As I am removing a full beard that I have worn for approximately 99% of the last 30 years, I decided, after all due diligence, to go with wet shaving in a last attempt of pursuing a clean-shaven appearance as a real year round option. The beard has been necessary due to what I have always believed to sensitive skin and being a Black man perhaps genetically predisposed to razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
I don't discount either as truths, but I have noticed that in the past 5 years I have been able to shave somewhat successfully – for up to a week before the irritation got too bad - with a Norelco electric. It shaves dry and I use a little shave oil I got online about 6 years ago as a pre-shave. I don't know if it is the shave oil - which smells heavily of both olive and castor oils - or, the fact that I am feeling less irritation because as we age our skin changes. For better for worse? YMMV.
Using a set of clippers with a 1/8 inch guide attached I made several passes N-S until I had a consistent length of beard. I was also able to establish a grain for different areas of the beard once it was reduced to what amounts to very long stubble. I can see the direction the hairs on my chin and neck are growing. BIG surprise in both areas. The chin hairs and neck hairs both grow away from each other starting from the middle of my face. Following the grain in these areas with the clippers and the guard actually made a difference, as I was able to pick off several longer hairs that had been passed over in my N-S path. This is enough for me to take a bigger sip of the kool-aid.
I am waiting for my samples from Scotto and LetterK to arrive, but I still haven't got the Razor or the Brush yet. While I wait for the first delivery I have started a mild regimen of Nivea for Men facewash, sensitive. I also walked across the street from work and bought a bottle of Thayer AF lavender witch hazel w/aloe from the Vitamin Shoppe along with a sleeve of round cotton pads for applicators. Right now I am using these on the T-area and all around my neck twice a day. I could definitely feel a very pleasant, and distant tingling when rinsed my face clean of the Nivea, and then an equally pleasing cool from the witch hazel that gets applied to the washed and patted dry areas on my face and neck. The round cotton pads were suggested by another poster, I can't remember who but, they are the ANSWER, son! The ones I found even have one side that is designed as a more efficient applicator, while the other side is designed for absorption and removal. The added benefit is that by applying lavender scented witch hazel I can establish whether or not I should expect any problems from some of the scented creams I selected for my sample pack from Scotto. So far so good.
One step I will add once the samples arrive, and I wait for razor and brush, will be to take a fingertip of each sample in turn, and apply it to my inner arm on successive nights after showering. If I have a reaction from any of them I will probably not want to shave with it at all. I am hoping to narrow it down to 3 that I can't do without. I might then place another order to Scotto and hope to get two samples apiece of my 3 favorites - this presumes of course that his list doesn't expand in the interim to include something that wasn't around the first time I looked.
The point of more samples is that I will also be evaluating blades. I will want to continue testing each blade with my favorite creams until I can comfortably match blade and lather for MY optimal shave.
I know it gets boring reading all the way to the end only to learn that - Geez! This guy STILL hasn't #%@*!ing shaved!
Sorry gents ... it's my face.
I don't discount either as truths, but I have noticed that in the past 5 years I have been able to shave somewhat successfully – for up to a week before the irritation got too bad - with a Norelco electric. It shaves dry and I use a little shave oil I got online about 6 years ago as a pre-shave. I don't know if it is the shave oil - which smells heavily of both olive and castor oils - or, the fact that I am feeling less irritation because as we age our skin changes. For better for worse? YMMV.
Using a set of clippers with a 1/8 inch guide attached I made several passes N-S until I had a consistent length of beard. I was also able to establish a grain for different areas of the beard once it was reduced to what amounts to very long stubble. I can see the direction the hairs on my chin and neck are growing. BIG surprise in both areas. The chin hairs and neck hairs both grow away from each other starting from the middle of my face. Following the grain in these areas with the clippers and the guard actually made a difference, as I was able to pick off several longer hairs that had been passed over in my N-S path. This is enough for me to take a bigger sip of the kool-aid.
I am waiting for my samples from Scotto and LetterK to arrive, but I still haven't got the Razor or the Brush yet. While I wait for the first delivery I have started a mild regimen of Nivea for Men facewash, sensitive. I also walked across the street from work and bought a bottle of Thayer AF lavender witch hazel w/aloe from the Vitamin Shoppe along with a sleeve of round cotton pads for applicators. Right now I am using these on the T-area and all around my neck twice a day. I could definitely feel a very pleasant, and distant tingling when rinsed my face clean of the Nivea, and then an equally pleasing cool from the witch hazel that gets applied to the washed and patted dry areas on my face and neck. The round cotton pads were suggested by another poster, I can't remember who but, they are the ANSWER, son! The ones I found even have one side that is designed as a more efficient applicator, while the other side is designed for absorption and removal. The added benefit is that by applying lavender scented witch hazel I can establish whether or not I should expect any problems from some of the scented creams I selected for my sample pack from Scotto. So far so good.
One step I will add once the samples arrive, and I wait for razor and brush, will be to take a fingertip of each sample in turn, and apply it to my inner arm on successive nights after showering. If I have a reaction from any of them I will probably not want to shave with it at all. I am hoping to narrow it down to 3 that I can't do without. I might then place another order to Scotto and hope to get two samples apiece of my 3 favorites - this presumes of course that his list doesn't expand in the interim to include something that wasn't around the first time I looked.
The point of more samples is that I will also be evaluating blades. I will want to continue testing each blade with my favorite creams until I can comfortably match blade and lather for MY optimal shave.
I know it gets boring reading all the way to the end only to learn that - Geez! This guy STILL hasn't #%@*!ing shaved!
Sorry gents ... it's my face.
