The 3 Pass Shave Is Bad Advice?

[EnderOrion]

Click Bait!

Really though. I tried out DE's about 10 years ago (I posted about it a while back on here) and had zero luck. For a little over a year I got nothing but bad shaves, razor burn, and ingrown hairs...all which, I NEVER got with a cartridge. Now that I'm trying again I'm realizing things that would have helped me tremendously back then.

The main factor in my opinion is your beard type and how often you shave. If you have very thick and coarse facial hair AND you have to/want to shave every day, I highly suggest trying out a mild razor and NOT doing 3 passes...AKA shaving your face three freaking times. I did 1 pass this morning. WTG on my cheeks and jaw/chin (mustache March is coming up and I'm getting a head start, even though I don't need one.) and ATG on my neck. WTG on my neck just doesn't get everything. That's it! One pass! Done! Great shave! I look back to when I first tried DE 10 years ago and have to laugh. 3 full passes every single day, with a medium-aggressive razor? WHY!? Completely unnecessary. YMMV is so true. It may vary even from advice that seems like it's the gold standard. Again...if you're a daily shaver you MAY not need three passes to get a great shave, even if you're like me and have ridiculously thick and coarse facial hair.

Another thought: This whole thing about "beard reduction" makes sense...if you literally have a BEARD. I totally understand needing a 3 pass shave then. I will probably do more than one pass when I take leave and actually have a beard. Some people don't need to perform a 3 pass "beard reduction" shave when you literally just shaved yesterday...even guys like me with lumberjack facial hair. It makes me laugh now..."it's all about beard reduction." Ha! My "beard" from yesterday's shave!? Yes, I'm literally OCD and have had too much caffeine.

 

[Ted A]

But isn’t “1 pass” with a 5 blade cartridge equivalent to 5 passes with a DE? Your face is getting 5 blade strokes with each single stroke.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Click Bait!

Really though. I tried out DE's about 10 years ago (I posted about it a while back on here) and had zero luck. For a little over a year I got nothing but bad shaves, razor burn, and ingrown hairs...all which, I NEVER got with a cartridge. Now that I'm trying again I'm realizing things that would have helped me tremendously back then.

The main factor in my opinion is your beard type and how often you shave. If you have very thick and coarse facial hair AND you have to/want to shave every day, I highly suggest trying out a mild razor and NOT doing 3 passes...AKA shaving your face three freaking times. I did 1 pass this morning. WTG on my cheeks and jaw/chin (mustache March is coming up and I'm getting a head start, even though I don't need one.) and ATG on my neck. WTG on my neck just doesn't get everything. That's it! One pass! Done! Great shave! I look back to when I first tried DE 10 years ago and have to laugh. 3 full passes every single day, with a medium-aggressive razor? WHY!? Completely unnecessary. YMMV is so true. It may vary even from advice that seems like it's the gold standard. Again...if you're a daily shaver you MAY not need three passes to get a great shave, even if you're like me and have ridiculously thick and coarse facial hair.

Another thought: This whole thing about "beard reduction" makes sense...if you literally have a BEARD. I totally understand needing a 3 pass shave then. I will probably do more than one pass when I take leave and actually have a beard. Some people don't need to perform a 3 pass "beard reduction" shave when you literally just shaved yesterday...even guys like me with lumberjack facial hair. It makes me laugh now..."it's all about beard reduction." Ha! My "beard" from yesterday's shave!? Yes, I'm literally OCD and have had too much caffeine.

You must never believe that there are rules for shaving. Try different ways and do whatever works for you. Maybe what works best for you will change over time as well.

A one-pass shave wouldn’t work for me. I would be annoyed that my skin isn’t smooth in all directions. I do three passes - one with the grain and then two against the grain in different directions (since my hair grows in different directions on parts of my face and neck). That’s the way that satisfies me, and with the right prep, razor, blade, and technique it’s still comfortable and gentle to my skin.

 

[Old Hippie]

You must never believe that there are rules for shaving.

Yeah, that's the one rule we don't have, for sure.

