I have to fight the urge to do more than one pass at a time!

[KillerQ]

Hey all,

Back when I was using my Gillette Mach 5 - I tended to go over each strip of skin 3 or 4 times in a row because I figured the more I went over it, the more hair would be removed, and the smoother it would be....

Now, that I am taking on DE shaving, I find it hard to fight the urge to do more than one pass at a time. I guess, since I can do a second pass, and there is no pain or irritation, i figure "why not." However, I think the irritation may come into play later when doing the AGT and XTG passes....

Just to clarify, instead of doing one pass down, then moving over and doing another pass, then moving over, etc - I will so pass-pass-pass, move over, pass-pass-pass.....and so on.

So, I have to teach my self to do one pass at a time - and realize that the area will get covered on the AGT or XTG passes later....

Anyone else in this same boat?

Thanks,

Matt!

 

[Johnny Dale]

I generally do two passes WTG, then move onto XTG and if needed (or desired) ATG. This works best for my beard reduction and generally helps prevent irritation (for me at least). If I'm using the Slant I normally only need one WTG pass. As always YMMV.

 

[bruno1]

I used to go over the same area 3 or 4 times at the start also, and it will lead to irritation. I started also when using mach 3 and shave gel and it is hard to get out of the habit. All I do now is one gentle stroke that shaves off the cream/soap and don't go over the area again until your doing your second pass and have relathered again. I can shave every day now with no problems.

 

[Fairlight]

I think the aggressiveness of your razor and/or blade are a factor here. Presumably a pass which removes less hair causes less irritation, all else being equal (as though it ever is). A smoother blade will also be more tolerant of less lubrication/cusioning.

Never forget that the key is what works for you. Does your face object to you doing more than one pass at a time? I think that is its own motivator not to do so. If your face doesn't object, knock yourself out.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I've struggled with that, too, and found a scuttle to help. Having nice, warm lather at the ready is encouragement to apply more before taking another stroke. If you've got lather, you're not going to get the irritation you have without it.

 

[Fairlight]

I've struggled with that, too, and found a scuttle to help. Having nice, warm lather at the ready is encouragement to apply more before taking another stroke. If you've got lather, you're not going to get the irritation you have without it.

I haven't exactly struggled with this, but I do like having a lot of lather at hand. If it's going to go down the drain unless used anyway, this encourages me to use more of it. I always whip up more lather than I need.

 

[Polynikes]

I think gradual beard reduction is the sacred key to a BBS shave with less irritation. The legendary mantic video on YOU-TUBE is very instructive. Once you find the perfect blade/razor combination it should be possible to have a smooth irritation shave in three passes. I'm still searching for that holy grail!

 

[SiBurning]

There's a bunch of ways to do this. In blade buffing, you go over the same spot a few times without relathering. You can probably do it in a way that moves some lather back over the area on the back stroke. You can also have some lather on your other hand or keep the brush in your off hand and quickly alternate swipes with both hands.

The cream or soap you use matters a lot when you do this. How you make the lather is also a big factor. My rule is wetter lather for fast movement, thicker lather for slow. Since the face determines how fast I can go, this means having different thicknesses of lather on my face. The nice thing about face lathering is it's pretty easy to control this keeping a thick lather in the brush and wetting it different on different areas of the face. There's probably no reason you couldn't do the same thing with bowl lathering. I find most soaps and creams inadequate for this kind of shaving. A very few really good tallow soaps manage it for me. With most other soaps and creams, I can easily end up with irritation and weepers shaving like this. They either just don't work well over the required range of wetness and the need to get them wetter or thicker quickly, or they lack the protection to survive going over the same area without relathering.

Method shavers do something like this. They use a "wet mixture", which is really just a very wet lather, and they move the blade very fast. They also relather constantly with their off hand. I think the reason method shaving does its own mix is that there's few soaps that have the right qualities, so they make their own to fit the individual's needs.

If you tend to move the blade slow and careful, I suggest you stick to the consensus recommendation--go over an area once per pass, then relather with a nice rich, luxurious lather, and use multiple FULL passes to reduce the beard, without going over an area again on any pass. Save the blade buffing for the last pass where irritation doesn't have time to build up and affect later passes. This way, you also have a lot more options for trying some interesting soaps and creams, and playing around with different combinations of slip, cushion, scent, etc. I have a few, but when I pull them out I have to be really careful about how I shave, and can pretty much forget about getting an irritation free BBS everywhere.

 

[I<3itWet]

I also struggle with this! Once the lather gets whipped off and I can see the hair that is left behind, I just want to slice it off right then and there. Must... wait... for subsequent passes...

It takes some self control. But, for me, the result of being patient and doing one pass at a time is worth it because of the reduction in irritation.

 

[roboboticus]

I'm still struggling with this in a couple ways: sometimes I go over the same area (or overlap strokes more than I should) out of old habit; sometimes my angle is a little off and some lather gets left behind, so I go back over it.

Probably just a matter of practice.

 

[asadasam]

I also struggle with this! Once the lather gets whipped off and I can see the hair that is left behind, I just want to slice it off right then and there. Must... wait... for subsequent passes...

It takes some self control. But, for me, the result of being patient and doing one pass at a time is worth it because of the reduction in irritation.

+1. I feel like really instilling this self-control in yourself is (at least has been for me) the single biggest key in relearning to get better shaves - more than no pressure, more than better tools, etc. I think it doesn't get stressed enough in most of the tutorials out there - probably because some people get it instinctively.