StubbleTrouble's Stumbly DE Journal

After reading QuietEarth’s Shave Journal, I’ve decided that I should contribute as well. I’ve really enjoyed reading, and reflecting upon the trails and tribulations of others, and feel I should give back what little I know.

I’m taken back by how many newbies there are here (seems to be many a day) after me in this short time, and it makes me think what 'seemingly little' I have to contribute isn’t really without substance after all.

First, I will provide a synopsis of my history with wet shaving:

When I was a wee little one, I got a hold of my father’s safety razor, some cream, and went at it. This was rather alarming to my folks (I have no recollection of irritation, however), so my father subsequently removed the DE blade and placed it out of reach when not in use. I ‘practiced’ my shaving thereafter, bladeless but determined, and still managed to remove the cream quite well. I cannot tell you how many passes it took, but this will serve as the first retroactive post of my DE shaving.

I now have vivid memories of turning the post and watching the ‘bay doors’ open and close, but that was almost forgotten in a fog until I was recently re-introduced to the safety razor - The rounded, chrome-plated metal unearthed an almost eerie connection to my past; I dredged this out of deep memory and revived it as if it were yesterday when I saw a safety razor - I am not fully removed from times past.

Years ago, someone told me that I should shave before I get in the shower to avoid irritation. I did so, and noticed a dramatic change in my irritation. It was, I suppose, a crude post-hydration that remedied an utter lack of pre-shave prep to begin with. I was living in the cartridge world.

At some stage in my shaving career, I learnt that all out shaving in the shower was even better, and I invested in a shaving mirror to facilitate this - Side fringes (burns) were in, and I needed to keep them even with a sound visual reference point! Since shower mirrors were readily available and fairly well-marketed, I took the opportunity and embedded this into my routine. This was yet another milestone in my saga as I was truly incorporating hydration in all steps - wet shaving.

Many years later, my wife (SWMBO - BTW, she would take some fierce liberty if she came across that acronym, firmly planted and used on this site by others who use straight razors) bought me some very nice shaving soap and a boar brush with my initials engraved in the wood handle. I always made the lather right on top of the soap itself with the stiff boar bristles, which worked well (although I now know it wasn’t necessary), and it really gave me a better shave! Next thing I noticed was that it (the soap) lasted a really time and that perhaps I was being ripped off by buying cans every month. One little disc of soap lasted forever, and I still have the same soap today.

Move to a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a safety razor. It, controlled by complete ignorance, in turn, stumbled upon my face. The following is my continued saga:

Welcome to B&B.

It's a close tie for me which is the best cost saving advantage of DE shaving . . . the super cheap razors or the everlasting soap. Of course, if you're like the rest of us here any cost benefits you see from the the cheap razors and lather are completely negated by the cost of BAD and RAD.

Day 1...

Pre
Wash Hair
Shower as normal
Prepare to shave as normal but, with this shiny, rounded thing
Lather up directly to face with AOS Essence of Lemon Cream (my first time not using my shave soap - New badger brush as well)

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Merkur, fresh blade - I recall the inscriptions (in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish) on the sample razor paper: ‘Use this blade; You will be pleasantly encouraged’, or something like that...

Post
L’oreal ASB
Confusion / Irritation / Distress
Internet / Instructions

This being my first DE shave, I did at least have the advantage of using a brush and shave soap which was well-lathered beforehand. What I didn’t know, however, was that DE blades don’t function like cartridges. I would say my face looked like pizza, but fresh mozzarella and basil leaves on a pizza would indicate some resemblance of cool, soothing, etc. Maybe more like a pizza with hot sausage from Calabria with an all’arrabiata sauce. I looked for the panic string to pull on the bathroom wall, but quickly remembered that’s not building code in these parts. Sometime later, when I could actually touch my face, it was a noticeably closer shave - in spots where I didn’t leave behind patches of stubble, or ‘hassocks’ as they may be called ‘round here in coastal New York. I suppose a burn victim would have some sympathy for me - and countless others here who remember that day. My late father in law, God rest his soul, a long-time Rolls Razor user, was certainly laughing at me, and probably thankful I didn’t actually use the Rolls.

