I have been wetshaving for almost five years, and usually get good, BBS shaves. But I have always struggled with an area under my chin where my hair grain's direction changes. This stripe is about one inch long and half an inche wide, and it is a continental divide of sorts. To its left, the hair grows in one direction (left to right), and to its right it grows in another direction (right to left). I have a coarse beard and yet can easily shave on either side of the "continental divide." But in the "continental divide" area proper (where the hair grows in almost every direction), I always have trouble. I usually need several passes to make it BBS, which can lead to some irritation, or I cannot shave as close as I wish. Does anyone have words of wisdom on what to do here?
Where the grain changes
- Thread starter Bernard Castle
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I so feel your pain. Same patch. Right side, under chin.
Thinnest skin on my face + worst growth pattern known to man = recipe for irritation.
I'll be watching this thread with anticipation
Thinnest skin on my face + worst growth pattern known to man = recipe for irritation.
I'll be watching this thread with anticipation
Blade buffing. I have a row or two of hair that grows laterally right below my chin and blade buffing takes care of that. Works every time.
Apologies if this is a dumb question, but what is blade buffing? I'm having the same problem and would love to try this method.
Watch Mantic59's YouTube video titled Advanced Shaving Techniques. It also demonstrates J-hooking, which might also help. Just be advised that you should be extra careful with these techniques.
As mentioned above you should watch that video . Blade buffing, J hooking or the slide might be the answer for you.
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I had/have same issue. J-hooking proved very helpful. But make very very very very sure that the head of your razor is tightened down well. J-hooking with a loose razor head is a recipe for a bloodbath. I learned the hard way. Was using a Feather and didn't notice until the second J-hook that the head had loosened and the blade was slicing my neck up. Lesson learned...
I have some east-west growth on my neck. That area is very difficult to hit with a true ATG pass.
Still, I find that I attack that area pretty aggressively. My first pass is a diagonal, halfway between WTG and XTG. Second pass is diagonal, halfway between XTG and ATG. The third pass, is a mix of J-hook and diagonal blade buffing. True BBS in that area is difficult but this method gives me a reliable DFS with 2-3 BBS/week without ever giving me irritation. I don't stress over BBS. Just enjoy it when the stars align and it happens.
Still, I find that I attack that area pretty aggressively. My first pass is a diagonal, halfway between WTG and XTG. Second pass is diagonal, halfway between XTG and ATG. The third pass, is a mix of J-hook and diagonal blade buffing. True BBS in that area is difficult but this method gives me a reliable DFS with 2-3 BBS/week without ever giving me irritation. I don't stress over BBS. Just enjoy it when the stars align and it happens.
+1 on the Advanced Shaving Techniques vid. When I first came across that title my thought was "yeah, right, what could be advanced about shaving, after all, I've been shaving (not with a DE though) for decades." Well, to make it short, Mantic showed me. Good vid!
With all the WTG-XTG-ATG passes, I sometimes still don't have a BBS in two areas. What I do then is to wet the face without later and buff lightly in any and all directions until I cut down the final stubble. I do this with a very light touch and keep re-checking and re-wetting until I've gotten it. Somehow, water works better than lather in that situation. Slow and patient!
I do this too, but you need a soap or cream that leaves a residual slickness; not all do. I usually buff very lightly back and forth without lifting the blade. The small amount of lather left on the blade seems to provide all the lube I need.
+1 for buffing. I have a small circular growth pattern on my neck, and usually use small x patterns to clean that up.
J hooking is what i use on my neck. Above the jaw line my hair is mostly growing in a downward direction (with the exception of an area on my right sideburn. But my neck is like a prison where the inmates have taken over. Hairs grow in all directions and it makes shaving less than easy.
I do a WTG, ATG and XTG to make sure all bases are covered and keep special attention to exceptional problem areas. That and a combination of j-hooking can usually take care of said problems. Also, R41 tames all wild hairs.
I do a WTG, ATG and XTG to make sure all bases are covered and keep special attention to exceptional problem areas. That and a combination of j-hooking can usually take care of said problems. Also, R41 tames all wild hairs.
Yep, J hooking here too. I have a place on the left side of my neck that only gets smooth with the J hook.
I can't seem to get the j-hooking to work but blade buffing can be done with DEs and SEs. And it really helps. My cleanup pass is largely blade buffing.
Same here it's like the circle of doom. Big challenge but with mediocre results.
Mantic is also a member here at B&B.
Gonna have to try this as I have the same problem. I also have about 5-10 whiskers right on top of my adam's apple that I can never seem to get totally smooth.
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Thanks for all the good advice. For some strange reason, J hooking, which works very well in other parts of my face, does not help much in the continental divide area. But blade buffing does. I had read about it but not tried it until this thread!
I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but what razor(s) are you using? I find that a milder razor doesn't do well for the "transition" areas of my face where hair seems to grow in swirls, but a more aggressive razor tends to take it down without issue.
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