tugging on side of neck with downward strokes

[anoop]

I'm a recent convert to DE shaving...have been doing it only a couple of months or so and absolutely loving it.

I've been using an Edwin Jagger DE89 and have tried a variety of blades -- Astra, Derby, Feather, and Merkur.

Anyway, I have noticed that there is a bit of tugging when shaving the sides of the neck; left is slightly worse than the right. Prior to DE shaving, I had used multi-blade cartridge razors all my life. I had no discipline with respect to strokes and practically wiped those blades across my face in any direction. Now, I've been using exclusively down strokes all over, and I do 2-3 passes...usually 3, but if I'm pressed for time and there's not much lather on the brush, then I stop at 2.

So what is causing the tugging?

Is it:
(a) The natural growth of hair is upward, hence the downward stroke causes tugging?
(b) Bad shaving practices have cause the hair to start growing in all directions?
(c) Poor angle of the razor head?
(d) Some combination of the above?

What would be the best way to try and remedy this?

Thanks.

 

[seattleshaver]

The hair on one's neck using goes in different directions as you move along the neck so you have to read that correctly. The other aspect is likely to be that you aren't stretching the skin as effectively when shaving your neck as you do in other easier to access places.

So, the short answer is that it is likely to mainly be a skin stretching problem.

 

[anoop]

So, the short answer is that it is likely to mainly be a skin stretching problem.

Thanks. Are there any videos that you can point me to that show how to stretch that skin correctly?

I've often wondered what shaving is like for 70 year olds when the skin on the neck is sagging. I'm not there yet, but it's not taut as that of a 20-year old either.

 

[pdmcadams]

Is it:
(a) The natural growth of hair is upward, hence the downward stroke causes tugging?
(b) Bad shaving practices have cause the hair to start growing in all directions?
(c) Poor angle of the razor head?
(d) Some combination of the above?

What would be the best way to try and remedy this?

Thanks.

Well, if you are out of lather or the beard isn't a bit prepped, etc. then those things won't help... Otherwise, work on (c), but I'd wonder about (a). At least for me, the beard on the cheeks angles a bit downwards but the beard on the neck is a little more upwards. As long as I shave every day, I don't worry about it and go 1) top down then 2) bottom up and lastly (3) XTG. Most of the time this is fine, but if it has been more than 1 day since the last shave and the beard is longer, I can tell that top down on the neck is really ATG, not WTG, and there is some tugging. So, on those days, I go truly WTG on the first pass, which for me is down on the cheeks, but up on the neck. Little or no pulling. I reverse it for the next pass, so that is more of an ATG pass i.e. up on the cheeks, down on the neck... So, a long winded way of suggesting try making your first pass on the neck an upwards one and see if this thins the beard enough that the next pass, your normal downwards one, is smooth, no tugging.

Good luck!

PDM

 

[Liberty_2112]

This may sound silly, but it helped me. Let your beard grow for a weekend. In Sunday evening, take some pictures of your entire face and neck. Put them on computer, blow them up, and study them. A nice "face map" can be very, very informative.

 

[seattleshaver]

Thanks. Are there any videos that you can point me to that show how to stretch that skin correctly?

I've often wondered what shaving is like for 70 year olds when the skin on the neck is sagging. I'm not there yet, but it's not taut as that of a 20-year old either.

I don't know of any videos but you just have to experiment with different directions until you find one where the skin/blade combination is taut. It's generally not straight down but down and to the left or right (depending on which side of the neck you are shaving).

The same would apply to a 70 year old. Someone can have wrinkles but they more or less go away when you smile right? It's the same with the neck. I find that my shaving gets better sometimes when I do it by feel rather than trying to look at it.

Sometimes it's hard to look at your neck and keep the skin tight. It might be a matter of turning your head away from the mirror (if that stretches the skin) and then just shave by feel.

In any event, if the skin isn't tight you are just going to cut or rub skin rather than facial hair.

 

[anoop]

I don't know of any videos but you just have to experiment with different directions until you find one where the skin/blade combination is taut. It's generally not straight down but down and to the left or right (depending on which side of the neck you are shaving).

The same would apply to a 70 year old. Someone can have wrinkles but they more or less go away when you smile right? It's the same with the neck. I find that my shaving gets better sometimes when I do it by feel rather than trying to look at it.

Sometimes it's hard to look at your neck and keep the skin tight. It might be a matter of turning your head away from the mirror (if that stretches the skin) and then just shave by feel.

In any event, if the skin isn't tight you are just going to cut or rub skin rather than facial hair.

That might explain some of my nicks despite my trying to be careful.

And actually other than the area at the sideburns, I pretty much shave by feel...I'm very myopic, and if I use my glasses they tend to fog up after a warm shower (along with the mirror!), and so I usually just clear a small section of the mirror, lean forward to get the sideburns right, and thereafter just go by feel. A DE makes it a whole lot easier because of the clean track that it leaves which can be seen even with poor vision, so I don't really have to look out for hairs.

 

[seattleshaver]

I just started shaving with a straight razor not too long ago and sometimes I was having trouble with skin along the base of the neck since a straight edge is such a long blade (compared to most anything else). I just had to turn my head, tighten the skin and in general just pay more attention to exactly what direction going with the grain was at that point.

Now it's not a problem. It's just a problem until you figure out your personal solution