Are some of us unable to get a BBS shave?

Great forum!

I have always gotten irritation when shaving since the beginning. Usually in the form of in-grown hair and razor burn on my neck. It got to the point that I even got irritation with my fancy BRAUN electric shaver. So for the last 5 years I have been using the side burn trimmer to trim back my scruff when it got itchy, and shaved for special events only.

2 weeks ago I was talking to my dad about my new career and the fact that I would have to shave everyday. He looked for my grandpa's old safety razor and couldn't find it; so he sent me a Lord L6 from Amazon. Upon the first swipe and it was like everything I knew about shaving was false. I shaved with the grain, no irritation, completely comfortable, and I enjoyed the process. I shaved the next day, and looked forward to the next day, and the next day. It was a record, and I went from loathing shaving to the highlight of my morning. After each shave I then spend the rest of the day faceterbating.

So thinking I got this down I did with the grain and then across the grain. That worked well. My face is BBS but my neck was still rather rough in some spots.

So I went against the grain on my neck...

Big mistake. 4 ingrown hairs, and razor burn like you wouldn't believe. Let it grow out all weekend. Back to square 1 shaving with the grain. My face is really close, my neck looks good from arms distance but it is rough if I stroke from my adam's apple up to my chin.

Is that just how I have to shave if I want to be irritation free? Or is this something that will get better in time as my skin adjusts to the new regiment? Don't get me wrong - I still love shaving and this closeness will definitively do; but a BBS for formal events, date nights, etc would be a really nice treat.

After hot shower
Lord L6 - Feather
Preshave - Art of Shaving
Cream - Art of Shaving applies with AOS starter kit brush (I finally have it lathering really well)
Cold Rinse
Witchhazel
Aftershave Balm - Art of Shaving

 

First, welcome to the Den.

Looks like a good set up.

I think BBS is over rated. That being said, I go for it every time by doing three passes and a touch up. Do I get it every time? Nope. Much of that is because I use a different razor every day, but that's another story.

I do know that if I try too hard for BBS, I only wind up with irritation. I've learned to accept that I am much better off with a couple of rough spots than razor burn from trying to get every last hair down below skin level.

I also know some folks just can't make three passes on their neck or go against the grain. You may be one. For me, only by going ATG am I going to get the closest shave I can.

The only other advice I can offer is a more aggressive razor than the Lord 6. Don't get me wrong, it's a great razor, but a tad mild. Read about it here.

Hope you find what works! And don't hesitate to keep asking questions. Lot's of knowledge to be had here at the Den.

 

sir-nix-alot,

I am new to DE shaving and have neck problems beyond belief. I would consider my beard to be mild and I have a goatee I shave around. My best shaves so far have been a fat handle tech with dorco 301 blades if that helps. I even got one or two shaves in without the irritation and bleeding with that set up. Still searching for the right combo however and need a million passes to get close to BBS. I agree with Steve, BBS is over rated but it nice to have if you can get it.

 

I have given up on BBS. If I do more then two passes, then I get a bunch of irritation.

I found a few razor/blade combinations that work for me.

I normally do two passes and come away with a comfortable near BBS shave.

 

I'm in the can't do the ATG pass club or I get razor bumps and ingrowns myself. Sounds like your a member in good standing. Steve is right about a more aggressive razor though, if you try a slant or Futur opened up a bit and do 2 wtg passes, I think you'll like the results.

 

I learned the hard way that I just can't go ATG. Whenever I try it, I get severe irritation on my neck...as a result I more-or-less followed my Dad's advice and only go down and since my XTG strokes are primarily down, that's what I do. I can get close enough to BBS for me going WTG, XTG, and WTG in three passes that I'm happy!

 

I'm another gent in the no-ATG on neck club. I easily can get BBS above the jawline. On the jawline is possible but needs that "+" pass that you may see on many people's SOTD threads. I have 2 spots on either side of my adam's apple that just scream at me if I even think about trying ATG on them. I've incorporated a sneak attack XTG the comes as close to ATG as I dare there and I get very near BBS results there. Whenever I try for the allover BBS, I end up not shaving for a day or 2 to heal up.

