much pressure as well.

I always relather when re-doing some strokes on the face. And especially re-apply lather when doing another shave. I don't like doing ATG and am quite content with shaving again the next day. I've even been known to go 3-5 days when I was using a disposable and then shaving. My face now looks the best it's been for a long time doing it once a day.

If you're getting a burning sensation try leaving out the ATG pass.

I do a WTG pass and then two XTG passes, one each way. Combined with skin stretching this has totally eliminated any burn and still gives me a BBS shave.

A master barber at trumpers told me never to shave ATG as it really messes up you skin. And the shave he gave me was irritation free and lasted about three days!