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Chin and Mustache Shadow Help

I can't seem to get close enough in the mustache, chin, goatee area. No matter what I do, or how many passes I do over those areas in as many different directions I can think of, the dark shadows still remain. I've prepped gratuitously in those areas to try to soften the whiskers, used a few different blades, different blade angles, stretching the skin, puffing out my cheeks, blade buffing (although I admit I'm almost positive I'm not doing that with near enough skill), and J-hooking. I can hear the whiskers being cut, but nothing ever really seems to be shaved off. It's weird. I've had this issue since day one, when I started using cartridges. Now, with DE shaving, the solution still eludes me.


Prep is as follows:

HOT SHOWER
-Glycerin soap
-Nivea Moisturizing Glycerin face wash



Either TOBS Sandalwood Cream, Mama Bear's Fresh Cut Grass Soap, or Mystic Water Lily of the Valley Soap
Merkur 34C HD with either Shark SS, Derby Extra, Astra SP, Personna Lab Blue, Gillette 7 O'Clock Blue*
1) Work cream/soap into whiskers with a Parker Silvertip Badger Brush for about a minute
2) Leave that sit on face to further soften beard for 4 minutes.
3) Wipe off most of lather with warm wet towel.
4) Reapply Lather
5) Shave

WTG, XTG, XTG, and gentle touch ups here and there. I slightly rinse my face after each pass. I use WARM water--not hot--as I shave.
I squeeze the brush to get the really slick lather sitting in the breach, and apply with my hand to my chin/mustache area for my touch up in those spots.




Any advice or help would be appreciated. Thanks.







*I've stopped using Shark SS and Astra SP. They tore me up. So far I really like the 7 O'Clock Blues. Derby Extras aren't bad. Just illustrating all the blades I have been using thus far.
 
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Do you actually have bristles still? Or just a shadow? I always have shadows on my cheeks regardless of how smooth they feel, I think it's just the colouring and thickness of the bristles in that area.
 
If your hair is dark in color, it could be that is the issue. Some people always have a shadow even when they are clean-shaven.
 
Do you actually have bristles still? Or just a shadow? I always have shadows on my cheeks regardless of how smooth they feel, I think it's just the colouring and thickness of the bristles in that area.

Both. Short Bristles and a dark shadow while I'm still in the bathroom putting on AS. But a few hours later, I can't feel bristles anymore, however the dark shadow remains.

If your hair is dark in color, it could be that is the issue. Some people always have a shadow even when they are clean-shaven.

My hair isn't actually that dark, that's the thing. It's sort of a lighter brown. But my goatee area shows up as much darker. Perhaps because the whiskers grow in patchy and really thick in that area. So this isn't a problem with my technique or with a blade that isn't sharp enough for that area of my mug? I often times wonder if a feather would help.
 
This may be something you have to live with. I have similar areas.

But try shaving a little less, rather than a little more. I think the dead epidermal layer is more opaque than the live skin underneath. So if you remove too much epidermis while shaving, it makes the subsurface hairs easier to see. You can also try to get outside more, since a little skin color will make the hair less noticeable.
 
+1 to getting some more sun. The less differential between hair and skin color, the less noticeable the hair will be.
 
This may be something you have to live with. I have similar areas.

But try shaving a little less, rather than a little more. I think the dead epidermal layer is more opaque than the live skin underneath. So if you remove too much epidermis while shaving, it makes the subsurface hairs easier to see. You can also try to get outside more, since a little skin color will make the hair less noticeable.



I hope that will do the trick. The color of my hair changes from season to season...sometimes, during the summer, it almost looks blonde. So that plus more sun may indeed help.

+1 to getting some more sun. The less differential between hair and skin color, the less noticeable the hair will be.
 
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