When does skin adjust to DE?

**kuzmo** · 12-10-2006, 06:11 PM

Ok guys .... I thought I knew what does that mean. I have read many times 'your skin has to adjust to your new shaving methods!' and I thought, I knew perfectly what did that mean. I found out I did not have a clue at all! I thought: 'Ok has to adjust.... Well I think mine did adjust by simply getting very few razorburns and irritation ... But there is nothing like 'real adjustment'. I mean come on!' Last week was somehow different! I noticed I can 'afford' 'tricks' I tried to avoid while shaving. When trying to get BBS neck I go ATG without any compromis. Don't have to do the 'bullfrog' trick but instead stretch my skin as much as possible.I even put a little pressure on the slant w/ feather (just a LITTLE pressure!). I found out that I get absolutelly no irritation whatsoever ... It was now I realised that my skin has adjusted to DE blade. The feeling is simply great! Those BBS are something I only read of .... God bless DE!

**vespergo** · 12-10-2006, 09:42 PM

yes they are!!

**gabes_shadow** · 12-11-2006, 04:04 AM

Glad to hear the good news! How is that slant bar treating you? I have been DE shaving for about six months now and I think I got my technique down pretty good. How long did you DE shave before trying out the slant/feather combo? Just curious

**Muggles** · 12-11-2006, 04:10 AM

your post gives me encouragement. thanks man. newbie here, only 4 shaves so far with a DE but each shave has been A LOT better. my shave last night was great and was my first indication that my skin was starting to adjust. it is good to know that it takes weeks or months even before some skin will adjust.

whisker-killers for life.

**TimmyBoston** · 12-11-2006, 04:39 AM

It definately take some time to adjust, but IMO this time varies for everybody. Every once in a while we have a member here who switches to a DE and goes weeks without a single nick or bit of irriation and we have ones like me, who needed a tourniquet. But in time, your skin adjusts and your technique improves and you enter shaving nirvana.

Good luck and good shaves to all.

**jduffy** · 12-11-2006, 02:53 PM

I think it has more to do with technique than skin adjusting. I always laughed at that thought of your skin doing something other than being your skin.

As if it were a sentient being or something!

**kuzmo** · 12-11-2006, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by gabes_shadow

Glad to hear the good news! How is that slant bar treating you? I have been DE shaving for about six months now and I think I got my technique down pretty good. How long did you DE shave before trying out the slant/feather combo? Just curious

My first DE razor was Slant

.... changed to Feathers after a month approximately...

**huxley_knew** · 12-11-2006, 08:32 PM

Happy to hear things are working out for you, Kuzmo... it is amazing how the skin magically adjusts. Resilient bugger, isn't it? It took me a couple weeks for my skin to get into 'groove' if you will. And I too find myself getting away with tricks I never would have dared a month ago...

I have a feeling it only gets better from here, too!

Joe

**John 5** · 12-12-2006, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by jduffy

I think it has more to do with technique than skin adjusting. I always laughed at that thought of your skin doing something other than being your skin.

As if it were a sentient being or something!

Well, it is a sentient ‘being’, an unconscious being but a sentient and reactionary one at that. I am by no means a dermatologist nor skin expert, but in my preparation for med school, I took and enjoyed quite a few undergrad anatomy courses dealing in depth with the epidermis (outer skin layer). It is quite extensive and interesting stuff which could be spoken of, but I will say this much, our skin is very much a sentient organ with an amazing capacity to adjust and adapt.

Now that I have been DE shaving for a couple of months and noticing the exact phenomenon that kuzmo and others are reporting on, I might just dust out those 20 pound anatomy books when I have some free time and revisit a few chapters.

John

**Mottern Man** · 12-12-2006, 12:22 PM

Adjust? Heck my face thanked me.

I did however had to learn how to get BBS and well it wasn’t with out ups and downs.

**John 5** · 12-12-2006, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by Doc Mottern

Adjust? Heck my face thanked me.

and downs.

I wanted to keep that part private, but what the heck, my skin also thanked me, and just recently also started to point out its favorite creams and such

**berzerkeleyan** · 12-12-2006, 12:47 PM

Can y'all indicate how long it took before this "adjustment" finally kicked in, real or imagined? It's been seven months for me, and I'm not sure I've turned a corner.

I've yet to achieve perfect BBS Shaving Nirvana on both the face and neck. The journey has been great, no doubt about it. But I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

**catatonic** · 12-18-2006, 06:56 AM

It took me about 4 months of straight shaving to realize it...then when I moved to DE (mostly since I'm so clumsy in the morning...), it took me about 2 months to get the hang of it. Straight razor skills do apply here.

just keep in mind if you are feeling the blade more than the bar, you are doing something wrong. the bar, is basically a tool to assure the blade does not dig in to the face...so it must make a reasonable amount of contact.

Going to a slant has been re-learning DE shaving for me...this thing is insanely aggressive...moreso than my straight razors.

**ratcheer** · 12-18-2006, 05:43 PM

I'd say it took about two months, for me. Maybe ten weeks.

Tim

**Bdog** · 12-18-2006, 08:28 PM

Took me about 3 months. Now the skin is much more forgiving (or has my technique improved? Definitely a combination!)

I think a lot of it has to do with being happy with simple shaves for a while during the learning process. After going for BBS from the start, I traded the nicks and cuts for a month of 2 WTG passes. In the second month I switched to 1 WTG, 1 Across the grain (XTG?). That combo has been working great and when I feel adventurous I can try an ATG without serious consequences since my skin has adapted failry well.

-Brian