Kingjimmi said:

Welcome to B&B.

It's a close tie for me which is the best cost saving advantage of DE shaving . . . the super cheap razors or the everlasting soap. Of course, if you're like the rest of us here any cost benefits you see from the the cheap razors and lather are completely negated by the cost of BAD and RAD.

Click to expand...

If I hope to travel (which I do quite a bit of), I reckoned today that I should have a travel kit to replace my Braun electric razor. I just bought a travel case (Badger and Blade, nonetheless), a travel brush, 50 ml of some travel shaving cream, an alum bar (I want to be depressed and know how badly I'm grating my face ), and an EJ DE89L. I only need one razor, one blade, and some soap, correct??? I'm going to stop purchasing new gear now that I have everything I need- I promise.

Day 2...

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetahil Soap, rinse, repeat
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Prepare to shave as normal but, again, begrudgingly, with this uber powerful, shiny, rounded thing
Lather up directly to face with AOS Essence of Lemon Cream

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Merkur Blade - Shave No. 2

Post
L’oreal ASB
Less Confusion / Less Irritation / Less Distress
Internet / Instructions

So, I recall going online to YouTube, etc., to get some worthwhile instruction on how to use a DE razor, after the massacre that occurred the preceding day. Well, I didn't end up in The Hague for war crimes on the beard, and I now had some sort of direction to move forward after some much needed research. Mantic59: 'Don't Bare Down', 'Use Proper Angle', 'Prepare for the Shave' and 'Beard Reduction' with multiple passes. (I did have some notion of at least pre-shave prep as it stood, but got some new ideas) and, and, and, visit Badger and Blade!

At this stage, I began two passes, North to South. I'm certain I didn't yet grasp that I wasn't ready to drag the blade across my face like a pro, but I could sense things were getting a little better, as the post-shave condition would elude to. There was still considerable 'residual' irritation, but I could deal with it. At this stage, I was getting a true taste of the power of DE shaving, and was willing to press on! So, in two days, there was irritation and bumps, but I did manage to all out avoid any nicks or cuts. My legacy L'Oreal ASB still burnt like mad, so I ordered some AOS Lemon ASB as well as some lemon pre-shave.

I learnt, foremost, that angle and pressure have a consequence on DE shaving, and applying this knowledge, in its crudest form, did cause improvement! Any improvement is always welcome, and my face felt quite a bit better (still stung a bit, though).

Hey Marcus! You made it.

Firstly, welcome to B&B, and to your journal.

Have fun chronicling your journey, and enjoy the shaves! It only gets better from here.

And you're right - angle and pressure are your greatest foes at this stage. They were for me.

Days 3-5

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetaphil Soap, rinse, repeat
Soak brush in hot water with porcelain lather bowl
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Rub AOS Essence of Lemon Oil into beard (very nice)
Lather up with AOS Essence of Lemon Cream, for about 90 seconds to exfoliate beard for first pass. Smooth and 'paint' on lather into a semi-thick layer

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Merkur Blade

Pass 1 - What I thought, NTS, was with the grain from all the videos, but actually XTG
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather, but with about 30 seconds of brushing into beard and a little less on the application
Pass 2 - Again, NTS

Post
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as cold as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
AOS Essence of Lemon ASB (really like this stuff)
From time to time during the day, apply Gold Bond Ultimate Softening with Shea Butter to beard.

Much more stress was put on angle and using no pressure. I would say may shaves took about 30 minutes, but that time was well spent learning and I didn't want to rush a thing. If I had to make time, I simply shaved at night.

None of these shaves were close, but I did look presentable. What really stood out more than anything after my shaves was the evenness of my beard length; two passes didn't reduce the stubble completely down to the skin, but they did leave an extremely uniform stubble length. I have a 'salt and pepper' beard, so the grey stubble seemed to shimmer like a diamond under the light at Tiffany's when the vanity light hit it in the right angle - I suppose it was also the cleanness of the cut as well.

