ATG advice?

[LAPlatypus]

Yesterday I foolishly decided to finally try going ATG with my Henson AL13 Medium and a Permasharp blade (gold and red box). ATG was on the third pass after WTG/XTG. It did not go well. Lots of irritation and weepers, especially around the upper lip and center neck area. I had to use some of my girlfriend's concealer to make my face presentable for her family's Easter Sunday party. Such a dumb idea to try this out on a day I had to go out in public

I'm OK with never trying it again but before i give up for good I thought I'd ask if the fine folks in the B&B community have any advise. Is there an approach to ATG that would be any different from WTG/XTG?

For what it's worth, I was using the Permasharp blade for the 3rd time. I would assume that many people here can pull off a traditional 3 pass shave on the same blade more times than that without a problem. Maybe my face just doesn't like ATG. The last time i was able to do ATG shaves was back in my early 20's when I only used a Mach 3. Since then I think my facial hair has filled in more and perhaps gotten tougher. My skin has also probably gotten thinner and dryer as I've moved into my 40s.

 

[FarmerTan]

Excellent post, friend @LAPlatypus !

I chased BBS Saturday night for the first time in a LOOONG time. I was going to post about it, but life got in the way....

My advice: if you are as incredibly handsome (as indicated by your intelligent post) as I am, who do you need to impress? My face hurt for a good 36 hours after my shave, and here I sit, STILL not needing a shave!

And I am STILL incredibly handsome, because my mom just posted that truth to me in a text message!

So just do what I do, because I really am intelligent (according to my wife on payday)..... Do two passes and skip even touch ups. You can shave again tomorrow.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Don’t do it.

 

[silverlifter]

Don’t do it.

This. I only ever do two passes (W/X), and occasionally touchups. Most days, I get a DFS, some days a DFS+. Every once in a while, generally if I take a little more time at each step, a BBS.

For some of us, ATG is just not worth the candle.

 

[rbscebu]

....
And I am STILL incredibly handsome, because my mom just posted that truth to me in a text message!
....

And we both know that mother's never lie to their sons .

I was also the perfect child. From birth I; never cried, also slept 8 hours straight at night, only ate at normal meal times (feeding myself with a knife and fork) and was toilet trained.

 

[rbscebu]

@LAPlatypus the problem is that you can't see the blade's edge on your skin for control. You know the answer.

 

[LAPlatypus]

The community has spoken. I'll avoid it from here on out.

 

[Eben Stone]

If you want to attempt it again...

Wait till your skin fully heals.

Accept that the first few tries are probably going to go badly.

If you feel any resistance from the razor, then most likely the blade isn't sharp enough, or there is some other problem with your technique. The razor should glide smoothly over your skin without moving or tugging the skin in any noticeable way.

Stretch the skin to an extreme.

For the mustache: never go exactly south to north. Ignore the actual growth direction and go from the edge of your mouth towards the tip of your nose. Maybe that's not the greatest for you, but thats what works for me.

Definitely try it with a new blade. In my experience, Permasharp do not have have great longevity.

The Henson is an absolutely fantastic razor for going ATG, so IMO the razor is definitely not the problem.

 

[njpaddy]

50+ years of practice makes perfect? I can't get a good shave without ATG. I've been doing ATG since college in the 60s, using everything from injectors and carts with canned foam, and eventually finding my way to DE & brush with soaps and creams. I admit it wasn't pretty at first.There was no internet or B&B back in the 60s. All I knew is that I hated the electric my parents gave me in high school and was determined to figure out how to shave by myself.

 

[FarmerTan]

50+ years of practice makes perfect? I can't get a good shave without ATG. I've been doing ATG since college in the 60s, using everything from injectors and carts with canned foam, and eventually finding my way to DE & brush with soaps and creams. I admit it wasn't pretty at first.There was no internet or B&B back in the 60s. All I knew is that I hated the electric my parents gave me in high school and was determined to figure out how to shave by myself.

BUT!.....Did you ever cry at night?

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Press harder. For against-the-grain you really need to push the blade into the skin.

Or was it the opposite? I can never remember.

There was something about good lather as well, I’m sure.

Hope that helps.

