Mustache shadow and other ramblings...

Hello all,

I'm a fresh convert to the wonderful world of DE shaving.

Bare with me for a bit a background. Being in my late 20s, I was enslaved by the gillette corporation. First with the Sensor, then Mach 3 and recently the Fusion Power. The lather always came out of a can.

Last week, I went for a facial and the cute therapist convinced me that I wanted to buy Decleor's shaving oil. So I did. Having spent nearly 50 Euros on shaving-ware, I felt bad using my regular shaving gear. Having recently watched Mad Men's entire collection, I was all pumped up for a retrosexual change of persona. So I bought a Merkur Vision (yeah, the gaps are uneven, but I can't be bothered to send it back or attempt to fix it myself). I also invested in some cream from The Art of Shaving along with an Edwin Jagger's super badger brush and an antifog mirror. Then went scouring the internet for information (big thanks to all B&B contributors!).

First attempt was last Sunday. Noticed a bump the next day, but no cuts or nicks thus far. A lot of missed spots the first day, but it tended to improve. The trick, it seems is no pressure (can't be emphasized enough, especially with a monster like the Vision), good prep' and patience. My shaves take around 30 minutes. Whereas it previously barely took 4 minutes in total (no prep' whatsover!).

So...two years or so ago, I was meeting a friend to head to a party and he asked me if I was growing a mustache -- six-seven hours right after I had shaved. This prompted me to look carefully in the mirror and I realized that I had tree trunks for a mustache while the rest of my beard is patchy and non-uniform. So I added a minute every morning to shave ATG with my Mach 3, and as you might have guessed, it lead to ingrown hair. For a long time, I had no idea what those puss-filled things were. It got so bad that couldn't leave the house. I ended up at a doctor's office and he explained that it was nothing to be worried about and it would probably go away if I refrained from shaving ATG. So I did and my shaves were far from close, but at least I was infection free. That was back when I shaved with those gadgets.

After switching to DEs, and going against common sense and all the advice in this forum, I decided to add a 4th ATG pass this morning. Some skin irritation but this bloody mustache wouldn't disappear. Am I genetically doomed to have a greenish color around my mouth or will my shaves get closer as I gain more experience? I'm from North Africa. White skin, but curly hair. And I hear that I have Turkish ancestry (which might explain the unavoidable mustache shadow).

Also, I noticed that some around here use the gap unevenness of the Vision as a feature. Is it advisable? Like starting the 1st passes with the side that has the smallest or biggest gap and change it for subsequent ones. Or should I just ditch it and get a Merkur HD or Progress? I never shaved with a DE before so I can't judge the difference...but I really like the weight of the Vision. I have big hands and anything less than the Vision seems like it would feel too small. I feel the onset of RAD...help!

Sorry for the rambling.

Don't know about the mustache shadow, but I like the idea of using the wide gap for the first pass and the smaller gap for subsequent passes. That's what I do with my Slim, except that the gaps aren't uneven; I adjust it between passes.

Welcome to B&B!

4 passes might be much. You might always have a mustache shadow. I always have some kind of shadow after I shave. When I get a better shave, it's pale, if the shave was rough, it's darker.

For the Merkur, I'm not sure, I would say no. I would probably try another razor as the merkur has a reputation of being very aggressive. Which setting is it on?

Luc said:

Welcome to B&B!

4 passes might be much. You might always have a mustache shadow. I always have some kind of shadow after I shave. When I get a better shave, it's pale, if the shave was rough, it's darker.

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Thanks. I guess a white-skinned person only really get rid of it if the hair isn't dark-dark!

For the Merkur, I'm not sure, I would say no. I would probably try another razor as the merkur has a reputation of being very aggressive. Which setting is it on?

Click to expand...

It's between the V and the Solingen logo.

All things considered, it was silly of me thinking about switching razors after barely a week of wet-shaving. There's a lot of technique I'm probably missing on and that I'll pick up on the way. I can then make a more informed decision, or - at the very least - phrase my questions better.

I have a fairly similar problem - really thick, full facial hair on the moustache that grows in faster than the rest.

My strategy over the past few years has been to only do one pass on the rest of my face, two passes over the moustache. I go ATG for the second pass, but I've never had issues with ingrown hairs.

There is still a shadow there, but it's less relative to the rest of my face. I'm not a person who is overly concerned with BBS. Against the prevailing dogma of this forum, I'm a fan of a little bit of stubble.

Welcome to the B&B! Some folks just got mustache shadow. I do a bit, but not as noticeable as most I think. Wish I could be of more help with the Vision, but I've never tried one. Glad to have you with us!