Hi. No matter which razor, blade, soap, etc., ATG, WTG, etc. stretching the skin..... I almost always have a problem getting a clean shave in the areas mentioned. Has anyone found a successful way to help wih this? What I thought I'd try next is crank up my Gillette Slim, just for that area. Thoughts? Thanks folks!
That Darn Chin Line and Neck
- Thread starter bbobbdd
- Start date
Beyond rubbing with your fingers to detect stubble, and the "grain", or direction of the stubble, and applying a cleanup swipe in that targeted area against the grain, I'm not sure what else to recommend.
I just leave all of my classic Gillette adjustables on "9" through the whole thing.
I just leave all of my classic Gillette adjustables on "9" through the whole thing.
Welcome aboard!
Other thoughts I may add are to try to improve your prep and also try ‘bull-frogging’ (filling your cheeks with air).
Other thoughts I may add are to try to improve your prep and also try ‘bull-frogging’ (filling your cheeks with air).
I also have a couple trouble spots on my neck to get super clean or BBS is very hard and I end up with irritation because I have to manipulate the razor in every direction - it’s like my hair grows all over in a couple small spots of the neck. I shoot for DFS personally but I also have used the pulling of the skin, swallowing and holding it to manipulate the neck shape, bullfrogging, and also putting my chin down to my chest basically softening/loosening up the neck area. I’m not a pro but feel your pain.
There are some great suggestions above -- bullfrogging, feeling the direction of the spot you're working on, skin pulling. One thing that I try to pay attention to is maintaining the razor angle, especially as I shave over the bone and onto the neck. It can surprise you how much of an adjustment you need to make to maintain the effective shaving angle.
Face Mapping needed ?
I don't chase the BBS anymore. If it happens it happens. I just go for a DFS instead. I find that if I try to get a BBS then I usually have more irritation. I have the same issue with my neck though. It's definitely more sensitive than my cheeks and harder to get an irritation free shave.
I also have a stubborn swirl on a cheek line. I've experimented with all the tips mentioned here, which are really good, but for me I kept trying different razors. Some deny that any razor can shave better than another, and perhaps this demonstrates poor technique on my part, but blades and razors make a difference for me. I have found a couple of pairings that make me smooth everywhere. I get the fact that this is not necessary with every shave, but it's sure nice to get it once in a while.
I know the pain. No matter how hard I try, I always leave something behind. I’m a firm believer that BBS is just a mith.
My whiskers grow in funny directions and in order to get a real BBS, I have fallen into a routine that works really well for me. I can share it with you but odds are that this is totally unique to my face and whiskers. So you'll need to map out your own face and how best to deal with the trouble spots. I drew a crude map of what works for me. What I didn't show is that when shaving the bottom of my neck, I pull the skin to either side of the adam's apple so I can shave that skin without the razor going over the adam's apple at all. If I really want a BBS I also do south to north buffing under the nose but there is a lot of risk of irritation there for me going full on ATG. Under my nose the whiskers are like steel cables so I sneak up on them by going at 45 degree angles instead of full ATG.
Pass Two for me is all about getting the jawline and bottom of neck and the fourth pass is J-Hooks to catch anything I missed on the jawline and get it really BBS. If it weren't for my pesky jawline and bottom of my neck, I'd only do Pass One and Pass Three and skip the other two passes.
Pass Two for me is all about getting the jawline and bottom of neck and the fourth pass is J-Hooks to catch anything I missed on the jawline and get it really BBS. If it weren't for my pesky jawline and bottom of my neck, I'd only do Pass One and Pass Three and skip the other two passes.
Last edited:
My jaw line isn't too hard to get but my neck, right under my ears on both sides... is challenging.... The only thing that seems to work for me is to pay extra attention to those two areas during the first WTG pass.....get them smooth, confirmed by checking with my left hand.... Then proceed to finish my two XTG passes and the final ATG pass....That way, I no longer feel whiskers there when I'm feeling my face after I've completed my post-shave routine and am on to something else...
The only other place that needs extra attention is the area around my Adam's apple... I usually get the area around my nose the first time around... but I have missed a few whiskers there a few times over the past 3 years.
Edit: My chin used to be the worst place for me... but I give that area a little extra attention also on the first WTG pass... That seems to be working.
The only other place that needs extra attention is the area around my Adam's apple... I usually get the area around my nose the first time around... but I have missed a few whiskers there a few times over the past 3 years.
Edit: My chin used to be the worst place for me... but I give that area a little extra attention also on the first WTG pass... That seems to be working.
Finally, someone says the truth out loud...certainly my truth.
To me, true BBS would be feeling NO trace of stubble in any direction, on the entire face/beard area...and is unobtainable.
I think many new shavers get in trouble by over-shaving or applying to much pressure trying to get their face to feel like it did when they were 10 years old.
The best I can get is DFS+, which is BBS on my cheeks and most of my neck, and very close otherwise...though there are spots the I can still feel traces of stubble, such as my lower neck and along my jawline.
I'd rather have a bit of stubble here and there (very minor, only when feeling against the grain) than an angry, red face and neck.
I have a fairly square jawline and right under both jaws where the bone does a ‘90 degree’ turn, I always end up with a 2-3 cm long, 2-3 mm wide line of barely-shaved stubble, no matter how much I pull the skin and contort my face. The only way to get it is to go against the grain, but with my skin, that’s a sure-fire road to redness and burning hell. I’ve just learned to live with it. No-one notices, only me.
Similar threads
