Since taking up, actually returning to, DE shaving, I have noticed something interesting. I don't have a very heavy or fast growing beard and have always been able to get away with shaving every other day. I know that shaving regularly has no effect on the thickness of the beard or the rate of growth, but now that I lather up with Proraso soap and do a couple of passes with a Wilkinson Sword blade in my Gillette Aristocrat (sorry for the name dropping), I find that my standards have changed. Now if I skip a morning, I don't have that very clean shaven look, even though few would say I desperately need a shave. And I really prefer that really clean shaven look, so I treat myself to a shave every day. It might be my imagination, but I think my skin looks better too.
On exfoliating, wasn't I doing that even when I was using shaving cream in a can and a cartridge razor? The shave itself must provide so much exfoliation that the exfoliation of the brush must be minimal.
I used to hate shaving. Now, I look forward to it every day. I cannot remember the last time I took a day off.
It is my understanding that cartridges have a type of "cushion" between blades and they don't shave as close as a DE. So the combination of real shaving soap applied with a brush and then DE shaving leads to much closer shaves and then better exfoliation. That's what I heard someplace!
I have the same experience. My skin has definitely improved, and I just feel wrong when I skip a day. Before wet shaving, I used to plan my week around not shaving. Now I get up earlier every morning just to get a shave in.
I would completely agree with you. My skin looks much better and I can't remember when I had an ingrown hair.
Shaving is definitely one of the best parts of the day for me as well now, but sometimes when i have a few days off work i will let it grow out a day or two so i have really good growth. When i do this, the shave feel turns out super amazing.
I think I have skipped shaving less than 10 times since I took up DE shaving last January. I used to shave 2 or 3 times per week with cartridge razors or electrics.
I've started to rotate a couple of Omega boar hairs with my Kent BK2 badger, and that adds a nice dimension, I've gone over to mostly face lathering, although I sometimes bowl lather with the Kent. I realize that this is the only place I can say any of that and assume anybody cares.
I can only shave every 3 days due to the neck irritation however my whiskers are very tough and thick growth.
But you have that cool stubble look. After three days of not shaving I look like a homeless person suffering from radiation sickness. I have sideburns, but I shudder to think how long it would take me to grow a half decent beard. I read somewhere that the clean-shaven look is coming back. I hope so.
My skin has defiantely improved, especially no more ingrown hairs. I never paid much attention to my shave before joining our hobby, now I'm very critical.
At my age my stubble is a mix of red,gray,brown and white...old man stubble it's kinda hard to see it Evan after 3 days.
