My limited experience and observation

[rickboone1]

To the newcomers that read this...

Often you will see YMMV (your mileage may vary). This means what works great for some will be horrible for others. You simply cannot take anyone's reccomendation for gospel, merely a guideline. And, when suggestions are given they are done so with their best interest at heart. We have all started as a beginner. And you yourself will offer suggestions to a newcomer one day based on what did and did not work for you.

My advice is don't rush. So what if you can't shave a 4 pass shave everyday at first! And, don't be afraid to stop. Give your face a break. I've had to. I cannot shave everyday. No matter what. I just cannot do it.

Well, last week I had some irritation. I used my straight and just did one N-S pass. Okay, a very light N-S pass again on the neck to get what I'd missed.

Today, I used my TracII. Shaved one pass N-S. No touch ups.

What I have is acceptable results. There is no "visible" hair. Rough spots? Yep. A few. BBS? Not on your life.

But...it IS smooth. And, most importantly, no irritation. Which, for me being in the public eye as I am, irritation can be a distraction. An eye sore.

Also, I find that when I do have a BBS from multiple passes, I can't keep my hands off my face. This is just rubbing oil and dirt onto your face which causes acne and more irritation. Haven't you ever heard to keep your hands off your face?

Does this mean for me I will not attempt the BBS multi pass shaves? Hardly. I will. I am just glad to know I can find quite an acceptable shave and not worry about irritation.

The moral of the story...

Rick rambles....a LOT!!

And, don't give up. But at the same time, don't shred your face. It is alright to do less passes and not get a BBS. And you don't have to shave everyday. It is okay to take a break.

The other week I had about 3-4 days growth. That shave just felt soooo good getting all that hair off.

 

[bandit82ta]

Well put, well put. It always comes down to:

It's your shave, play as you will and just enjoy the experience of slowing down and turning something as mundane (sometimes hated if using a Fusion) into somethin you can even enjoy.

 

[Niles]

Sage advice.

 

[tgarza]

great post!

 

[michiganlover]

To add to your wonderful post:

BBS shaves tend to be preached around these parts as the ultimate in shaving nirvana.

While that maybe the case (I wouldn't know having never experienced a BBS in my 4 months of DE shaving), realize that it may take many many months to obtain, and is simply not a realistic goal for some people (such as myself, I have not yet been able to successfully do a ATG pass).

Also, and this is a huge point you should absorb, the difference between a SAS, DFS, and BBS may only be detectable by yourself, and your SO.

I am not convinced that the average person on the street is going to spend that much time scrutinizing your shave. If you have removed all visible patches of stubble, most people would say you have a good enough shave.

However, as Rick indicates above, irritation will be noticed by the average person!! Achieving a BBS (that no one else is likely to notice anyway) at the cost of noticeable irritation is not worthwhile in my opinion!

 

[bob.e]

A CCS (Close Comfortable Shave) is easily accomplished by any of us.

A DFS (Damn Fine Shave) is an acceptable goal to strive for, for me a DFS is pretty close to BBS on my face and cheeks and an ultra-fine sandpaper feel under the jaw.

I have acheived a BBS shave but it was how should I put it? Lets just say I had the time and the patience to play at shaving for an evening and it took multiple passes in every possible direction.

The pleasure of shaving for me is not diminished by getting a consistant CCS, a little more effort a DFS

 

[jkchuma]

I agree with Rick. BBS is not worth irritation. Taking a few days break makes the next shave all the more enjoyable IMO.

 

[Myanmar Shave]

To me CCS or DFS is a great thing. I doubt seriously if in the golden age of DE our fathers or grandfathers spent a ton of time at the sink. Shaving is a chore for most folks and I bet most shaves were one pass.

I enjoy mowing down a three day growth and since I have pretty much committed to CCS or DFS my overall skin tone and complexion have never been better. I have zero razor burn and never any bumps, irritation. Really, that's how it should be.

As always, your mileage will absolutely vary...

Marty E.

 

[Emmett]

The other week I had about 3-4 days growth. That shave just felt soooo good getting all that hair off.

Preach it, brother!

 

[markb]

My advice is don't rush.

Sage advice!

 

[rickboone1]

I think it was posted here and I do have to say....

BBS's are nice. Damn nice. But at the end of the day, okay before the end of the day...it's started growing back.


Which, if I manufactured soaps and creams, I would secretly add a hair growth product which would speed up your growth and cause you to shave more often. Wait, don't they already do that?

 

[bill mcdill]

My 2 cents worth: I think that it is the minority of guys here that can, or even will try, to go ATG on every shave. Many of us (myself included) get irritation if we go ATG on consecutive days. While I have been shaving every day for 3 or so weeks now, I only go ATG on my neck once a week. The DFS that I get with a three pass (1x WTG, 2x XTG) with touch up, gives me what I'm looking for to start my day.

 

[dpmtherrien]

Excellent post. I had made mention of the BBS vs. the DFS, and had stated that the DFS is a great, very acceptable shave. Another member had responded and said that no one looking at the shave could tell the difference between the two. The only one who can really tell is the person shaved, and one could even go on to say that if only a CCS suits the need and the purpose, then all is right. What do other members think?

 

[ProphetNoir]

Every few months or so, a thread is started with this message. I hope that it continues to happen regularly because these threads are among the most important ones that a new shaver can read. Soon enough this thread will fade and find itself at the end of a growing list of new threads - trust me I wrote this message myself about 6 months ago, and since then we have probably gained more than 500 new members (that is a very conservative estimate). A BBS shave is a wonderful, magical thing to achieve and it almost never comes when we expect it to. Certainly my first BBS was a miracle of planetary alignment and divine guidance of my shaving hand. I think that I appreciate my regular DFS that much more for knowing what a BBS feels like and for knowing that I can't force it.
I preach patience as another member preached it before me. Everything you need to know is in the sticky posts, that is the Bible. Read and re-read them all. When you do see the light it will shine on one fact. The goal is to shave cleanly and without pain or irritation. Your good prep, good lather, good technique, and good post shave care will deliver you there when all are combined - and if the planets align and your shaving hand receives a little divine guidance, you may even get that BBS shave you've been reading about.
Just remember, it isn't a true BBS shave if it burns the next day - close but no cigar.

 

[valmara1971]

Amen to all Profit has just said. Tonight I fell victim to complacency. I have a blade in my RT that I was sure needed changing before I began my shave. I didn't and I payed for it. I cut myself and now have a sore neck and the reapperance of ingrowing hairs which I thought were a thing of the past since I began DE shaving. The message here is to relax and don't get complacent.