About shaving moustache

[peterbbb]

Hi I'm Peter, 20 years old, live in LA and started wet shaving about a month ago.

I've got an Edwin Jagger de89l with the included derby blades, Edwin Jagger brush that cost me around 40$ and TOBS Avocado shaving cream.

I shave about once a week, well I used to, now as I'm learning how to wet shave i do it 2 or 3 times to practice.


The thing is that I can't get a close shave in my moustache so the rest of my face looks very trimmed while my moustache doesn't, lol I mean I have this baby face so it's weird!

And I started to realize this so I started to just do one pass WTG in my face while I do a 4 shave pass in my moustache ( Down, sideways, up) and it's not just that, besides I get a lot of cuts in my moustache and the rest of my face still looks way more trimmed than my moustache!!

What i've been thinking is that these Derby blades suck, when I go ATG i feel them tugging and pulling! Maybe I should change to more aggresive blades?

What can I do? What am I doing wrong? Technique?

Thank you very much I really appreciate it and appreciate this site! Cheers!

PS I''m really enjoying wet shaving so far, getting some cuts from time to time on my chin and improving the leathering technique because sometimes it gets really watery or dry!

 

[Dave R]

Hi Peter and welcome to B&B.

If I were you, I wouldn't do so many passes in your mustache area. Maybe two WTG. You could try a more agressive blade, but if you do, I still wouldn't do more than two passes in that area. I know my skin was more sensitive and my beard not as heavy when I was 20 than it is now at 65.

And one other thing. If all you need to shave is once a week and you are now shaving 2-3 times, it could be that is too much on your skin at this particular point in your life.

Good luck!

 

[Eamrein]

I do two passes on the upper lip. First WTG, second ATG. You could use a sharper blade, there shouldn't be any pulling or tugging. Just be careful, ZERO pressure on the ATG. Cuts on the upper lip are no fun..

 

[musicman1951]

I would definitely try a sharper blade - which will be easy to find.

I'm wondering about blade angle as the nose can tend to get in the way. I can think of no reason the hair on your upper lip would be more resistant to the blade than the rest of your face. You might try blade buffing.

 

[StanStill]

Or maybe you were just meant to grow a moustache.

If you're only 20, it could be that the moustache area is starting to fill in more... but I agree with others that you shouldn't go over it more than twice. I only go at the moustache area diagonally downward from each side to get around the nose, and straight across (or slightly upward) from each side.

 

[Cphobes]

I do 2 passes in, 1st WTG and the 2nd XTG and that gets a DFS. To go after more for me would be to much. I could never figure out how to go ATG in that area and XTG seems good enough for me.

I cut my lip once way back with a tracII razor in high school, bleed like a stuck pig for HOURS! Good grief, felt like the SNL Julia Child skit.

-Stephen

 

[SmurfK]

Try not to go ATG on mustache area if you are getting nicks or irritation. Just go WTG and XTG. Derby blade just gave me an BBS today, so don't throw them away so fast. It's a tricky area for many people, so don't worry too much about it. You will get closer with more practice.

 

[franz]

I never could go ATG on the mustache area. Just didn't care for the irritation that would inevitably result.

I agree with the gents who suggested cutting down on the number of passes. You're carving yourself up. Try just WTG and XTG. Go slow. Use zero pressure. It could be that your blade angle is off -- you should be able to get plenty of reduction from two passes with that combination. It won't hurt to try a different blade, but I suspect it's more your technique.

Beard shadow, on the other hand, is not something you can really control via shaving. It's possible that your mustache area is more filled in than the rest of your beard, causing it to appear darker than your cheeks even when the whiskers are cut.

Welcome to the forum; hope the advice in this thread helps.

 

[BSAGuy]

Hello and welcome, Peter. Plenty of good advice above.

 

[Javelin]

I do 3 passes on my upper lip mustache area just like the rest of my face. But I don't do a full against the grain (ATG) pass so it doesn't end up completely smooth if I rub ATG when I'm done, but it's not visibly different.

I do the first pass with the grain (WTG), which is straight down for me, from the nose to the lip. On my second pass I do an across the grain (XTG) sideways from the ear side towards the center of my upper lip on both sides.