The residual redness in a few spots persisted (and even do to this day -I guess I never really gave my face enough time to fully heal), but I found that periodically rubbing the Gold Bond into my face almost instantaneously soothed the redness. I made every assumption this was the shea butter at work.

I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't manage to reduce the beard any closer, but I was recovering from severe irritation and didn't want to press my luck. The reality was that having the reassurance of my practice eventually paying off was well good enough for me, and despite the irritation, etc, I was really enjoying using a DE blade and incorporating new items into my pre and post shave as well. What was also noticeable at this stage was also that the irritation wasn't appearing immediately as it did the first two shaves.

Day 6

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetaphil Soap, rinse, repeat
Soak brush in hot water with porcelain lather bowl
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Rub AOS Essence of Lemon Oil into beard
Lather up with AOS Essence of Lemon Cream, for about 90 seconds to exfoliate beard for first pass. Smooth and 'paint' on lather into a semi-thick layer

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Israeli Personna Redpack Blade - Shave No 1

Pass 1 - What I thought, NTS, was with the grain from all the videos, but actually XTG
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather, but with about 30 seconds of brushing into beard and a little less on the application
Pass 2 - Again, NTS
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather by painting onto beard
Pass 3 - Partial ATG

Post
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as cold as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
AOS Essence of Lemon ASB
From time to time during the day, apply Gold Bond Ultimate Softening with Shea Butter to beard.

Continued to work on angle and pressure. Shaves still took about 30 minutes and enjoyed every bit of it.

I immediately noticed a huge difference in smoothness when I put in my first IP Red blade with the first and second passes. Of course, I cannot rule out that some of this was improved technique, but there was a big difference nonetheless and it was a much more pleasant experience. This was my first attempt at an ATG pass, and I realised that there was still too much stubble (I suppose from a lack of XTG passes) to continue as the blade was tugging and skipping in spots. A few places, including spots on my neck, were BBS, and I was delighted that there was no new irritation.

The residual redness in those same few spots persisted (once again, still not completely healed), but I continued to rub the Gold Bond into my face and it continued to work it's magic with the redness.

I often got a shave at the barber shop I used to visit and this was right on par with the smoothness. Not BBS, but definitely DFS and, without the post shave burn I got from the barber; He never used enough ASB.

This was a big milestone and I was ecstatic and I felt that if I could get BBS in spots without causing irritation, it was only a matter of reducing the beard properly with correct passes to achieve it in other spots too. It seems a good shave really starts the day off nicely (or ends the day nicely). Bad shaves are frustrating to say the least, but those were becoming much less so from here on out.

Days 7-12

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetaphil Soap, rinse, repeat
Soak brush in hot water with porcelain lather bowl
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Rub AOS Essence of Lemon Oil into beard
Lather up with AOS Essence of Lemon Cream, for about 90 seconds to exfoliate beard for first pass. Smooth and 'paint' on lather into a semi-thick layer

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Israeli Personna Redpack Blade - I changed blades approx every 3 shaves

Pass 1 - What I thought, NTS, was with the grain from all the videos, but actually XTG
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather, but with about 30 seconds of brushing into beard and a little less on the application
Pass 2 - Again, NTS
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather by painting onto beard
Pass 3 - XTG from opposite direction

Post
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as cold as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
AOS Essence of Lemon ASB
From time to time during the day, apply Gold Bond Ultimate Softening with Shea Butter to beard.

Continued to work on angle and pressure. Shaves still took about 30 minutes and enjoyed every bit of it.

The IP Red blade continued to shine for me and by now, the technique was getting smoother and a little bit more 'routine' in a comforting way. Things were definitely improving little by little and I began to also stress the length of passes being shorter, and tried to focus on as little overlap as possible. I also began to try and use my left hand for the left side of the face, and it wasn't too awkward, nor did it cause any new irritation.

Still some rough spots left that I could feel, but not to the naked eye. I could live with them and continued to focus on everything else - Patience, Patience, Patience!

The residual redness in those same few spots persisted, but nothing that was noticeable for very long at all after post shave. I was happily cruising along with less bumps in the road.

