For those with Extra Tough beards...

[sonny123]

Hi guys,

I was curious to know if those of you with extra tough beards* have a slightly different routine to the normal/usual routines? How have you adapted to cope with your strong whiskers?

*Extra tough beard meaning strong hair growth (feels like gravel if left for 2-3 days!) requiring you to shave almost every day in order to have a clear face.

I've tried in the shower: various expensive pre-shave oils + various top quality creams. Then kyles prep for 1-2 mins. then wtg, xtg (and sometimes atg). My technique will get better but those whiskers are still pretty tough, specifically just above the jaw line and, under & above the lip area.

Going to try without the pre-shave oil to see if it makes a difference.


Thanks!



Sonny

 

[TheHatter]

My beard's kind of like that. Could use it to as a rough sandpaper for furniture after a little less than a day of growth. Looks like I was stranded on an island after 2-3 days. There's a 4 pass shave technique floating about the forums somewhere (having trouble finding it) that seems to work pretty well for me. Was going to give the Gilette Slide (as Mantic calls it) a try tonight to see if that has any improvment on my neck area, which I still have a bit of trouble with.

 

[Bertilak]

See http://straightrazorplace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Shaving_passes

That is written for straight razor shaving but applies just as well to saftey razor (DE/SE) shaving.

I need to use all of that to get BBS at the moustache, chin, and parts of the neck areas.

 

[MasterP]

Also, saturate your beard with a lot of hot water and then work in the shave cream to soften the beard, up to 2 mins.

 

[techdog]

I face lather which helps soften my beard. I use it as a substitute for Kyle's prep. Some people here will argue that this is not an equal substitute, however it works for me. I use real sharp blades, Feather's and Astra Superior Platinum's. Anything else I've tried just doesn't work. I do two WTG passes and then one XTG pass. ATG just doesn't work that well for me. Good luck

 

[kingfisher]

Try a Schick injector. The thicker blades seem to help a lot.

 

[Haiku]

Slant razor works well, progress dialed up to 3 or 3.5 and in many ways my favourite: a GEM 1912 or an Ever Ready Streamline. The thicker blade, like an injector, works very well.

I've a tough beard and soft skin that easily gets waterlogged. I've taken to not doing a WTG pass, but just going diagonally XTG one way, XTG the other way and if needed, some ATG blade buffing for trouble spots.

 

[haiti222]

Gillette claimed in their ads that Coated Carbon Steel blades (i.e. Super Blue Blades or the Treet Carbon Steel Blades) worked better on tough beards).

I personally like them and think they do a great job.......but YMMV

 

[leighton]

I am pretty sure I have extra course growth. To compensate, I must use an extremely sharp straight. If its not ridiculously sharp, it won't cut down to BBS.

 

[grouse79]

Daily shaving required for me. I haven't missed more than a day since I can't remember when.

I almost always shave after a shower, even then I still apply a facecloth soaked in hot water right before the lather is applied. I do 3 and a half passes. 3rd pass is ATG on my neck and chin, XTG elsewhere, "half" pass is an ATG touch up on my neck and on my cheeks.

I don't think I've found a blade that is totally incompatible with me yet, but Feathers get a substantial amount off in just the first pass.

 

[Koss]

I always shave after my shower. Apply some cornhuskers to my still wet face (I don't dry it off with a towel after I am done showering), whip up my lather in my bowl, apply the lather and keep it on my beard for a bit while I do some other things, then after 2 or 3 minutes I come back and wipe/wash it off. Apply more lather, shave with the grain. relather, shave across the grain, rinse and relather, shaving against the grain. Relather and do another agains tthe grain pass. Then do touch ups with minimal lather using j hooking, and blade buffing.


I have a densly packed, thick haired, black beard growth that makes me shave every day. Sometimes twice a day if I am going to go out again in the evening. I use to view it as a curse until i found wetshaving/de's. Now I really enjoy the fun I have in the shave den.

I forgot to add that I use hair conditioner on my beard while I am in the shower. Just put it on at the beginning and wash it off as the last thing I do in the shower. I am only using cornhuskers lotion because I bought a bottle of it and have no other use for it. I just don't want to toss it and waste it. Although it does work well as a lotion for hands, rough skin like elbows and the like. I think my hair conditioner in the shower is more effective over all. And using both is not more effective then only using one.

 

[rm71]

I find a good prep really helps. I apply a hot towel twice to my face to soften the beard. Have you tried Proraso pre/post? It is a good product that works well.

 

[sonny123]

Thanks guys.

Yeah my beard is like sandpaper after 1-2 days. I'll stick with kyles prep and try it for longer. Although after a minute the water does cool down quickly.

I get the feeling the pre-shave oil is working against the cream. I.e it's not letting the cream settle. Even though, i wash my face with a few splashes of water after applying the oil (during kyles prep).

 

[walds11]

My beard is pretty thick and coarse. I never go more than one day off from shaving. I usually take one day off a week on a weekend. Prep is the key to soften my beard.

 

[pablo_h]

I have a lot of hot water applied to my face to soften and hydrate my beard, (hot shower or 'kyles prep'), and I face lather and leave the lather on my face for an extra 3-4min, so total lather contact time is at least 5 min, any less will mean a bad shave.
If you're doing a 'kyles prep', after a minute try microwaving the towel for 20sec to heat it up again, then re-apply, repeating as necessary whenever the towel goes cold.

I use agressive DE razors with sharp blades (feathers, KAIs, gillette yellows etc), but prefer an SE as I think a GEM or schick does a better job with tough beards.

I normally do a WTG, WTG, XTG and ATG passes, then using j-hooks as touch ups on the difficult ares around my chin.

 

[bearbear]

Merkur 39c cuts through it like butter. Just shower, face lather and hack away

 

[riooso]

I have a tough beard that grows very rapidly. I have parts of my beard that almost defy a straight and take a lot of work to get a BBS shave.

I put a wet pretty thick small towel, on a plate, in a microwave for 2 minutes just before I start a shower. I then wrap the towel about my neck and tuck it in while I strop and make lather. I have small grandkids so I can't have really hot water. This procedure cuts down on the time factor since I use a straight every day.


Take Care,
Richard

 

[sonny123]

cheers guys!

and what are your opinions on pre-shave oil?

It's a big market out there with expensive products from anthony logistics, american crew as well as traditional manufacturers like truefitt and hill, and AOS.

Are they worth it for those with TOUGH BEARDS?
Should I use them with kyles prep or after kyles prep ?


cheers!!

 

[TimmyBoston]

cheers guys!

and what are your opinions on pre-shave oil?

IMO, all, yes all, preshave oils are pure crap. Frankly, they're a gimmick. Proper prep (like that outlined in Kyle's Preshave Prep thread) is all you need and will work for even the toughest beard and on top of that, you get to save some bucks.

 

[Ignatius]

cheers guys!
and what are your opinions on pre-shave oil?

Waste of time.

Just do the normal, but be more thorough; a little more hot water, prep etc. There's no magic product or trick.