Ashe
09-12-2006, 01:08 AM
Over the last couple of days I've played a little bit with skin stretching while shaving because I've read that it makes the beardhairs to stand up more (certainly in the lower neck area since these tend to be parallel to the face). Initially I only tried it once or twice during a shave while touching up however during today's shave I tried to do a complete 2nd pass with some form of skin stretching.
Needless to say that today's shave was rougher than the previous days, and not noticably closer.
I guess I have to make small steps at a time. I'm only DE wetshaving since approx a month and I'm still working on my technique. I do manage to not nick or cut myself too often (only once a week or something) and I get very enjoyable (although not BBS) results. I think that by stretching my skin and using the same amount of pressure (almost no pressure but just a little bit because I find my Long Handle doesn't cut beardhairs in the neck and chin area), the "cutting" was done more thoroughly but then not on the beardhairs. I scraped part of my outer skin cells I think although if that were really the case, I would be having a red face during the day (red spots are already gone now after 2 hours after the shave).
Just a question to those skin stretching gurus: is there a difference in technique or pressure you use when you decide to use skin stretching? Is because you're stretching the skin the risk to "scrape off" part of the outer skin cells higher than if you would be using the same pressure but without skin stretching? When do you skin stretch? Is it from the first pass, the 2nd pass, or any other passes? Do you only do it during touch ups etc?
The reason why I'm asking these questions is because skin stretching seems to be one key aspect of getting a proper BBS shave (next to proper prep, lathering and technique -- although I consider skin stretching as part of the technique).
Am I trying to hard too quickly to get that BBS shave? I think I am. I should first focus on getting good technique and very acceptable results shave after shave, week after week before I include something more advanced such as skin stretching in my daily ritual.
Gurus, please advise! :001_smile
Needless to say that today's shave was rougher than the previous days, and not noticably closer.
I guess I have to make small steps at a time. I'm only DE wetshaving since approx a month and I'm still working on my technique. I do manage to not nick or cut myself too often (only once a week or something) and I get very enjoyable (although not BBS) results. I think that by stretching my skin and using the same amount of pressure (almost no pressure but just a little bit because I find my Long Handle doesn't cut beardhairs in the neck and chin area), the "cutting" was done more thoroughly but then not on the beardhairs. I scraped part of my outer skin cells I think although if that were really the case, I would be having a red face during the day (red spots are already gone now after 2 hours after the shave).
Just a question to those skin stretching gurus: is there a difference in technique or pressure you use when you decide to use skin stretching? Is because you're stretching the skin the risk to "scrape off" part of the outer skin cells higher than if you would be using the same pressure but without skin stretching? When do you skin stretch? Is it from the first pass, the 2nd pass, or any other passes? Do you only do it during touch ups etc?
The reason why I'm asking these questions is because skin stretching seems to be one key aspect of getting a proper BBS shave (next to proper prep, lathering and technique -- although I consider skin stretching as part of the technique).
Am I trying to hard too quickly to get that BBS shave? I think I am. I should first focus on getting good technique and very acceptable results shave after shave, week after week before I include something more advanced such as skin stretching in my daily ritual.
Gurus, please advise! :001_smile