Try different ways and do whatever works for you.

Good advice. I'll also add one from @Ron R who said something like, "Know when to quit."

I generally shave my head three times a week. Right now, with a cold snap on, I'm getting a little more dryness than usual so I'm not shaving too "deep." Higher humidity, a good lather, sharp blade; I'll go a little smoother.

When I use a devette I typically do just a WTG pass. It's pretty good, but I have hard hair that needs a little more attention if I'm going to get it gone. A single (or sometimes double) WTG pass leaves me with what I would normally feel the morning after the morning I shave. That's not hugely aggravating but it sits on my mind.

My usual routine is two passes plus cleanups, WTG and ATG. With the Rex Konsul adjustable slant I do two ATG passes at different gap settings, which is more comfortable with that razor than just one ATG pass.

O.H.

 

[T Bone]

The thing is, I think, that people have different goals for shaving with a DE. If you really want a BBS, or as close to it as possible, then yeah, 3 passes is probably necessary. Some even do 4.

If you took up DE shaving because cartridges irritated your skin too much or gave you ingrown hairs, then you probably only want 1 or 2 passes. If you shave every day and only require a CCS, then 1 pass WTG may well be good enough.

Me, I consider BBS the ideal, but I also don’t usually have a whole lot of time to spend shaving. I shave about every other day, and my hair is average to light, so I’ve found that 2 passes works for me to get a DFS+/BBS-, which is I’ve come to accept as close enough.

So yeah, 3 passes is the standard advice for whatever reason, and I don’t think it’s necessarily bad advice. But maybe it should come with the caveat “depending on what you’re trying to do”, especially when addressing newbies.

 

[rudygu]

If you took up DE shaving because cartridges irritated your skin too much or gave you ingrown hairs, then you probably only want 1 or 2 passes. If you shave every day and only require a CCS, then 1 pass WTG may well be good enough.

This is me. Thick, fast growing facial hair that grows in multiple directions. I can’t even think about shaving ATG without getting ingrowns. I shave every day and go 1 or 2 passes depending on the razor. WTG/XTG only.

I respect that most people here prefer much closer shaves than I do, but it can be difficult to apply some of the advice given. Gauging the relative “aggression” of different razors is very difficult for me. The Henson is a great example. Guys on this site act like the mild model is completely useless, but it’s more or less a 1 pass razor for me due to its efficiency. Same thing with Techs. Reading the recommendations here you’d think it takes 3 passes to accomplish anything. I just picked up a pre-war fat handle and absolutely love it. It’s an easy 1 pass for me. I have no issue using my slim adjustable in the 7-9 range, so I don’t think I’m that sensitive, but maybe I am.

 

[know1special]

"Know when to quit."

+1000 on this right here.

Over-shaving was definitely one of my biggest problems at the beginning.

For every individual combination of skin, beard, gear and target there is a finish line.

Satisfaction with your method is largely about finding that line and respecting it, IMHO.

 

[gpjoe]

I do three passes every-other day and achieve a comfortable DFS+. If I shaved daily I might be able to get the same shave with fewer passes, or a single-pass SAS.

Ultimately, all that matters is that each of us finds our best, most satisfying shave.

And yes, I bit.

 

[Lightcs1776]

For myself, and only myself, a three pass shave gives me a wonderful shave. I do the first with the grain, second across, third against. I typically get a completely irritation free shave that is very enjoyable. I wouldn't want to do it any other way.

 

[Phoenixkh]

For me, it does depend a little bit on how many days growth I have. I always start with a WTG pass. Sometimes, I end up doing a second across the grain pass, but in both directions without reapplying lather. But I always end with an Against the Grain pass. I might or not need touch-ups around my chin and on my upper lip. It really depends on the day, the blade and the razor I've chosen, even though all my top razors give me a 12 hour shave.

 

[BigJ]

But isn’t “1 pass” with a 5 blade cartridge equivalent to 5 passes with a DE? Your face is getting 5 blade strokes with each single stroke.

