I'm murdering my neck. Please help!

[grobbins]

I got a new safety razor set on thursday and did my first shave. I read a lot of posts on here and watched a lot of videos. I still managed to mangle my face. This morning i decided to shave again. Im getting used to the razor, but i would like to think that even a novice would be this bad. my cheeks are baby smooth (took 4 passes). I finally got around the chin with more ease, but my neck is the worst. I still have stubble, but its only under the mandible and in the area near the trachea. When i used cartridges i wasnt able to get this problem area, and it seems like i might be losing a battle never meant to win. If you have tips on how to shave this area i would be GREATLY appreciative!

Thank you,
Gary Robbins

 

[cnichol3]

Ive been shaving with a DE for about a month now and am getting great shaves. As for mangling your face, quit doing 4 passes. Your technique, i.e., blade angle, is probably poor so 4 passes is way too many. Make sure you are putting absolutely NO pressure on the blade as this causes nicks, cuts, and razor burn. Start doing a 2 pass shave WTG and XTG and forget BSS for now as it will come when your technique improves. THROW OUT THE ATG UNTIL YOU LEARN BETTER!! We also need more information. What razor, blade, soap/cream, pre/post shave prep, etc..

 

[tjg5181]

The neck area is a trouble area for most. Where everyone's growth is different, it is hard to tell you which way to shave. Too many people try to obtain that ultra smooth BBS right off the bat across the entire face. The fact that you are able to obtain that on your cheeks and your chin is improving, shows that your technique is getting better. Having stubble on your neck is a better solution than nicking it or causing it other irritation. Take it slow, and light. Pressure is key, even moreso on your neckline. Hold the razor as if lightly brushing a feather across your neck.

For myself, my neck grows left to right, so I shave that way first (left ear side to right ear side as my WTG), then I shave South to North (which is my XTG pass), followed by a right ear to left ear pass (ATG). For my cleanup, i really only have to favor my left side, and I do an up angle (middle of throat to left chin/ear) That seems to give me my best BBS with no nicks or irritations.

Remember, it is all about technique, and the more you do it the better you will get. Keep at it, and you'll get there in no time!

 

[djh]

It will help greatly if you are able to tell us a little about your routine, preparation and what sort of gear you are using. That will allow our very knowledgeable membership to assist you most efficiently.

For starters, I would suggest that you take your time and learn how your DE razor works for a little while before expecting great results. For the next month, it may be wise to set your goals a little lower and try to get out of the bathroom without major blood spillage.
I would limit your shaving to just 2 passes- it may not be as smooth as you like on your cheeks, but the time which you save will allow you to spend more time and be more careful on your neck. Nicks are often caused by using pressure on the razor, so concentrating on letting your razor glide may help. Don't forget to stretch your skin a little (even if you are only tilting your head or twisting to the side) as it is easier to shave when the skin is taut.

Please keep us posted. It should get a lot better from here!

 

[BBrad]

Welcome to B&B, Gary! Hope you enjoy this site as much as the rest of us do!

Probably the most challenging part of mastering a shave with any classic shaving tool is understanding the element of "pressure." If it feels like you aren't using enough, use less. Your closest shave will come when the blade angle is at its optimum and your pressure is at its minimum. The safety razor works by keeping the blade properly angled while the comb teeth or safety bar stretches the skin ahead of the blade. Too much pressure and the bar presses into the skin (stretching it too much) and allowing the blade to scrape the surface of the skin causing irritation and cuts. When handled correctly, the blade should be gliding just at the skin level and cutting only the whisker and not the face. Proper lather aids in keeping the blade properly off the skin, but only if the pressure is maintained at its minimum.

For some reason, most guys have problems under the jaw, and this is the area that challenges the new classic shaver the most. Be patient, and stick with the same razor and blade combination for a few weeks at least, until your shave technique solidifies. From there, you can experiment with other blades and razors to find what you enjoy and what works best for you.

Again, welcome aboard, and Enjoy The Shaves!!

 

[KodiakAttack]

Maybe have a read of a thread from a few weeks ago. It's really helped me get my neck shaves down and apparently is working for other folks too.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/326686-An-unconventional-way-to-get-BBS-on-the-neck

 

[Nick Danger]

In addition to the suggestions about prep and pressure offered above, I want to echo some of the advice given by djh:

For me, the trick to getting a smooth, irritation-free shave on my neck involves stretching the skin. Since it sounds like the top of your neck is one of your trouble spots, try grabbing the skin in the middle of your cheeks and pulling it up toward your cheekbones. That will stretch the skin of your neck so it's more flat and also move it up a bit. Then shave that area gently, with the grain.

For the center of your neck, near the trachea and adam's apple, you can also stretch the skin sideways so it shifts to one side of those difficult areas.

For the lower part of my neck, I grab the skin by my collarbone and pull it down. So I actually do my neck in two parts: pulling up for the top of my neck and pulling down to do the bottom. Stretching the skin like that really works well for me.

Nick

 

[Justin121081]

I am backing up Kodiak, I gave it a try and haven't looked back, great shave on the neck and no irritation or nicks.

 

[celestino]

Some great advice above, already. Take you time, be patient, cut down on the number of passes, and don't go for the BBS until your technique is very good. It does take time to learn, so don't rush it. Good luck.

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

First off, welcome to B&B!!
The best advice I can tell you is to really watch your blade angle and use as little pressure as possible. Those are the two things that ate me up early in my wet shaving journey.
I would also suggest that you look into maybe trying a SE razor. Some are really much easier at getting the correct angle.
Something else that really helps me get the area right under my jaw line is to tilt my head so that I have an almost flat surface at the jaw line. It makes the skin very loose, so you don't get that tight feeling. I just run a pass like that very lightly and it gives me a BBS shave every time.
I hope you find a resolution!

 

[Krodor]

Map your beard on your neck. Reallllly impt. "With the grain" is likely not the direction you are going first. Mine changes whether it is left or right side, upper vs lower part. Learning that made the largest difference of any shaving thing I ever did.

 

[grobbins]

Brad,
Your advice truly helped me today (as well as some small tidbits from others). I was using too much pressure, but today i gripped it with just enough force that it wouldnt fall out of my fingertips, and I let the head rest on my skin before i started to slide it across my face. I didnt add anymore pressure than what the head was already placing on my skin. The only irritation was a small red spot on my neck where the grain changes direction and i went over it ATG first pass, but stopped when i noticed. Still working on optimal blade angle. I didnt manage a perfectly smooth shave around the neck, but i didnt mangle my face either. Now i want my facial hair to grow faster so i can shave again. Thank you for your advice!

 

[mol81]

Maybe have a read of a thread from a few weeks ago. It's really helped me get my neck shaves down and apparently is working for other folks too.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/326686-An-unconventional-way-to-get-BBS-on-the-neck

+1 on this advice.

 

[grobbins]

Krodor,
Took your advice and really mapped my face/neck. I found that on the neck beside the "adams apple" my hair grew in a NorthEast pattern on right side, and NorthWesst pattern on left...During my first shaves, i was going straight down the neck which would be going ATG. I used your advice and was able to shave WTG and have no irritation (except a small area that overlaps that i wasnt able to correctly guess under the lather, but muscle memory with prevent it again).

Thank you, i really needed that advice.
Gary