Day 13

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetaphil Soap, rinse, repeat
Soak brush in hot water with porcelain lather bowl
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Rub Proraso Pre-Shave into beard (Wow!)
Lather up with Proraso green tube Cream, for about 90 seconds to exfoliate beard for first pass. Smooth and 'paint' on lather into a semi-thick layer

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Israeli Personna Redpack Blade - About shave 2?

Pass 1 - Truly WTG this time, which was from ear almost to chin on cheeks and jawline, as well as top portion of neck. NTS on cheek next to goatee
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather, but with about 30 seconds of brushing into beard and a little less on the application
Pass 2 - XTG, which is basically NTS except for areas next to goatee
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather by painting onto beard
Pass 3 - XTG from opposite direction

Post
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as cold as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
AOS Essence of Lemon ASB
From time to time during the day, apply Gold Bond Ultimate Softening with Shea Butter to beard.

Continued to work on angle and pressure. Shaves still took about 30 minutes. I truly enjoyed the menthol, which I worried about before the shave due to possible irritation. Thankfully there was again no new irritation! What a nice tingle and cool sensation.

It was clear the IP Red blade would work well to continue on with my training, and I felt more comfortable about what I was doing. I still stressed the length of passes being shorter and overlap. I alternated between right and left hand but didn't come to any conclusion about which should be used.

Still felt a few rough spots, but continued to focus on everything else.

Still those red spots. I also began to check my growth and that irritation post-shave in SWMBO's vanity mirror. Those minor, but persistent irritation spots have less stubble and look almost wrinkled, if you will. Basically, they really resemble skin that got completely scraped off under magnification. Again, can't see them with the naked eye for long at all after post shave, but I needed to keep an eye on them.

Day 15

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetaphil Soap, rinse, repeat
Soak brush in hot water with porcelain lather bowl
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Rub Proraso Pre-Shave into beard
Lather up with Proraso green tube Cream in bowl, then for about 90 seconds on face to exfoliate beard for first pass. Smooth and 'paint' on lather into a semi-thick layer

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Israeli Personna Redpack Blade - About shave 3?

Pass 1 - Truly WTG again, which was from ear almost to chin on cheeks and jawline, as well as top portion of neck. NTS on cheek next to goatee
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather, but with about 30 seconds of brushing into beard and a little less on the application
Pass 2 - XTG, which is basically NTS except for areas next to goatee
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather by painting onto beard
Pass 3 - XTG from opposite direction

Post
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as cold as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Dab with witch hazel, allow to mostly dry
AOS Essence of Lemon ASB
From time to time during the day, apply Gold Bond Ultimate Softening with Shea Butter to beard.

Continued to work on angle and pressure. Still 30 minutes or so with no new irritation. My lather wasn't a good this time and I figure it was a matter of getting used to it. The passes were still slick enough to do a good job.

Still working with both hands, but used right hand more for the left side of face this time

Still felt a few rough spots and still had those minor red areas. The vanity mirror didn't show too much improvement in the irritation, but still not visible after 15 minutes or so post-shave. I thought my shaves were close enough to skip a day (DFS), but the growth was too much by 24 hours to ignore. I also thought about doing just 2 passes again as well.

Day 16

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetaphil Soap, rinse, repeat
Soak brush in hot water with porcelain lather bowl
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Rub Proraso Pre-Shave into beard
Lather up with Proraso green tube Cream in bowl, then for about 90 seconds on face to exfoliate beard for first pass. Smooth and 'paint' on lather into a semi-thick layer

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Israeli Personna Redpack Blade - Shave 1

Pass 1 - Truly WTG again, which was from ear almost to chin on cheeks and jawline, as well as top portion of neck. NTS on cheek next to goatee
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather, but with about 30 seconds of brushing into beard and a little less on the application
Pass 2 - XTG, which is basically NTS except for areas next to goatee
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather by painting onto beard
Pass 3 - XTG from opposite direction

Post
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as cold as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Dab with witch hazel, allow to mostly dry
AOS Essence of Lemon ASB
Used some of the Proraso Pre-Shave as ASB. It was nice and didn't cause irritation. This really left my face feeling cool for a good while!
From time to time during the day, apply Gold Bond Ultimate Softening with Shea Butter to beard.

