Problems with area beside the chin

Hi guys, just a quick one.

I'm having trouble, no so much with my chin anymore, but the area around my mouth. My beard is so course, I have to do literally 4-5 passes to get it close enough to match the rest of my face. I dont have issues with my cheeks or neck anymore, but I have to be quite agressive with this area.

My hair grows in a circular pattern, and is very dense. I find even with a DE it dulls the blade and starts to pull after two shaves.

Anyone have the same issue.

I'm also having issues getting a close shave on parts of my neck, due to my hair growing east to west. A WTG pass is all but impossible, so the initall pass is XTG. I usually do two XTG and call it at that, and the result isnt so great, although there isnt much irritation at all.

Any thoughts?

One thought I have is you may be shaving with an angle to high cause the blade is dulled. You should be able to cut whiskers XTG with the razor much lower to the face than when you WTG. Sounds like you have tough skin which isn't getting a burn from all the passes but the hairs should be slipping off at the touch of the blade. What razor are you using, when was it last on a stone, how is your stropping, and what preparations do you make to soften the hair as much as possible?

I go 3.5 passes with my straights..its more about how you slightly angle the razor and glide gently...it okay to experiment just make sure you feel your razor exactly where its going

My neck area also is a problem from time to time. When I find it necessary, I use my DE in the area that needs attention. This simplifies my shaving w/o getting razor burn and I get that bbs result.

Usually strange growth patterns are handled by stretching to effectively change the way those hairs are presented to the razor. If your razor is proper sharp and your prep is good and technique as far as pressure and angle is good then stretching is the answer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Usually strange growth patterns are handled by stretching to effectively change the way those hairs are presented to the razor. If your razor is proper sharp and your prep is good and technique as far as pressure and angle is good then stretching is the answer.

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Thanks for the replies guys. Well, I usually have a hot shower, then either use Proraso preshave, or go straight for the shaving cream. I picked up a shaving cream from a tube for sensitive skin that contains vegetable oil if I remember right, and its really helped smooth out the shaves.

I'll try stretching more for this area. I think I might be lacking a little in that area.

The blades are either a 5/8" full hollow solingen vintage, and a 6/8 half hollow vintage american razor. Both were honed by Phil at the classic edge. Very nice guy to deal with. They have a nice edge, I'm sure its a technique problem on my part.

My strop is a custom job, I made from a new piece of cowhide and some D rings. It works well, as long as I pull it tight, and strop nice and slowly. It seems to work better on the 5/8 though.

Ryan