Thread: ATF on upper lip question.

Gents, I need some advice. I just completely destroyed my upper lip by going ATG (down to up). My blade just catches on the hair and I don't want to put alot of force into it for fear of slipping and slicing my nose off. So I do these short, quick up and down motions to get the blade to cut the hair. It was very effective and got my upper lip very smooth but there was blood all over! Do y'all have any tips on how to get a quality ATG pass on the upper lip with out the carnage?

Thanks,
LD

There are two things that works for me to get that pass done.

Firstly, I always keep an extremely low angle on the blade.
My whiskers on my upper lip grows at a very steep angle downwards, so that is essential to be able to cut effortlessly and avoid the razor to cut into the skin.

Secondly, beard reduction.
I always do a pass downwards first, then I do one outwards pass from the center of my upper lip.
This second pass is slighty pointing upwards toward my ear.
After that I find the fools pass, as some call it, to be quite manageable.

Good luck with it

Can you shave ATG on the upper lip with other shaving tools? (DE, etc.) I ask because I've heard it said that some folks just can't ever do it comfortably. As for me, practice was a big factor in learning to do it with a straight, but there's no neglecting sharpness. I can't do a fool's pass well unless the blade's edge is damn near perfect.

Ah, the fool's pass I have attempted it, but found I just do not have the nerve to perform it. So, I just use WTG and XTG and call it good. Likewise, for some reason I have trouble with ATG passes on the face above the jaw-line, although I can do ATG on the neck with no problem. In the end, I think we all develop a routine we're comfortable with and one that gives good shave.

Haha the fools pass is aptly named. I guess I am a fool to have tried it. But I am still determined to master it. I like the tip about using a low angle and doing a XTG towards the ears in the second pass. I guess 3 passes is necessary to truly master the fools pass.

Was it blood or ATF? (Sorry it was too good a typo to pass up )

Now - serious answer: +1 on Birnando's response. My upper lip hair is the thickest on my face. I need multiple passes to get it smooth. I start off nose to lip. Next pass is middle to corners of mouth. Final pass is buffing up with very light pressure and spine nearly touching my skin If its not ATF and you are really bleeding , try just the first two passes until your skin gets used to it.

Good luck and shave on.

I have found that the 'fools pass' is a true test of the razors edge - if it not 'just right' it will not work well.
Don't get tempted to use more pressure to get it done 'cause that is a recipe for disaster - less is more in this case.
I have found that a very low angle and fresh, slick lather and very light pressure is the key.
I often use both hands to hold the blade still and 'rock' my head up and down with my tongue under the top lip to keep it stretched tight.
Some youtube vidoes show this method.
I hope it works out for you and your nose remains intact.
Hang on and enjoy the ride

Even when I puff out the upper lip I get catches and weepers. I do a couple of XTG and the final ATG catches less.

You have to out think the whiskers on the ATG pass on the upper lip. In this area, the growth direction is very downward toward the lip. On the ATG pass, the whiskers deflect the blade down into the skin. Knowing this will happen, you have to fool the whiskers into cooperating with you to get a close shave. That is not easy because that means they have to commit suicide for you to achieve their goal. They don't want to do that so they have to be tricked. Two tips:

1. If your blade isn't sharp, don't bother with the Fool's Pass.
2. Keep the blade parallel to the skin, slightly above skin level. The whiskers, not knowing what you are up to, will drag the edge down toward the skin, and you'll get a very close shave. You can get close with no cuts this way. I don't like to use the BBS word, but, well, whatever!

What works for me when I do an ATG on my upper lip is ZERO pressure (same advice as ace -- just different wording), with very short, very slight, guillotine strokes, except for the philtrum which requires a straight buffing stroke. Also, I adjust the low angle of the blade to match the point of skin where my edge is in contact. That came to me when reading someone's advice to practice with a golf ball and butter knife to visualize proper technique for shaving a chin. I found it necessary because my upper lip is not as flat as a hone. The above, plus the confidence that "this is something I can do" gets me successfully through this final step of a satisfying shave.
Namaste,
Morty -_-