+1! That’s also the way I add things up.

 

[Andris83]

I shave every other day, I never shaved daily in my life. With my current DE routine, there is barely anything after 24h, the earliest I can shave is after 36h, but even then, sometimes it just doesn't work out. After 48h, if I follow my routine, I can get a good shave 98% of the time.
If I had to shave daily, I would need to adapt, just like you did.

P.s.: it was the same with carts/electric for me: 48h or bad things happen (irritation, ingrowns, etc).

 

[dmshaver]

Glad you joined, welcome!

 

[Trollky]

As a daily shaver a two pass DFS is ideal for my skin.

One pass leaves too much behind and three passes removes too much - either way leaves my face prone to sprouting a zit or two which is a tad awkward for a 50 year old guy....

 

[gpjoe]

As a daily shaver a two pass DFS is ideal for my skin.

One pass leaves too much behind and three passes removes too much - either way leaves my face prone to sprouting a zit or two which is a tad awkward for a 50 year old guy....

I'm 66 and still break out occasionally. I started using salysilic acid (Stridex pads) once or twice per day and that has completely eliminated all of my shaving related blemishes.

 

[Eric_75]

Welcome to B & B!

 

[steveclarkus]

Click Bait!

Really though. I tried out DE's about 10 years ago (I posted about it a while back on here) and had zero luck. For a little over a year I got nothing but bad shaves, razor burn, and ingrown hairs...all which, I NEVER got with a cartridge. Now that I'm trying again I'm realizing things that would have helped me tremendously back then.

The main factor in my opinion is your beard type and how often you shave. If you have very thick and coarse facial hair AND you have to/want to shave every day, I highly suggest trying out a mild razor and NOT doing 3 passes...AKA shaving your face three freaking times. I did 1 pass this morning. WTG on my cheeks and jaw/chin (mustache March is coming up and I'm getting a head start, even though I don't need one.) and ATG on my neck. WTG on my neck just doesn't get everything. That's it! One pass! Done! Great shave! I look back to when I first tried DE 10 years ago and have to laugh. 3 full passes every single day, with a medium-aggressive razor? WHY!? Completely unnecessary. YMMV is so true. It may vary even from advice that seems like it's the gold standard. Again...if you're a daily shaver you MAY not need three passes to get a great shave, even if you're like me and have ridiculously thick and coarse facial hair.

Another thought: This whole thing about "beard reduction" makes sense...if you literally have a BEARD. I totally understand needing a 3 pass shave then. I will probably do more than one pass when I take leave and actually have a beard. Some people don't need to perform a 3 pass "beard reduction" shave when you literally just shaved yesterday...even guys like me with lumberjack facial hair. It makes me laugh now..."it's all about beard reduction." Ha! My "beard" from yesterday's shave!? Yes, I'm literally OCD and have had too much caffeine.

For me, it is two passes and that's it. The only time I've done more was while I was learning to use a straight razor; after I learned, it was back to two passes and sometimes just one. BBS never crosses my mind - just a good shave in as little time as possible.

 

[Guido75]

If one pass gets you your result then excellent work! One pass only gets me to something resembling SAS which is not what I am after.

With the right razor and blade I can get BBS in 2 passes and with an average blade it’s usually three passes - without irritation or redness. In the beginning of my DE journey (started in December 22) I did the Four Pass Shave and got excellent results. Very happy about that and little less about efficiency. That was when I joined B&B for tips.

On average I do the three passes version. And starting last month stopped chasing the BBS.

Guido

 

[spacemonkey42]

Welcome to B&B!

There is no right way, do whatever works for you! I assume that historically people mostly did a 1-pass with-the-grain and called it done. This crazy-making, BBS-chasing hobby we're in now is something entirely different. If one wants to chase the (sometimes) bleeding edge, go for it! If you want a quick one-and-done shave, that's great too! Just enjoy whatever you choose to do.

 

[Tirvine]

Everything is bad advice for someone and great advice for someone else. You just need to dial in what works for you. It is really that simple, but it takes trial and error and time.