Also, if you are trying for BBS you will undoubtedly give yourself irritation. The times that I have my best resulting shaves are when I just enjoy the experience while seeking a close & comfortable shave. I've done best also with an efficient razor that allows me to keep my passes down to 2-3. 4 passes is just too much for me. Enjoy the entire experience and good luck on the journey of finding your BBS!

 

Glad I'm not the only one.

I have heard that the L6 is mild - but I dont really understand what that means. Is it the angle of the blade or how far the blade is from the guard? So far I love the L6, the shaves are so incredibly comfortable.

Thanks for the suggestion about the tech. Is that a 3-piece? My dad just called me to let me know that he found my grandfathers razor. It is a Gold Gillette in a alligator case. He said the it had bay doors like the space shuttle.

That Merkur Futur is a beautiful piece. What setting are you using? Good thing Christmas is coming soon.

 

Here is a good start at explaining these things... it even has pictures!

Aggressive or mild...

 

Intersting

Is a Futur on 1 "mild" or more aggressive than the L6?

 

The tech is a three piece

 

I am still unable to get a good BBS shave on my neck. I try regularly and pay the price every time. I also spent a couple of years with a trimmer just trying to keep the itch away. Although I still haven't achieved my shaving nirvana and regularly sport a chopped up neck, I will say that it is consistently getting better and I have found razor, soap, and blade combos that work better for me than others.

I am convinced that one day I will get this neck shaving down. (Or become wise enough to accept a DFS)

 

I think Steve (swarden43) summed this up nicely.

I'm similar to Steve in that I try to get BBS every time, but don't always get there. I'd say 1-2 times a week is typical for a BBS shave. I also learned to not try too hard as irritation is far worse than a couple spots of very light stubble.

I expect your shaves will get closer over time, though true BBS doesn't happen for everyone and even for those of us who get it sometimes, it's not every shave.

 

I find a Futur on one is just wiping away the lather and not cutting anything.
I like mine set at 2.5. Others will crank theirs wide open.
I'd say the L6 is maybe 1.75 to 2 compared to the Futur.
It really doesn't take much of a tweak on the Futur to dramatically change how aggressive it is.

 

I am usually forced to shave quickly in the morning during the week, so I can forget about getting BBS. However, there's nothing wrong with DFS either. I generally do 3 passes - WTG followed by XTG, and finally a light XTG. My beard is very tough and hard, but Saturday and Sunday is when I'll do as many passes as it takes for the BBS results.

 

Is that picture for real?

 

You may also want to try a change up in your preparation.

When I run into problems, which has been less since I learned some tricks from other forum members, I will pre-lather before entering the shower. This happens when I run into the razor burn from using a blade that might not be up to par. I usually apply some water to my face, then I take a brushless cream, like Barbasol in the tube, and rub it well on my face. I give that about a minute to set in. I then shower and proceed to my normal shaving routine.

What this does is allows the moisture to lock into the skin and allows for the oils to lubricate the skin before the lather is applied.
If you have more facial hydration, you will find that the other problems are reduced dramatically.

Some people also use preshave oils, but I find that the prelather method works better for me.

Good fortune!

 

Thanks!

Is that razor the cats a$$? Sounds like a winner if it can be more mild and much more aggressive... Is there a place that has good deals? Amazon is around $70 right now.

The chrome one is a piece of art.

 

You've got a good set up going, IMHO. I find the Lord an excellent daily shaver capable of delivering BBS but for me it requires a little blade buffing. As for your irritation on the neck. Feathers are a real sharp blade, from my experience they have a tendency to dig in. With a less aggressive razor I find a feather can give me tons of irritation especially if I use too much pressure. So I say change up on the blade. Of coarse I would also encourage you to get a Futur, a Vision, a Super adjustable, etc. all are excellent shavers. I Love all those ,but I really dig the L6 as a daily driver.

 

I can ONLY get BBS when my beard is 4-5 days old. The beard stubbles are longer and the beard area less dry - so I only go for BBS here.

I get 95% BBS when I shave every 2 days and probably 90% BBS when I shave daily.

This is more than fine for me.
If I have really good time and shave in the evening after having been to the gym, I can almost get to 95% BBS with 1 day stubbles if I use a combo of first pass with my DE and second pass with my Fusion and then do touch up with the DE and Fusion in combination.

I never shave my adams apple & chin with my DE - Fusion works too great in that area