Under Jawline, ATG

Hi,
Just wanted to share that FINALLY I was able to shave ATG under my jaw line!

It's been bothering me since I started four weeks ago. It seems that the hair under the LH jaw line is thicker or courser or at a different angle than that under my RH jaw line. I've only been doing one pass, WTG, but the lack of a smooth shave in just this area (LH side under jaw line) was bothering me. I was able to do it this morning after thinking about angles, etc last night (and drawing myself a diagram (attached)) :D. I wasn't able to do under the RH jaw line with my left hand though, that seems akin to almost using someone else's hand; it just will not work, I'm sure I'd slit my throat if I tried!

I've got what seems like a quite a distinct jaw line; some guys on the videos here seem to have lovely round faces and non-skinny necks, which would be easier to tackle I'm sure. Any one else have problems with this area? Any one been able to do the angle indicated in the picture with BOTH hands?

Attachment 73406

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Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Hi,
Just wanted to share that FINALLY I was able to shave ATG under my jaw line!

It's been bothering me since I started four weeks ago. It seems that the hair under the LH jaw line is thicker or courser or at a different angle than that under my RH jaw line. I've only been doing one pass, WTG, but the lack of a smooth shave in just this area (LH side under jaw line) was bothering me. I was able to do it this morning after thinking about angles, etc last night (and drawing myself a diagram (attached)) :D. I wasn't able to do under the RH jaw line with my left hand though, that seems akin to almost using someone else's hand; it just will not work, I'm sure I'd slit my throat if I tried!

I've got what seems like a quite a distinct jaw line; some guys on the videos here seem to have lovely round faces and non-skinny necks, which would be easier to tackle I'm sure. Any one else have problems with this area? Any one been able to do the angle indicated in the picture with BOTH hands?

Attachment 73406

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I have the same skinny (pencil) neck/prominent jaw problem. I can use one hand on the jaw,
but the blade tends to stall at times. Under my jaw is a disaster. All the shaving vids I've
watched are very helpful, but I envy those with rounder faces.

Congrats on your success! It takes a while and some testing to find out how to shave the closest in some areas, that is half the fun.

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Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Any one been able to do the angle indicated in the picture with BOTH hands?

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I am - although I do hold the razor the other way around, with the scales outwards and my elbow out.

Well, I guess I'm lucky that one of the rarer traits I inheritted from my dad was that of ambidexterity. With the exception of writing, I can do most things as well with my left as I can my right (dominant) hand. Shaving with my left isn't a problem, though I still have some angles to work out.

Keep working at it! My advice is to do what I did (to gain confidence). I started using my left just for WTG and XTG on my right cheek. That way I could build my confidence and get my hand to steady. After a couple of times with that, I was good to go with the throat area. Now I don't have a thin neck (17 1/2 - 18 collar) but I do have prominent cheekbones and a prominent jaw so I get the worst of both worlds :)

Best of luck...and if you want to build dexterity with your left, start out by getting some kids blocks and forcing yourself to stack them with your left hand only. After that, move to something a little more challenging. The brain can be trained to do what you want, but if you're not born wired that way, you have to build the wires yourself.

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Originally Posted by str8fencer

...It takes a while and some testing to find out how to shave the closest in some areas, that is half the fun...

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Yes, very true, it's a little thing, but working out this sort of thing gives a simple pleasure...

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Originally Posted by bamabubba

Well, I guess I'm lucky that one of the rarer traits I inheritted from my dad was that of ambidexterity. With the exception of writing, I can do most things as well with my left as I can my right (dominant) hand. Shaving with my left isn't a problem, though I still have some angles to work out.

Keep working at it! My advice is to do what I did (to gain confidence). I started using my left just for WTG and XTG on my right cheek. That way I could build my confidence and get my hand to steady. After a couple of times with that, I was good to go with the throat area. Now I don't have a thin neck (17 1/2 - 18 collar) but I do have prominent cheekbones and a prominent jaw so I get the worst of both worlds :)

Best of luck...and if you want to build dexterity with your left, start out by getting some kids blocks and forcing yourself to stack them with your left hand only. After that, move to something a little more challenging. The brain can be trained to do what you want, but if you're not born wired that way, you have to build the wires yourself.

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This is very, very good advice. I'm VERY much right handed, I think some people just are. My young son decided, at age 8, when taking up playing football (REAL football, Aussie Rules), that he would force himself to kick left footed (he was naturally right footed). I thought he's end up forcing himself to be generally weirder than he already was. But it worked, he's now almost ambidextrous. I'll give your suggestions a whirl. Then again, slight OCD related wanting everything to be symmetrical aside, having to use my RH for both side under the jawline won't keep me up at night TOO much...