 

[T Bone]

Yesterday I foolishly decided to finally try going ATG with my Henson AL13 Medium and a Permasharp blade (gold and red box). ATG was on the third pass after WTG/XTG. It did not go well. Lots of irritation and weepers, especially around the upper lip and center neck area. I had to use some of my girlfriend's concealer to make my face presentable for her family's Easter Sunday party. Such a dumb idea to try this out on a day I had to go out in public

I'm OK with never trying it again but before i give up for good I thought I'd ask if the fine folks in the B&B community have any advise. Is there an approach to ATG that would be any different from WTG/XTG?

Fellow Henson user here. I used the mild Al-13 exclusively since switching from carts 8 months ago, and just recently got a medium.

If you want to attempt it again...

Wait till your skin fully heals.

Accept that the first few tries are probably going to go badly.

Eben Stone speaks the truth. I really like how much closer a shave I can get with a Henson vs my old carts, so I usually do an ATG pass. I used to get tons of weepers. I still get weepers more often than not, but usually just 1-2, and alum or just cold water usually stops the bleeding. Any post-shave irritation is usually very mild nowadays.

If you feel any resistance from the razor, then most likely the blade isn't sharp enough, or there is some other problem with your technique. The razor should glide smoothly over your skin without moving or tugging the skin in any noticeable way.

Mostly agreed. My mustache and chin hairs are tougher, and I get some resistance with nearly any blade. If I use a really sharp blade like a Feather, I get less resistance, but have to be super-extra careful or that's when I get more weepers.

For the mustache: never go exactly south to north. Ignore the actual growth direction and go from the edge of your mouth towards the tip of your nose. Maybe that's not the greatest for you, but thats what works for me.

If I don't go south to north, I can't get it quite smooth there. But if I do, that's my #1 most likely cause of weepers. So you have to decide for yourself if that's worth it.

The Henson is an absolutely fantastic razor for going ATG, so IMO the razor is definitely not the problem.

I haven't tried anything besides Henson, so I can't compare relative to other DEs. But with an ATG pass, I can get at least a DFS+, and sometimes pretty close to a BBS, with very few weepers. So it can be done, whether it's worth the effort to get there is up to you.

 

[Mysterious Mose]

FWIW, I do 2 passes WTG and ATG. I cut myself more on XTG than on ATG so I avoid it.

Today, I used a Rockwell 2C with a Wilkinson Sword blade, 12th shave.

FWIW

 

[Tirvine]

I have shaved ATG FFE, using SE, DE, and SR. I find that everything benefits from stretching, but below the jawline it is absolutely essential. I find that a good WTG and XTG, including the neck, sets me up for a happy ATG. If I have any doubts about the blades I start the ATG with the upper lip, and if it grabs at all, it's fresh blade time. On ATG on the neck, as on all passes, there must be good lather. I use short strokes and slides on the neck with minimal pressure. I find weepers, unlike nicks, to come from too much pressure, usually coupled with a very sharp blade. Good luck whatever you do!

 

[LWyatt2018]

On ATG ive learned to keep the pressure light. I once had weepers from ATG, as being fairly new to wet shaving of about 3 years now. Now its part of my shave routine with a three pass shave. No irritation anymore.

Light pressure, and ride the cap in the mustache area, or any other areas of irritation. Stretch the skin out and make sure you are a littler deliberate with your ATG strokes. That works for me and that keeps it simple to get a BBS.

 

[Ron R]

Some folks can not go ATG because of issues of irritation and ingrown hairs, I suggest just go ATG above the jaw line and the rest of the neck area stay with what makes a good shave practice for you, also if you want to cheat a little and get close to BBS shave apply some balm in your Post shave to get some moisture into the skin. The roots of the whiskers are deeper and about 1/2 hr later you will hardly feel any stubble for hrs later I have found.

 

[Phoenixkh]

On my last two shaves, I went from a three pass shave to two. I left out the XTG. I did have to do some buffing on my chin, but I have to do that even if I do a three pass shave. I've used an ATG pass when using a Gillette cartridge razor. I never did an across the grain.

