Newbie on Second Week of DE Shaving

**funi_guy** · 05-30-2012, 08:34 AM

Hello to all,

Well, I just started on my second week of "real shaving," and like everyone else here at one time, I am still in the unlearning/learning curve, and to top that off I decided to shave off my mustache and goatee after twenty something years to give me that clean,"baby butt" feel all over my face... That virgin skin under my nose and my mouth is T E N D E R! Ouch

.

One thing that I'm learning is that my face doesn't seem to respond all that well to the," progressive three pass method" that I have read about and have been trying to learn. My beard growth seems to be completely different from one side to the other so one pass say from ear to nose or nose to ear on one side doesn't seem to take off anything on the other side and visa versa. Is that common, or is that part of the learning process?

I am using a fat-boy which I like because it is adjustable but is probably not the best safety razor to start with and I bought a sample pack of blades and am using a merkur super platinum to start. I also this very morning mixed up my first soap lather using bowl and brush which really helped in giving a cleaner shave, but that virgin skin under nose and mouth isn't very happy

So, thats my story so far. Thanks all for all the great information on the forums; it really helps the new guys like me, and any comments/suggestions will be taken with appreciation...

**D.W.B.** · 05-30-2012, 08:58 AM

Greetings and Salutations to B&B! Your face will need some time to adjust. Check the wikis and learn to map the growth of your beard, blade angle and tips on preparing your face for the shave. Enjoy and glad your here.

**Vlad** · 05-30-2012, 09:31 AM

It takes time to learn your face and get used to the razor. I don't care for Merkur blades...you might have better luck with others too.

Welcome to B&B!

**Dennard** · 05-30-2012, 10:01 AM

Welcome to B&B!

**Sledgehammer39** · 05-30-2012, 12:46 PM

Welcome Aboard!

**musicman1951** · 05-30-2012, 12:58 PM

Welcome. Many people seem to dislike the Merkur blades so I would not hesitate to switch to a different blade if it's not going well. It takes some time to map your face and find out what it doesn't like. My upper lip area will not tolerate against the grain shaving. Light pressure. Enjoy.

**echotron** · 05-30-2012, 01:04 PM

Welcome to B&B!

I still remember shaving my full beard off about 25+ years ago ... yeah, your skin sure does get VERY TENDER not being subject to a blade for months or years ... and when you get down to the razor part, well you just have to have experienced that to really understand what TENDER means!

Two weeks experience ... No Rush ... you just have to experiment with what works for you - the adventure is part of the fun!

**Whilliam** · 05-31-2012, 02:00 AM

Everybody's face is different, so take your time.

Welcome and enjoy. This is the place to learn . . . and make some great friends.

**chris.hale** · 05-31-2012, 03:35 AM

Welcome aboard! I agree with the others about the Merkur blades, I didn't like them at all. It will take time to get used to which way your beard grows and to find which blades and number of passes work best for you. Nowhere does "your mileage may vary" apply more than here! It might be worth restricting your tender areas to two passes WTG for a while until they get used to being shaved.

**Useless shaver** · 05-31-2012, 04:36 AM

Good advice above.

Originally Posted by funi_guy

One thing that I'm learning is that my face doesn't seem to respond all that well to the," progressive three pass method" that I have read about and have been trying to learn. My beard growth seems to be completely different from one side to the other so one pass say from ear to nose or nose to ear on one side doesn't seem to take off anything on the other side and visa versa. Is that common, or is that part of the learning process?

Yes. Try to adjust the blade angle: I'm right handed and shaving the right side of my face is more difficult than the left one!

And... welcome aboard! Enjoy your shaves!