50th Shave

[RouxBlade]

I hit the 50th shave milestone tonight.

It felt glorious. One of my best shaves ever. It's also the third shave in a row I got all of the hair under my upper lip, even the stubborn trees just under my nose. So smooth.

And my chin has never felt smoother.

Another plus. I not only have sensitive skin but also eczema. It isn't 100% cleared up but my face is better than it's been... since I moved to this dry climate in 2020. My forehead shows more signs than the rest of my fave. Maybe I should put some of my moisturizing balm on it.

I have learned to map my face, and that one cheek grows in a different direction than the other. That's why my right side was so hard to shave for about the first 30 shaves.

Lighter touch is better. Nearly every shave is better.

And most of all I've learned that I should have started this years ago, as soon as I got my first job and could afford to buy my own shaving equipment.

 

[rbscebu]

Congratulations! It's a great feeling and it still gets even more enjoyable. I'm still learning, even with my 1,006th SR shave this morning.

 

[Tomo]

It’s satisfying when it all comes together.

 

[Seelector]

Congrats on making it to 50 shaves.

Lighter touch is better. Nearly every shave is better.

The amazing thing is that the shaves will keep getting better.

 

[CpnStumpy]

Spectacular! You're ready to start paying close attention to a next technique:

Blade sections. You have the heel, midblade, and toe. By now you have surely stopped using all of the blade on every stroke, but now you can start benefitting from practicing close attention to and slowly reducing the amount of blade you use on a given stroke. Toe and midblade are usually what people focus on in the beginning, starting to attend the heel will be beneficial, but don't rush in. Go with what's comfortable and start thinking about this because each section is useful in different angles and stroke directions etc, but first just notice and try reducing how much of the blade you use for a stroke to smaller and smaller portions, down to a centimeter or less. Using a very small but of the midblade is the trickiest, but it all becomes natural in time. Stretching helps here because angle is key. This won't come right away, may take months, but I recommend this control ahead of learning new strokes (scything for instance), or trying back and forth strokes.

 

[HazMat Shaver]

Congrats. It all falls together when you keep at it.

 

[Sando]

Congrats. Keys for me are beard prep, blade sharpness, blade angle, attacking small sections at a time - nothing better when it all comes together. Soon it’ll be second nature for you.

 

[Steve56]

And it only gets better!

 

[Doc4]

And most of all I've learned that I should have started this years ago, as soon as I got my first job and could afford to buy my own shaving equipment.

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is today.

 

[RumpleBearskin]

Congratulations on the 50 mark! It gets better and better, but sometimes slowly. Be prepared to experience plateaus in your proficiency improvements.

On another note ...

I not only have sensitive skin but also eczema. It isn't 100% cleared up but my face is better than it's been...

I recently experienced a resurgence of my adolescent eczema. Interestingly, the dermatologist mentioned that the exfoliation from a good shave actually improves eczema rather than irritates it. Of course, that assumes you are proficient and adhere to the "no pressure" technique. The few hours after my daily shave are the least itchy of the whole day.

Best of luck on your journey, both in straights and managing eczema.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Congrats on your milestone!

Maybe I should put some of my moisturizing balm on it.

Try it out. When using a balm, I'll rub the excess on my cheekbones, forehead, and around my neck. Just stay clear of the eyes. Also, I try to only apply a light amount on the forehead. I've put too much on my forehead, started to sweat a little while later, and it burned when it got in my eyes.

 

[lloydw]

well done - its great to hear of it clicking together

 

[aussie]

Tomorrow I hit 1500 SR shaves. This includes shavettes.