I found it hard to resist doing my three passes, and the residual irritation seemed to heal a bit more by now. There were less spots in those areas and I was happy enough. I still wasn't ready to attempt any true ATG passes to allow the irritation to continue to heal, but this was another DFS!

Day 17

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetaphil Soap, rinse, repeat
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
This time I decided to shave at the sink, after the shower
I tried the Kyle Pre-Shave Method yesterday by applying a relatively thin coat of lather then a hot towel for 3 minutes, then rinsed off the excess
Rub Proraso Pre-Shave into beard
Lather up with Proraso green tube Cream in bowl, then for about 90 seconds on face to exfoliate beard for first pass. Smooth and 'paint' on lather into a semi-thick layer

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Israeli Personna Redpack Blade - Shave 2

Pass 1 - WTG
Re lather, but with about 30 seconds of brushing into beard and a little less on the application
Pass 2 - XTG
Rinse with hot water by hand
Re lather by painting onto beard
Pass 3 - XTG from opposite direction

Post
Rinse beard with cold water by hand
Dab with witch hazel, allow to mostly dry
AOS Essence of Lemon ASB
From time to time during the day, apply Gold Bond Ultimate Softening with Shea Butter to beard.

This wasn't a very good shave at all. It was very smooth, but I had my first weepers and those irritation spots really acted up and my face felt sore. This was the first time I needed the styptic pencil, which I also thought might soothe the red spots as well. I don't think that was a good idea as they immediately turned even redder and stung badly.

In retrospect it's hard to say what caused the change in results, but I can only assume it was less hydration from not being in the shower, less heat, or both! maybe I should have applied a thicker layer of lather under the hot towel? I really don't know for sure.

I won't try any more than two passes if I have to shave at the sink post-shower again anytime soon, or may just see about purchasing a travel shower shave mirror.

I think I'll take a brake today from shaving, and perhaps tomorrow too to see if those irritated spots that haven't completely gone away from the beginning can heal some more. Still not bad to have gone this long without any real trouble, and I know I can go back to the shower the next time.

I ordered an Edwin Jagger DE89L and some travel accessories, but I think I'd better stick with my current gear until I'm more comfortable to change the routine.

Hang in there!

The learning curve takes a while. You're making an investment in that curve.

Taking a couple day break to let things heal completely is a good idea, but...

After a day or two I always want to get back with the program and see if I can "fix what went wrong."

Ww

quietearth said:

Hey Marcus! You made it.

Firstly, welcome to B&B, and to your journal.

Have fun chronicling your journey, and enjoy the shaves! It only gets better from here.

And you're right - angle and pressure are your greatest foes at this stage. They were for me.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that! I've updated now, so only upkeep is needed.

WetWhiskers said:

Hang in there!

The learning curve takes a while. You're making an investment in that curve.

Taking a couple day break to let things heal completely is a good idea, but...

After a day or two I always want to get back with the program and see if I can "fix what went wrong."

Ww

Click to expand...

Yes, it's not as easy as it sounds to skip a day! Perhaps the next shaves will just be one or two passes if I can deal with the temptations to go for DFS!

Fortunately, this was a pretty close shave, so I won't look too unshaven after waiting it out!

Excellent work Marcus!

Love the detail. Try to focus on only changing one thing at a time (if any at all).

My experience has been to stick to just one pass on most weekdays before work with an occasional rest day (like today) here and there. I only occasionally do a 2 pass shave, usually if I have a day off, or on the weekend, or if I'm feeling lucky!

I'm not saying you shouldn't be doing it, I'm just suggesting to take it easy on your face while you're still learning with the DE. However, only you can know how your face and your technique are improving.

If I have learned anything from the fantastic folk here at B & B, it's don't aim for BBS when starting out. Always aim for comfort above anything else. In time, your skill and technique will improve, and it will happen.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Again, great journal! Keep it up.

