Thanks to an interesting thread I read yesterday (especially Joel's typically eye-opening posting), I came to a wonderful realization. The irritation I often get on my lower neck results from the fact that I every-so-slightly change my blade angle when I shave there. This is partly due to lack of concentration, partly to my poor sense of geometry, and mostly to allowing my left hand (with which I pull down my skin) to interfere with the razor handle.
This morning I took some extra time to shave. I did Joel's exercise (see his post at: http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10244). This confirmed the angle that I use most effectively. Then I shaved my neck very slowly being careful to maintain that angle. The result was remarkable. A smooth, comfortable, irritation-free shave.
Here is what I have learned: 1) Pulling the skin taut on my neck is just an unnecessary habit. It serves no purpose, at least for me. 2) It is very important to determine the angle that works best on your own face. Joel's exercise was really helpful in this regard. 3) Once one has determined that angle, one should focus on maintaining it, even in places where that may not seem perfectly natural. I imagine after a few weeks of concentration, this becomes more and more automatic (as Joel suggests). 4) I had convinced myself that I could not do against-the-grain passes on my neck without irritation. It turns out that I can do ATG passes as long as I focus on maintaining that angle. 5) I now understand that the irritation I was getting was mostly the result of slicing rather than cutting the hair from my neck.
The razor, the blade, the soap/cream, the prep are all important. But blade angle is a lot more subtle and at least equally important as the others. I am guessing that shavers who use a straight razor are a lot more aware of blade angle than the rest of us.
This morning I took some extra time to shave. I did Joel's exercise (see his post at: http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10244). This confirmed the angle that I use most effectively. Then I shaved my neck very slowly being careful to maintain that angle. The result was remarkable. A smooth, comfortable, irritation-free shave.
Here is what I have learned: 1) Pulling the skin taut on my neck is just an unnecessary habit. It serves no purpose, at least for me. 2) It is very important to determine the angle that works best on your own face. Joel's exercise was really helpful in this regard. 3) Once one has determined that angle, one should focus on maintaining it, even in places where that may not seem perfectly natural. I imagine after a few weeks of concentration, this becomes more and more automatic (as Joel suggests). 4) I had convinced myself that I could not do against-the-grain passes on my neck without irritation. It turns out that I can do ATG passes as long as I focus on maintaining that angle. 5) I now understand that the irritation I was getting was mostly the result of slicing rather than cutting the hair from my neck.
The razor, the blade, the soap/cream, the prep are all important. But blade angle is a lot more subtle and at least equally important as the others. I am guessing that shavers who use a straight razor are a lot more aware of blade angle than the rest of us.
