1 day, 2 day, and 3 day stubble. Is there a difference?

[Its just me Ash]

Now I might be just imagining this and by no means am I consistent enough yet with technique to say this is scientific. But I wanted your opinions on this...

Is there a reason why shaving 3 day stubble is easier and causes less irritation than 2 day or 1 day stubble?

I seem to find that 3 days stubble or longer gives me less irritation and seems to feel smoother.

I am doing WTG, XTG, ATG. And tested with the same setup, soap and same routine.

what’s your thoughts? Am I just seeing and feeling something that isn’t there?

 

[karacha]

Not for me. Daily shaves are easiest for me. My 3 day stubble is dense and a pain to shave with any kind of razor.

 

[Rob72]

I suspect beard density and coarseness will have some impact on this. I would also suspect that if your beard is more coarse/wiry you would be more sensitive to cutting it when its shorter, as it would be closer to the root. I suspect...

 

[Vulcan Bubbles]

I have the same experience. I don’t ever shave more than 3 times a week, sometimes only once. Much more comfortable and enjoyable for me.

 

[emwolf]

I feel it's easier to get a really close shave with a day or two of growth. However, I do feel more irritation when I shave more than a single day's stubble. With one day, I can glide the razor lightly and accomplish all I need. I have absolutely no science to back any of this up.

 

[cryhavoc]

Now I might be just imagining this and by no means am I consistent enough yet with technique to say this is scientific. But I wanted your opinions on this...

Is there a reason why shaving 3 day stubble is easier and causes less irritation than 2 day or 1 day stubble?

I seem to find that 3 days stubble or longer gives me less irritation and seems to feel smoother.

I am doing WTG, XTG, ATG. And tested with the same setup, soap and same routine.

what’s your thoughts? Am I just seeing and feeling something that isn’t there?

Daily shaves are easiest for me, 3 days is more difficult to shave off.

If you get more irritation shaving 1 day stubble I highly suggest you drop the ATG pass and maybe add a 2nd XTG pass.

 

[thombrogan]

Multi-day stubble is easier for me to shave, too. Every third day is my sweet spot. But I shave daily because I feel grubby otherwise.

 

[sanookd]

Now I might be just imagining this and by no means am I consistent enough yet with technique to say this is scientific. But I wanted your opinions on this...

Is there a reason why shaving 3 day stubble is easier and causes less irritation than 2 day or 1 day stubble?

I seem to find that 3 days stubble or longer gives me less irritation and seems to feel smoother.

I am doing WTG, XTG, ATG. And tested with the same setup, soap and same routine.

what’s your thoughts? Am I just seeing and feeling something that isn’t there?

If you shave every 3 days your skin has one or two days more of rest than shaving daily or every other day. Plus a longer target for the blade to sever.
Just my 2 cents but I’m in the same boat. Every 3 days = better result than daily shave.

 

[Scrubby]

Daily straight razor shaver here.
I was wondering the same - as the hair where you cut it is not different, my theory is that you give the skin more time to recover from the previous shave. Also it is easier to see what parts you already shaved and where you missed spots, so probably one spends less time going over already shaved skin with a 3 day stubble.

 

[RookieGuy]

2 days is the perfect balance for me. But you're right, Ash. That first day is like coarse sandpaper on my mug. After that, it's softer and easier to cut. Even my little girl (and one woman) find this to be so.

 

[RumpleBearskin]

Daily straight razor shaver here. But 24 hours, two days, three days, or more makes no difference in the ease of the shave or the results for me.

But I will say watching a lathered mat of a month's growth peel off is most gratifying.

 

[MrSpeedy]

Multi-day is easier for me, too. Almost feels softer.

 

[dil_5]

For me it's the other way round. I usually shave every other day with very little irritation. When I go 3+ days as satisfying as it is moving that stubble down there's always some irritation.

 

[Barbarian80]

I think when you have a few days growth your epidermis is thickest and can withstand a good scrape better than a day's worth of new growth. So, one who shaves every day could be more prone to irritation unless the technique is so good that he can slice through hair without removing that layer of skin. If the technique is spot on theres no reason you couldn't shave daily and be irritation free.

 

[rbscebu]

I SR shave at least once each day. I don't know how others can resist the enjoyment of shaving for longer than 24 hours. Maybe they're not SR shavers.

 

[santamariasteve]

Like so many questions about shaving, this answer is highly YMMV.

Our faces, and so many other shaving variables can vary, and will impact the answer to this question.

Personally, I favor three-pass daily shaves with decent prep, hardware, and software. The coarseness of our individual beards also is highly relevant.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

Same for me, the longer I wait between shaves, the better. Don't know why, don't care. 2 days minimum for comfort, 4 days or else I start howling at the moon.

 

[Benzadmiral]

2 days is the perfect balance for me. But you're right, Ash. That first day is like coarse sandpaper on my mug. After that, it's softer and easier to cut. Even my little girl (and one woman) find this to be so.

I'm the same way; 48 hours is the best for me. Not that I've ever tried going 72.

 

[BigJ]

Wish I could comment, but I am another of the daily shavers! Too much fun for me to miss a day!

 

[Its just me Ash]

Since I started DE shaving I have only left it 2.5 days before shaving again once. When I was using a Mack3 I’d avoid it at all costs.

But I am working up to daily as at the moment, even with a DE, it seems 24 hours’ growth leaves me irritated. I am figuring it out though and it is getting better.