I am new to wet shaving, and still have not mastered the trouble spots just under my jawbone and on my neck to either side of my esophagus. The hair in these areas seems to have a more horizontal grain direction and I have not been able to find a way to maneuver the razor to get a BBS shave in these areas. I have had thoughts of "shaving by feel" rather than looking in the mirror since it is very difficult for me to respond to visual feedback in the mirror (tend to adjust opposite of way I need to) but I am scared I will cut the dickens out of myself if I try not using the mirror. Any suggestions?
Pesky trouble spots
- Thread starter ShavingPrivateRyan
- Start date
My hair grows the same way; you need to shave across the grain. If you're not used to working in the mirror, you don't need a BBS smooth shave on the throat just yet. Stick with wet shaving and when you're comfortable with the mirror and safety razor, trying going across the grain using the mirror.
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- #3
Is it viable to do an XTG pass on the neck? I have not found a comfortable way to attempt it and in all the shave tutorial videos such as the ones by Geo Fatboy when they do their second pass XTG they do shave XTG on their face but then simply do south to north strokes on their neck...
You may want to try an "X" pattern on your neck. Imagine an X on each side of your neck going from your adam's apple up to the hinge of your jaw and going from your chin down to the lower part of your neck towards your shoulder. You can play around with it and decide what shaving direction makes your "X" works best.
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What worked for me was to focus on the razor in the mirror for awhile.
Over a short time, you'll grow more comfortable getting those more challenging areas. IMO, your always better focusing on the basics. You could try gently stretching the trouble spots to an area that easier to shave. For me, I gently pull the skin of my jawline up to my cheek area or down to the upper neck region. It's important to know that if you stretch too much, you run the risk of getting ingrowns.
Necks and chins can be tricky. I have a couple of patches on both areas that simply grow unlike any other whiskers, so I have to shave them from a different angle. I agree with the advice to not be too worried about it right now, as repeated passes could give you razor burn. Remember, always use a light touch, and to that I will add that it pays to know when to quit. You'll get 'em tomorrow.
I have trouble with those areas too and I always have. I think it has something to do with your hair growing out from those areas in a spiral pattern, making it almost impossible to go the right way for every bristle. As someone else has said, I tend to use a with and across pass as XTG just causes me serious irritation in that area.
I do either 1 or 2 North-South passes and then one South-North. The N-S is predominantly WTG and XTG (especially on my neck). The S-N is predominantly XTG and ATG. If I try and go ATG on most of my neck and jawline, it leads to significant irritation and ingrowing hairs. I have found that this method, visually at least, gives me a BBS without the potential aggravation. And in fact, using my 34C and R89 with a Feather, it's as close as the FaTip I have and the R41 I used to have.
Eevn with a mild razor and blade, you can get great results with practice. When I first started I was terrible, then it all just clicked, and now I rarely get blood or irritation. The same will happen for you.
Eevn with a mild razor and blade, you can get great results with practice. When I first started I was terrible, then it all just clicked, and now I rarely get blood or irritation. The same will happen for you.
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- #10
Thanks everyone. My "beard" grows very slowly so maybe by Monday I will have a chance to try some of these tips. I'll let you know how it goes
Don't push too hard for a BBS shave, especially in trouble spots ... do as best as you can and nobody that looks at you will know the difference.
For those areas, you might want to look into specialized techniques like Blade Buffing and J-Hooking, which might get you closer than a long stroke.
Both of these, along with the Gillette Slide are demonstrated in mantic59's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQco5PWc2JU
For those areas, you might want to look into specialized techniques like Blade Buffing and J-Hooking, which might get you closer than a long stroke.
Both of these, along with the Gillette Slide are demonstrated in mantic59's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQco5PWc2JU
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- #12
Are any of these techniques used with straight razors? I haven't heard anyone talk about any advanced techniques with a straight. The only one that doesn't give me nightmares just thinking about it is blade buffing.
Aaah, I didn't realize you were using a straight. These maneuvers are for DEs only.
There probably are some advanced tricks you can do with a straight, but I'll leave that discussion to others that have more experience with those tools.
Feather, feather, feather. Don't go "after" your problems areas aggressively but instead spend the extra five minutes and multiple lather and feather techniques to reduce that area. My jaw line too is tough to get but I manage by attacking from multiple angles once the traditional three/ four pass shave is done.
- Thread starter
- #15
I think my jawline will succumb to a little better technique on my ATG pass. It has already improved. I am still having trouble with the area on either side of my esophagus. I do not have a pronounced atom's apple (adam's apple?) or anything, but am on the thin side and on either side of my throat is somewhat concave, sloping down from the esophagus, so on NS or SN passes it is difficult to get much blade contact there. I think I will try experimenting with oblique touch up passes in that area, as rxonmymind suggested. It is also an awkward area to hold a straight razor at the weird angles necessary to get the blade into those dips in my throat and still have a secure hold on it. I think personal experimentation and gaining experience will ultimately be the real solutions on this one. Thanks for all the help gents! I sure do love B&B 
I have no useful advise, but I think the name "ShavingPrivateRyan" is mighty cleaver.