After you finish shaving each day, maybe try turning the razor 180 Degrees and practise the stroke with your left hand, using the spine of the razor against your skin.

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Originally Posted by easyace

After you finish shaving each day, maybe try turning the razor 180 Degrees and practise the stroke with your left hand, using the spine of the razor against your skin.

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That's a good idea too. I have been using a butter knife to work things out, I don't think it matters to me a great deal where the scales are; as long as they don't interfere with a stroke, so I butter knife for me works OK, and is safe, too.

Have you tried stretching the skin various directions to see which give you the best exposure? I'm assuming you have mapped out your face to learn the various directions your beard grain flows. For example, on my side burn area do my jaw line, I have a normal beard grain direction of north to south. However, under my jaw line, my beard grain direction flows south to northwest left of my Adam's apple and south to northeast on the right side of my Adam's apple. I have learned in this forum how essential it is to map out your face to learn about your beard pattern.

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Originally Posted by pmburk

Have you tried stretching the skin various directions to see which give you the best exposure? I'm assuming you have mapped out your face to learn the various directions your beard grain flows. For example, on my side burn area do my jaw line, I have a normal beard grain direction of north to south. However, under my jaw line, my beard grain direction flows south to northwest left of my Adam's apple and south to northeast on the right side of my Adam's apple. I have learned in this forum how essential it is to map out your face to learn about your beard pattern.

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I probably DO need to do more mapping. It IS pretty symetrical in direction, but maybe not in thickness in some areas...

Another thing to consider is that if you're like alot of folks in here, as I've read it, many folks have hair that grows in different direction in the different places on their necks and faces. Like me, the pattern of growth isn't even quite the same on the left or right. The area near the trachea/carotid groove the hair grows at around a 45 degree angle fron front to back and downwards....BUT...not QUITE the same on the eft and right. Same thingwth the sideburns area...close but not quite the same mirror image of growth patter. I think that the left and right points of the chin do grownmainly outward like you'd be parting the beard in the middle but the exact angle is still a bit different. This str8 razor shaving brings out the detective in one for sure. One thing I've definitely found out is that a sharp blade is mucg easier to shave with as compared to a dull one...lol. How's THAT for a profound statement huh...lol. I've also recently started to see if I can shave off some time (pun inteneded) with my ritual by going only with 1 1/2 passes instead of 2 1/2 passes. My usual first pass in WTG all over then ATG for everywhere except the chinstrap area, which is usually XTG. That makes two full passes. Then I go back and hit the chin with an ATG pass making 2 1/2 passes. Lately I've bee going ATG everywehre except the chin and going XTG there then hitting it with the ATG pass for the 1 1/2 pass ritual. DEFINITELY better have a sharp blade for that. Anywawayy...Keep at it and happy shaves.

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Originally Posted by certifiedbodyman

Another thing to consider is that if you're like alot of folks in here, as I've read it, many folks have hair that grows in different direction in the different places on their necks and faces. Like me, the pattern of growth isn't even quite the same on the left or right. The area near the trachea/carotid groove the hair grows at around a 45 degree angle fron front to back and downwards....BUT...not QUITE the same on the eft and right. Same thingwth the sideburns area...close but not quite the same mirror image of growth patter. I think that the left and right points of the chin do grownmainly outward like you'd be parting the beard in the middle but the exact angle is still a bit different. This str8 razor shaving brings out the detective in one for sure. One thing I've definitely found out is that a sharp blade is mucg easier to shave with as compared to a dull one...lol. How's THAT for a profound statement huh...lol. I've also recently started to see if I can shave off some time (pun inteneded) with my ritual by going only with 1 1/2 passes instead of 2 1/2 passes. My usual first pass in WTG all over then ATG for everywhere except the chinstrap area, which is usually XTG. That makes two full passes. Then I go back and hit the chin with an ATG pass making 2 1/2 passes. Lately I've bee going ATG everywehre except the chin and going XTG there then hitting it with the ATG pass for the 1 1/2 pass ritual. DEFINITELY better have a sharp blade for that. Anywawayy...Keep at it and happy shaves.

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You make some good points, esp in regards to a sharp blade being easier to shave with than a dull one; who would have thought?! :-) I've been trying to dull my razor now for WEEKS!

Seriously, though, the points about the 2.5 shaves is good. I do 1.25, once all over WTG, and then the .25 ATG under the jawline at the moment; and that seems to work well.