BBS............so close but no cigar.

[johnmrson]

I love to have a long relaxing shave on the weekends. No hurry at all. After careful WTG, ATG and touch ups, I thought I'd cracked it. I was about to start jumping with joy but then I felt that frustrating part at the side of my Adams Apple and Arrrrhhhhhhhhhh, I could feel stubble. It was very short but it was there.

The quest continues.

 

[spoonman]

The same area is a problem for me too. I've found the most effective method is to pull the skin across the adam's apple to one side so you're not actually running the razor over your adam's apple. I still can't get it BBS though.

 

[Luc]

It might take a while but you will get closer. At one point I just continued shaving and didn't really change anything. Magically, it's getting closer!

 

[W_B_K]

Congrats! I'd say that is pretty darned good... and really probably good enough under most circumstances when you weigh risk/benfit.

That is a difficult area for me as well as I have a very pronounced adams apple and the hairs are in swirls around there and my lower neck.

Pulling the skin in different directions over the apple and some arcing/scything strokes cleans it up though .

 

[WilliamIam]

Congrats!

Here are the strategies that took me from consistent DFS to BBS every day:
Scythe. Look into it. Read it repeatedly. Don't slice your face open!
Witch hazel before and after every pass (not twice between).


The witch hazel tightens up my skin so that I don't have to try to hold it with my hands. Seems to work wonders! The scything is similar to the "gilette slide" where you move the blade along the edge of the razor about 10% as much as you move the blade in the direction of your shave. I won't try to explain it, just search for it and you'll see what I mean.

The last idea I have is that you don't need to use the whole razor for the strokes. You can use only the tip or center. I found out that some parts of my razor seemed sharper than others.

good luck, you'll get there.

 

[mouscacha]

Thems a lot of witch hazel!

 

[natchez]

I read somewhere on these forms that if you swallow, but do not release, your Adam's apple recedes making it easier to shave. I have tried it and it seems to work. Although, I have to say I feel a bit weird doing it

 

[jtb]

I'm gonna have to try the swallow trick. In theory it feels like it should work.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I gotta second what Luc says, just keep shaving, after some time that area will shave smooth. Just don't try to force it or you'll probably wind up with nicks, cuts, and a whole lot of razor burn. I know, been there, done that, even have the T-shirt.

Now after quite some time I'm able to shave any areas that gave me trouble before.

 

[closer]

..I thought I'd cracked it. I was about to start jumping with joy but then I felt that frustrating part at the side of my Adams Apple and Arrrrhhhhhhhhhh, I could feel stubble. It was very short but it was there. ..

I call that a BBS-. The areas where I usually feel the tiniest bit of stubble remaining are around the adam's apple, as well as at the edge of the jawline, where the hair seems to grow in 3 directions at the same time. I'm experimenting with following the hair directions better in those areas and its helping, but a bit difficult. The hair around adam's apple and base of neck, for example, grows almost sideways, and that's a really awkward stroke with a straight razor.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Hey...thats awesome! You got BBS all over but one tiny spot on your face using a str8 razor???? Thats a win in my book!

 

[johnmrson]

Finally got there this morning. I'm sitting here at my desk at work feeling my BBS neck, chin, cheeks etc. I got a razor in the mail yesterday from gugi that I picked up on another forum. It's just a generic Solingen hollow but gugi puts a super edge on them. Although I'm trying to shave for a full week with the same razor, it was just too tempting so this morning I lathered up some Cyril R Salter Rose cream using the Simpson 90th Anniversary brush and away I went. 2 passes (WTG and XTG) followed by a few diagonal touch up strokes (thanks for the tip yesterday Luc) and there it was. I rubbed insome SCS Neroli aftershave milk and smooth as a babies behind.

 

[WilliamIam]

where the hair seems to grow in 3 directions at the same time. ....grows almost sideways, and that's a really awkward stroke with a straight razor.

Don't you love that?! I have hair that grows in a nice swirl and a line about 3 fingers below my jawline where the directions meet.

looks a lot like this, but rotated 45 degrees:

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Don't you love that?! I have hair that grows in a nice swirl and a line about 3 fingers below my jawline where the directions meet.

looks a lot like this, but rotated 45 degrees:

Seems we all have unique hair. Mine grows completely sideways (E----W) on and underneath the jawline to the base of the neck.

I have to do a chevron stroke to get anywhere close to BBS with whatever I'm using.