I didn't notice any difference in the final results so I plan to continue that strategy. We'll see how it turns out. I can't get a close shave without an against the grain pass. One of the main differences now with wet shaving, I'm re-lathering. I didn't know about that during my decades of cartridge shaving.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Yesterday I foolishly decided to finally try going ATG with my Henson AL13 Medium and a Permasharp blade (gold and red box). ATG was on the third pass after WTG/XTG. It did not go well. Lots of irritation and weepers, especially around the upper lip and center neck area. I had to use some of my girlfriend's concealer to make my face presentable for her family's Easter Sunday party. Such a dumb idea to try this out on a day I had to go out in public

I'm OK with never trying it again but before i give up for good I thought I'd ask if the fine folks in the B&B community have any advise. Is there an approach to ATG that would be any different from WTG/XTG?

For what it's worth, I was using the Permasharp blade for the 3rd time. I would assume that many people here can pull off a traditional 3 pass shave on the same blade more times than that without a problem. Maybe my face just doesn't like ATG. The last time i was able to do ATG shaves was back in my early 20's when I only used a Mach 3. Since then I think my facial hair has filled in more and perhaps gotten tougher. My skin has also probably gotten thinner and dryer as I've moved into my 40s.

Welcome to Badger & Blade!

As it appears, you have already been given lots of advice on here, so there is not much I can add, except my own personal experience. Here is a few things I learned about my face, and maybe you can use this information to help guide you on your shaving path.

(1) I have course thick whiskers that prefer a sharp blade
(2) I have sensitive skin that doesn't want a sharp blade
(3) My skin will hate me if I go XTG! That can give me irritation, knicks, and weepers.
(4) Applying pressure is a quick way to a knick and weeper before the shave is over!
(5) If using an improper blade angle, I can also find myself to a knick of weeper.

So with that said, I find, with a combination of a sharp blade, but a light touch, merely letting the weight of the razor do the work, I can achieve a close shave with fairly positive results! Take todays shave for example, I had 4-day stubble growth because I took the 3-day weekend off shaving. All I did was the following......

(1) Wash face with an exfoliating facial soap, using hot water to both wash and rinse face.
(2) I whipped up a proper lather, that was both slick and foamy combined, applied to face.
(3) I never let my face get dry, I always wet my face down in-between re-lathers.
(4) WTG passes I used a higher aggression on my razor, level 4, could have used 5 though.
(5) Then I followed up with ATG passes, on levels 1, 2, and 3.

Like I said, for each level pass, I re-wet my face, and re-lathered. Never let your face get dry, do not shave on a dry face. Keep skin moist at all times, once lather has been removed, don't keep going over that spot, unless you re-lather. When you have sensitive skin, you have to baby it, you can't go all arnald swartsanagger on yourself.

When I was doing my final level 3 ATG pass on my neck, I was using a light of a feather touch, no pressure. With the moostash area and chin area, I used levels 1 and 2 ATG, not 3. Its very easy to cause capillary bleeding of the unwanted here, knicks, or weepers, so you have got to keep that skin moist and slick at all times.

Regarding the tricky spot just bellow the nose nostrils, what I do there, is I adjust my razor to setting 3, and do a tiny bit of WTG instead of ATG, to get the remaining tricky whiskers. You got to get the blade angle just right, just enough to get the hairs, but not so much you cut your nostrils, or knick yourself. Its a delicate balance.

I achieved a 90% BBS shave, with remaining 10% DFS from todays shave, using the Bic Chrome Platinum on its 4th use today. Hopefully, this information helps you out in some way.

 

[Seelector]

I can shave ATG on my cheeks plus the area directly under my chin, and that's about it. I've learned the hard way that going ATG on my neck, chin, or moustache area will end badly. I've come to accept this despite the jealousy I get when watching videos of guys going ATG everywhere with no irritation.

For my cheeks the best way is lots of skin stretching and short strokes while riding the cap with lllllliiiiiiigggghhhhtttt pressure. That blade shouldn't be pressing into your face at all. Resist the temptation to press harder. Resist it! Don't worry about how close you're shaving, think about stretching that skin and using light pressure.

 

[geneaut]

I could rarely do ATG when I first started shaving. My Slim Adjustable was just not very good at it.

Oddly now I have almost no issue with it regardless of the razor I use. I really really really ride the cap hard on that pass. Now my issue seems to have moved to my XTG pass for some reason. I’m convinced my whiskers change growth direction periodically.

All that said, and as others have advised just skip any step that causes you harm. For years I just did two WTG passes and enjoyed my DFS. The second WTG pass was more about just enjoying the shave enough that I wanted to extend it beyond a single pass than any actual whisker removal that may have been happening.