For the third pass I start at the center of my lip and move outwards towards my ears.

When I really want it completely smooth I will move the XTG angles from straight across the face to about a 45 degree angle slightly upward, which for me is more about half across the grain XTG and half ATG. But when I do that I occasionally get irritation.

 

[Edwin]

Hello, Peter. Great advice above. I also wanted to thank you for not coming on here and trashing the equipment just because you're not getting a perfect shave on your first try. Keep working on your craft and have fun.

 

[CatServant]

Hi, Peter. I use a Mühle R89 (which has the same head as the DE89) and the TOBS Avocado cream. Two passes with a Derby blade won't cut through my heavy beard. I would suggest trying a Gillette Silver Blue or one of the Gillette 7 O'Clock blades. I have found them to be sharp, yet gentle and more forgiving than Feathers (my current blade of choice).

 

[PMT]

Hi Peter and welcome to B&B.

If I were you, I wouldn't do so many passes in your mustache area. Maybe two WTG. You could try a more agressive blade, but if you do, I still wouldn't do more than two passes in that area. I know my skin was more sensitive and my beard not as heavy when I was 20 than it is now at 65.

And one other thing. If all you need to shave is once a week and you are now shaving 2-3 times, it could be that is too much on your skin at this particular point in your life.

Good luck!

+1 and welcome!

 

[celestino]

Welcome, Peter!

 

[ackvil]

Welcome, Peter.

 

[alex2363]

Hi I'm Peter, 20 years old, live in LA and started wet shaving about a month ago.

I've got an Edwin Jagger de89l with the included derby blades, Edwin Jagger brush that cost me around 40$ and TOBS Avocado shaving cream.

I shave about once a week, well I used to, now as I'm learning how to wet shave i do it 2 or 3 times to practice.


The thing is that I can't get a close shave in my moustache so the rest of my face looks very trimmed while my moustache doesn't, lol I mean I have this baby face so it's weird!

And I started to realize this so I started to just do one pass WTG in my face while I do a 4 shave pass in my moustache ( Down, sideways, up) and it's not just that, besides I get a lot of cuts in my moustache and the rest of my face still looks way more trimmed than my moustache!!

What i've been thinking is that these Derby blades suck, when I go ATG i feel them tugging and pulling! Maybe I should change to more aggresive blades?

What can I do? What am I doing wrong? Technique?

Thank you very much I really appreciate it and appreciate this site! Cheers!

PS I''m really enjoying wet shaving so far, getting some cuts from time to time on my chin and improving the leathering technique because sometimes it gets really watery or dry!

You shoudnt wet your leather, you might damage it . I think you meant LATHER.

I would stop using the dull Derbys and get sampler pack of blades.

 

[peterbbb]

Thanks a lot for the welcoming and all your advices have been great! I'm lol with some of them! Got me some bic blades, it's sort of aggresive I suppose to go from a derby to a bic and I'll take the chance! Let's see how it goes! Thanks again!

 

[peterbbb]

Omgggggg I'm laughing so hard I just shaved with the BIC blade and wow I feel like a pimp! I feel like James Bond you know what I'm saying! Did 3 passes in my moustache, WTG, XTG and then just a little bit ATG. The rest of my face just did one pass WTG and no irritation, no nicks!

With the derby I had to apply pressure with this I just glided it with 0 pressure like you said and it went great! I felt like I didn't even need an aftershave! I'm glad I took the chance to try this!

Thanks a lot! From what I can tell this is a great community! Cheers!

 

[Edwin]

Omgggggg I'm laughing so hard I just shaved with the BIC blade and wow I feel like a pimp! I feel like James Bond you know what I'm saying! Did 3 passes in my moustache, WTG, XTG and then just a little bit ATG. The rest of my face just did one pass WTG and no irritation, no nicks!

With the derby I had to apply pressure with this I just glided it with 0 pressure like you said and it went great! I felt like I didn't even need an aftershave! I'm glad I took the chance to try this!

Thanks a lot! From what I can tell this is a great community! Cheers! [emoji106]1:

I really enjoyed the BIC blade myself. Glad it worked for you too!