Day 18

Took a rest yesterday to see if the perpetual irritation would heal some - those exact little spots that weathered the worst of the storm when I first started ca. 20 days ago! I think now these consecutive days of too many passes (regardless of better technique) wasn't allowing it to completely heal.

Mantic59: 'Shave two WTG passes for at least two weeks. Three weeks would be even better, but you're not going to be that patient, are you?' Erm... No.

As I write this I'm approaching 2 days of growth, and am really only now beginning to look a bit dodgy, which is unprecedented for me because the quality of the shaving is a step above already. I have no vis à vis clientele this week, so no worries!

I'm also happy that this irritation (except for the first three days of my journey) hasn't been visible at a glance after ASB application. I must admit I'm already taking pride in my shaving, and noticeable irritation, and worse, comments from others about it would have been unwanted on top of any frustration incurred in the learning process! A bad shave is kind of like spilling coffee on a white shirt to start the day, or realising that your trousers are too short after getting to the office. Leaving with a DFS is like leaving the house with a nice Brioni suit, with time to spare, on a cool blue day!

Day 19

Took yet another day off. After inspecting beard growth I'll have to reconsider the grain. It really is more NTS oriented in all but a few areas on the neck. Not shaving ended up granting me needed healing time and also visual queues about my growth.

In SWMBO's vanity mirror I noticed some peeling akin to healing from a sunburn in those tiny areas. One other thing that I should have considered is that the irritation could also be rosacea, which I have treated for most of my adult life and from time to time appears in my beard in addition to the cheeks and forehead. I've been treating those areas with my topical medication as of yesterday.

In a few hours I must shave! I've really missed it during my two-day leave. I hope to look presentable with only two NTS passes.

Day 20

Pre
Wash Hair
Wash Beard with Cetaphil Soap, rinse, repeat
Soak brush in hot water with porcelain lather bowl
Shower as normal
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as hot as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Rub Proraso Pre-Shave into beard
Lather up with Proraso green tube Cream in bowl, then for about 90 seconds on face to exfoliate beard for first pass. Smooth and 'paint' on lather into a semi-thick layer

Shave
Merkur 23C LH, Israeli Personna Redpack Blade - Shave 1

Pass 1 - WTG
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather, but with about 30 seconds of brushing into beard and a little less on the application
Pass 2 - WTG
Rinse with hot water with shower wand for about 30 seconds
Re lather by painting onto beard
Minor XTG to touch up a few spots I missed

Post
Rinse beard with shower wand, using water as cold as I could stand for approx. 2 minutes
Dab with witch hazel, allow to mostly dry
AOS Essence of Lemon ASB
Proraso Pre-Shave as ASB to cool off
From time to time during the day, apply Gold Bond Ultimate Softening with Shea Butter to beard.

I popped in a new blade since the stubble was so long and I didn't want to chance another possible variable; That would have been No 3 for that blade. Nice presentable shave today after two passes. Short, deliberate strokes, watching angle and pressure. I did miss a few small spots that are visible that would have been picked up by a third pass, but I want to be careful for now as this was my first shave after my minor setback on DAY 17

I also need to work on my lather some more. It's not holding up on my face as much as I'd like it to and I have to reapply during passes. The hot water really makes me sweat and it's rinsing away some of the paint work. The blade's skipping in spots where this happens if I don't paint some more on.

What's important to me is that those red spots didn't appear post shave today at all. I'm not sure if it was rosacea that may have been contributing, so I will apply some of my Rx to those general areas. It may have been residual irritation that never healed, or it may have been too many attempts at BBS in too short a time coupled with technique that doesn't warrant that end-point.

Those missed spots are clearly due to too little angle around quadrant 'corners', if you will. Always the same areas.

in the end, I met my goal of healing my face and getting back into the game with a presentable shave and my face feels tight and healthy



Tomorrow I think I will do three passes, last being XTG. I'm thinking to steer clear of ATG attempts for a little while so that I can monitor irritation pass-by-pass for now. Any irritation that may follow won't be due to carry over from previous shaves!