Thread: Rough around the chin and upper lip...need suggestions

I am relatively new to the straight razor shave. I have a 6/8 half hollow dovo and I have been doing it for about 4 or 5 months now. I can shave everything great in all 3 directions except for my chin and my upper lip. I have to make what feels like 20 passes on each and it feels as though it pulls pretty good on both of those areas. When I am done, the burn from my aftershave is pretty palpable on my chin and upper lip and the shave is never as close as the rest of my face. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks for your advice.

That is the hardest part of st8 shaving for many of us. Small light strokes on the toe end for me and patience. You should not be getting too much pulling if your honed up and taking light strokes. Keep angle low and smaller strokes always helped me and stretch skin tight.
If it is any help to you, it was just about a few months for me to get decent at it and after longer period it will be natural as long as you are not taking massive strokes trying to get all of it at once.

edit also if you have toe leading at angle this automatically makes less pulling, just don't go crazy if you have not started more advanced shaving yet. Slight angle at first if you have not tried that yet. Also round point when you start more advanced shaving or dub the point if it is a square point to avoid cut.

You should never have to do anything near that many passes. That's what causes the burn. It quality passes not quantity that counts.

It can take months of shaves to get that area down pat, it is difficult. You just need to gain facility with the razor and you will see one day it will just happen. In the meantime if a couple passes doesn't do it there finish with a DE or other instrument in the short term.

A few other ideas:

-Moustache and chin whiskers tend to be the densest and toughest. Naturally, shaving those areas will be a little more difficult. This is where technique comes into play.
-You say you've been using your razor for 4-5 months. Has it been touched up or rehoned at all during that time? For a nice close shave a blade has to be good and sharp.
-Do a search for coup de maitre. You need to master this in order to get a good shave on the moustache area. For me that includes WTG and XTG passes on my upper lip.

I'm pretty sure it's due to lack of sharpness. I know that this is my problem. This is the reason that I use my straight razor so sparingly, now

Originally Posted by THG

I'm pretty sure it's due to lack of sharpness. I know that this is my problem. This is the reason that I use my straight razor so sparingly, now

There's a fix for that you know.

Try using the upward against the grain strokes on your chin & upper lip. It's not easy at first, but once mastered it's very effective. Be careful!

I mastered the chin and upper lip about 18 months into straight shaving. Only thing was, in terms of time, it took about 75% of it to get that 25% of my face BBS. So I grew a goatee, got a favorable review from friends and family, and haven't looked back. You might want to consider it.

Originally Posted by commiecat

There's a fix for that you know.

I know... I'm just not willing to throw more money at the problem for a while lol

Hello mhsull,

Chin and Upper lip are the stumbling block for many a novice; like all skills this takes time to learn. Don't over shave that area, have a couple of passes, think about what you are doing; remember blade angles, pressure, stretch direction, etc. and learn each time. Then finish up with a DE. That will give your face pleanty of time to recover and also for the skin in those areas to become more acostome to the technique you use.

Sam