How Long Does Your BBS Result Last?

[steveclarkus]

When I shave, I go for a BBS finish on my jaw lines, chin and upper lip. The rest I aim for a DFS finish so that I have something to shave 24 hours later.

It is now 14 hours since my last shave. My BBS areas are still BBS. How long does your BBS finish last?

Spoiler: I cheated

I shave with a straight razor .

I never try for BBS. Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn’t but I always get a very good shave which lasts about 12 hours so I shave every morning. I only do two passes, the second pass is mostly just a whole face touch up. It takes a bit less than five minutes of actual shaving. Always use a straight razor since I have no other shaving instrument available.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I'm not doubting everyone, but all else being equal, I'm not sure how there can be different degrees of BBS for a given person, unless you are using a cart which cuts the hairs beneath the surface layer of the skin.

It’s just how close the shave is.

You can get a close shave that feels completely smooth, even when you press on the skin and stroke against the grain, but you may start to feel stubble an hour or a few hours later. Most people would call that ‘BBS’, but when it happens I feel disappointed with the shave, unless the stubble is only in a couple of small areas, and in that case I am still happy and I just try to shave those areas better next time.

You can also get a closer shave where you can‘t feel any stubble 12 or even 15 hours after the shave, even pressing on the skin. That’s ‘BBS’ too. I can get 12hrs most times if I use my most efficient razors, and 15hrs is the best I’ve managed (and was one of the most comfortable, gentle shaves I’ve had too - FWIW, I remember it was with a Rocnel Sailor and second-use Kai blade).

If you get a completely smooth, close shave but your neck is red with irritation, then I think that is also a disappointing shave. Smoothness should never be at the cost of irritation, like those YouTubers with spots of blood all over their faces shouting “BBS!”. Who cares how long the shave lasts? It’s more important how long the redness lasts.

This is really why I’ve never used the term ‘BBS’. It doesn’t mean much to me, everyone defines it differently, and calling it something gives it more importance than it should have. What I say instead is whether the shave was completely smooth, and how long the completely smooth feeling lasted (again, completely smooth means for me that when I press on my skin and stroke against the grain I cannot feel any sign of stubble at all). That, together with how gentle the shave was, is how I measure the results of my shaves.

 

[Butch Waxx]

I’m going to estimate around 8-12 hours.

 

[Mitzie]

BBS increases skin dryness (post shave). There's a need to strike a happy balance between good a close shave and post shave skin condition IMHO

 

[santamariasteve]

This is an interesting question, and the answer will vary dependent upon our individual standards for closeness and for feel.

For me the answer is about 6 hours.

 

[pierrelortie44]

Soft to the touch a few hours, then starts grabbing collars and scarves, but looks clean shaven almost the 24 hrs to the next shave.

 

[CzechCzar]

I wash with warm water to loosen the skin and then stretch the skin in various ways. I found that, for the "handlebar" area leading from the mustache down to the sides of the chin, I can use my tongue to stretch the skin out and shave the small peak that it creates. After a cold water splash, the hairs are shaved well below the skin.

Of course, this is an absolutely terribly idea, as I rash out like crazy after doing this. I've found I can still have BBS, but with less irritation, in not doing this, or not bumping the skin out nearly as much with my tongue.

Skin is a funny thing. I can shave hairs (on my neck especially) right at skin level or leave a tiny amount of stubble, and the skin will still "heal" over them, creating ingrowns.

Turns out BBS is a more nuanced descriptor than some imagine: if you've spent much time diapering, you'll know that baby's butts are sometimes smooth but are also often covered in rashes.

Yes! This is why it frustrates me when some claim that "degrees" of BBS are made up.

BS increases skin dryness (post shave). There's a need to strike a happy balance between good a close shave and post shave skin condition IMHO

Not if you have the perfect aftershave balm!

 

[Phoenixkh]

Yes! This is why it frustrates me when some claim that "degrees" of BBS are made up.


Not if you have the perfect aftershave balm!

The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream seems to bury my whiskers deeper so my shaves last longer. Thanks again for recommending it.

 

[CzechCzar]

The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream seems to bury my whiskers deeper so my shaves last longer. Thanks again for recommending it.

BOOM - called it. And, indeed it does.

