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How often do you shave with a DE Razor?

I shave regularly every 3 to 4 days with a DE razor. If I go longer than that, the stubble will start to annoy me whenever I touch my face.
 
Unlike others who have posted here - I cant shave every day. My skin needs time to heal from a DE shave. Its just not ready to take on another shave even if I feel the hairs on my face.

If I try to do it sooner than my regular shave interval, the shave quality and the feel of the skin smoothness would not be there, as if I had waited for my regular shaving interval.
 
I normally shave daily and used to break out a DE or SE or Injector once or twice a week and the rest of the week I used a Straight. About 1.5 weeks ago I had my shoulder rebuilt by surgery including my thumb on the same arm so I cant use a straight now. Bandaged all up and one-handed and armed I've been reduced to shaving with a DE, SE, or Injector every two days. Living with wire brush whiskers for a day sucks but the work involved in a shave one-handed is worse.
 
I shave daily except when I sometimes shave weekly. I think I've shaved every day this year. 2021 was kind of sparse because I didn't feel like it.
 
I am restarting safety razor shaving with:
1. Parker Variant,​
2. Merkur 38C, and​
3. Rockwell 2C​
razors.
I have been shaving every other day with a Gillette Sensor. However, I enjoy shaving so much with the Parker Variant that I want to shave every day. I love this BBS. However, I've read somewhere that daily shaving is too often -- it's rough on the skin and the face needs time to recover between shaves.
For now, I shave every 36 hours (1 1/2 days).
So, how often do you shave with a DE safety razor? I am only interested in full facial shaves.
By the way, I tried submitting this as a poll but got stuck on the format for "possible responses."
I shave daily. About 18 months or so exclusively with DE razors.
 
I am restarting safety razor shaving with:
1. Parker Variant,​
2. Merkur 38C, and​
3. Rockwell 2C​
razors.
I have been shaving every other day with a Gillette Sensor. However, I enjoy shaving so much with the Parker Variant that I want to shave every day. I love this BBS. However, I've read somewhere that daily shaving is too often -- it's rough on the skin and the face needs time to recover between shaves.
For now, I shave every 36 hours (1 1/2 days).
So, how often do you shave with a DE safety razor? I am only interested in full facial shaves.
By the way, I tried submitting this as a poll but got stuck on the format for "possible responses."
I DE shave every day, cycling through a collection of razors which includes a Merkur Future, Merkur 33, Rockwell T2, Gillette Fat Boy, and a 1947 Gillette Aristocrat. I wash my face, leave the lather on my face while building a lather in my mug, then shave, using additional lather and passes on problem areas.
 
After 26 years of shaving daily, I shave about every other day +/-. Right now I'm testing some blades so I'm shaving daily until I decide to bulk buy or not. No issues with irritation.
 
TL : DR of the above: it depends. :)

No, seriously. How often you can and/or should shave depends on three variables: how your facial hair grows, how sensitive your skin is, and your skill with a razor.

Some people have facial hair that grows quickly and is so thick and dark that they look like they need a shave by mid afternoon. Other people have facial hair so fine and light-coloured that they can look freshly-shaven for a job interview at noon if they shave the night before.

Some peoples' skin is incredibly sensitive, to the point that they wind up with a red face after shaving no matter how good they are with the blade, or what product the use to soften the blow. Other people have skin that can take a few more punches, so to speak.

Finally, your skill with the razor comes into play. Some are adept at shaving with a light hand; others have a hard time just letting the blade glide over their skin, rather than pulling or pressing at it. Of the three variables, this is the only one you can control. As far as I know, no product can slow the speed at which your facial hair grows, make it thicker or thinner*, or make your skin tougher. The most you can do is apply something after the shave, which is a good idea on general principles.

So, there we go. As for me, I have fair hair that grows fairly slowly, along with moderately sensitive skin and better-than-average skill with a razor. So, in general, I shave every other night, after I shower, unless I have a specific reason to do otherwise. Note: I shower and shave at night rather than in the morning for two reasons. First, I used to work in industrial refrigeration, and you want to shower at night so that you don't go to bed a filthy mess! Second, thanks to my skin being somewhat sensitive, it's better for me to shave in the evening and give my face a chance to recover a bit before perhaps going out into cold morning air.

But as always, YMMVW.
-Z

* The old wives' tale about cutting hair short making it grow back thicker is BS; it only seems thicker b/c the short length lets it stand up more straight than it would otherwise.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I'm retired so I don't have to shave every day.. so every other day for me with an AC single edge razor.
 
I shave with a DE razor every day now and still experiment with razors and blades. Sometimes it’s a good shave, sometimes it’s a great shave, once in the past three months it sucked. But I figure it was a bad combination of razor, blade, and mostly under-developed technique. But I do enjoy the journey of learning and the wonderful folks here who freely share their wisdom in this regard. Today’s razor was a great shave!

CEB4237E-07BC-413B-B0E3-15AE67696215.jpeg


Curly
 
Pretty much every day, however, I'll sometimes skip Sat and/or Sun, at the wife's request. She likes some occasional growth or scruff. When you do skip a day or two, that next shave feels simply awesome, and always seems like the closes shave of the month afterwards.

If I have a rough shave, I'll either down the Rex, or use a milder razor or a day or so afterwards. My Rex (Ambassador) quickly became my daily driver, thanks to Ken Surf's giveaway. Granted, the rough shave is generally far and few between, and usually from a razor other than the Rex.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Pretty much every day, however, I'll sometimes skip Sat and/or Sun, at the wife's request. She likes some occasional growth or scruff. When you do skip a day or two, that next shave feels simply awesome, and always seems like the closes shave of the month afterwards.

If I have a rough shave, I'll either down the Rex, or use a milder razor or a day or so afterwards. My Rex (Ambassador) quickly became my daily driver, thanks to Ken Surf's giveaway. Granted, the rough shave is generally far and few between, and usually from a razor other than the Rex.
If I have a rough shave, I'll either down the Rex, or use a milder razor or a day or so afterwards. My Rex (Ambassador) quickly became my daily driver, thanks to Ken Surf's giveaway. Granted, the rough shave is generally far and few between, and usually from a razor other than the Rex.
Lucky you, I think Ken Surfs likes a tame mid range( he has sensitive skin he always indicates). Very Generous of him and I watch his show every once in a while also.
 
Let's just say I was absolutely floored, that I was picked by the randomized comment picker! Great razor, and I'll usually run it at 3.5-ish with a Nacet, or 4.5-5.0 with a Rapira Platinum Lux. - She's a little fickle about some blades. Ken sent it with Voskhod, which are comfortable, but I need something sharper for my stiff, gray, growth.
 
However, I've read somewhere that daily shaving is too often -- it's rough on the skin and the face needs time to recover between shaves.
So, how often do you shave with a DE safety razor?

Rubbish. :cuppa:

Whoever wrote that did not know what he was talking about or did not know how to shave properly.

I shave daily, occasionally with a safety razor but more often with a straight razor. :straight:
For my safety razors I use Feather and Astra blades and Feathers in particular have a reputation of being sharper than average.

Yet, my facial skin is just fine, or at least as good as 69-year-old skin can be expected to be. :wink2:


B.
 
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