 

[Scaramouche]

True BBS around 12h before 5, 6, 7 o'clock shadow, depending....

 

[BobbyB]

Generally I shave between 530 and 630 (CST) daily. When I get a BBS result, I don't feel new growth till about 430 in the afternoon.

 

[Cafebarian]

Depends on which razor I use, at most 12hrs or a tad more. Others a mere 8 hours...

 

[cwright]

8 to 10 hours

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Hello dude!

This is an excellent question, and as I have been wet shaving for 2 and a half, getting close to 3 months, I have some experience in this area. As I am somebody who is always chasing after that BBS, because I like the feeling of smooth skin, I find how long it lasts, depends on the condition of the razor blade, and how much I shave with the razor.

As long as the blade is sharp and not dull, and I actually spend a lot of time on my shave, like yesterday for example, my BBS shave lasted at least 8-hours in most places on my face, if not longer! Feeling my face today, feels like a DFS shave, so my whiskers took that long to grow back after yesterdays shave.

If you really want a BBS shave, you just got to put in the time to achieve it is all, and you also have to be careful with the blade, because there is a greater chance of getting capillary bleeding of the unwanted, if you are not careful. I know that many here on B&B don't chase after the BBS shave, and thats fine. But like I said, I prefer smooth skin, thats just the way I role lol.

 

[Major Overkill]

Even after the best shave of my life, my skin is only BBS for a few hours, max. Since I usually shave at night, it's a bit rough, if not visibly so (since my facial hair is both very light brown + fine-textured) by noonish.

YMMVW, obviously,
-Z

 

[Ron R]

For myself it depends on the razor and blade, my facial hair grows quickly at least I think so. My BBS might last from 6-12 hrs and the cheeks can last a little longer. If your not sure you have a BBS just use the cotton ball test to confirm(Newbies). Like mentioned if you use a good quality balm post shave you can get a BBS more often. Balm moisturises the skin surface and hair follicles are deeper rooted so you get a smoother finish to your shave is what I have concluded years ago. Balm with Hyaluronic acid added are the best for quickly moisturizing your skin I have found (CeraVe I like to use).

 

[Medivh]

I haven't really paid that much attention during the day and it really depends on the razor I'm using as well as if I do an almost full ATG pass on my face or not, but I'd say roughly between 8 and 10 hours at best.

I mostly shave at night before I go to sleep and on the next day I rarely feel any stubble (again, depending on how I shave and what razor I use). Around noon I can definitely feel it a little bit, but by then I really don't care.

 

[SgtCrppls]

+1 to Medivh 100%

 

[5whiskey]

Yesterday morning I achieved a BBS with my SR in the hollows of my neck. I did this because the ⅝ "Bengall" I was shaving with was feeling so good to shave with. I don't aim for a BBS neck often but it's nice to know that I can achieve it if I so desire.

It took me a lot of technique development and practice to be able to get a BBS neck, probably trying for well over 500 daily SR shaves. Once mastered, it can be done.

I can get BBS on most of my neck with no irritation sometimes, extremely mild irritation about half the time, and with pretty bad irritation a few times a month. Depends on lather, razor, me, etc. I feel as though most of my neck is quite easy to shave, and I swear I do have pretty course hair. I choose to forego a fools pass, or true ATG on parts of my chin and around the mouth.

To answer the question, when I'm on day shift I shave the night before around 7pm or so. I wake up at 4pm and parts of my face are no ,onger BBS. Still a good close shave, but definitely not BBS. The some trouble areas become quite noticeable with my fingers by 7am. I leave at 530pm, and it's time to shave again.

On night shift I shave about 3pm before going to work. My shave is good through the night. I come home and got to bed from 600am to 7am. Wake up at 2pm or so and it's time to shave again by 3-4pm.

I'll say my best shaves, 8 hours of solid bbs. When my shave e is on point and BBS to begin with.

 

[losing]

I cheat a little in this area. I only shave about twice a week or so. Not because my job doesn't require it but because my hair does not grow very fast. I get a 5 o'clock shadow in about 2 days or so. I'm on the second day after my last shave and I now have a 5 o'clock shadow, so I will most likely have a shave tomorrow. Kind of sucks because of how much I enjoy shaving.