Shaving - how do you do it/problems, etc.

[Ksyrup]

I'm not one for polls, but following on QS' haircut poll, I'm wondering (a) how many people do the razor thing, as opposed to electric; and (b) how effective is your shaving technique.

As for me...

I have quite a bit of trouble shaving. I have switched back and forth from razors to electric shavers for years, finally going with razors a couple of years ago. Still, I am unable to get a decent shave. I either rub my face raw trying to get the hair off, or I end up looking like I've got 5 o'clock shadow at 6:45am. I basically have to shave "against the grain" to get any bit of hair off, except for on Monday morning, when it's much easier to shave the weekend growth away. But that only lasts for that one day, then it gets progressively worse as the week wears on. My face still hurts this afternoon from this morning's shave.

I find that using shaving cream - and I've tried a number of different options, although I haven't tried any of the "designer" expensive kinds - doesn't help at all (I end up bleeding or as raw as without shaving cream), so I usually just shave with hot water. I've been using the Mach 3, which was by far the best thing I've ever used, and the main reason I've gone strictly to razors. This week, I've tried the Quattro for the first time, and initially, I think it might be better than the Mach 3.

Overall, I think there's got to be a better way, I just haven't found it. What do you guys do? Am I alone in having so many problems? Honestly, if I simply shaved the normal way without going against the grain EVERYWHERE on my face, I would look like I didn't even shave. Is that normal?

I have a friend with way too much money to spend who got that electro-shock therapy that stunts facial hair growth, so he doesn't have to deal with shaving anymore (he lives in South Florida, what do you expect?). I think that's going a bit too far, but on the other hand, I wouldn't mind ridding myself of this pain in the ass once and for all.

Any thoughts?

[mckerney]

(a) Electric, (b) I gets the job done

[albionmoonlight]

Why not grow a beard? Then you only have to touch-up shave.

[Ksyrup]

I tried that.

(a) I don't like it.
(b) My wife doesn't like it.
(c) It's awful to deal with 8 months of the year in Florida.
(d) We've put a man on the moon, shouldn't there be a more effective method to deal with facial hair?

[Subby]

Gilllette Mach 3 Turbo, shave with the grain, every morning, in the shower. Replace the blades every two weeks.

Go slow. Give your face a break and don't shave on weekends.

[primelord]

Ksyrup,

I have many of the same problems I always shave against the grain or I might as well not shave at all and it generally does rub my face raw. I also use the Mach 3, but I am intrigued that you said the Quattro may work better. I may have to give that a try.

I had an electric shaver with the 3 dial type blades but that just ate me up everytime. A buddy of mine has a Braun electric and I tried it once and it seemed to do a pretty good job, but I have't been able to convince myself to drop $200 on it yet to find out if it will work over the long haul.

[Ksyrup]

Originally posted by Subby
Gilllette Mach 3 Turbo, shave with the grain, every morning, in the shower. Replace the blades every two weeks.

Go slow. Give your face a break and don't shave on weekends.

Wow. Every two weeks? I usually have to replace mine every 3-4 days. I go slow, but I have to repeat the same spots - against the grain - over and over again to shave the hair off. I don't shave on weekends, and Monday's shave is the only good shave I get.

[HornedFrog Purple]

ditto primelord for the most part.

The only razor I had any sort of success with was the Sensor and one of the Edge gels. Unless I go against the grain myself it is a waste of time.

[McSweeny]

i shave just like Subby does

[Ksyrup]

Originally posted by primelord
I also use the Mach 3, but I am intrigued that you said the Quattro may work better. I may have to give that a try.

I've only been using it since Monday, but so far, it appears to be noticeably better. Like some mutating virus, though, I expect that my face will adapt to the new razor and it'll wind up being the same old bad shave.

[Coffee Warlord]

I reallllllly hope Afoci does not find this thread. :)

[spleen1015]

Same as Subby, only weekly not daily.

[Butter]

I use electric, because much like Ksyrup, it doesn't seem to make much difference how I do it, it still looks stubbly.

So, why cut myself? Problem is, electrics do hurt on Mon. morning.

[Glengoyne]

I use the Mach 3 and some kind of shaving cream with Aloe. The way Ksyrup describes shaving reminds me of when I was back in High School, using the Gillette disposable razors my father used. Barbaric!

[Senator]

I use the Mach 3, and Edge gel. I am cursed with heavy growth but sensitive skin. I HAVE to shave against the grain, and I HAVE to shave twice every morning. I complete one shave then, I immediately do it again. And still, at 4pm, it looks like I have never shaved at all. I keep an electric on hand at the office to keep it at bay. I am so sick of it, you would not believe.

[WussGawd]

I've pretty much adopted the mountain man look. I trim the ole' beard and moustache about twice a month, let it go other than that. My wife swore she didn't like men with facial hair, but I started doing it about 7 years ago as an act of rebellion against a shitty job I had at the time. Now she doesn't want me to shave it off.

I could never use an electric razor. It never got the job done, and most of the electric shaving alcohol concoctions tended to give me hives.

I tend to do some of the bottom trim with a Mach 3 Turbo and Barbasol against the grain...it works well, as long as you replace the blades regularly.

[Fonzie]

I have had the exact same experience with shaving, Ksyrup, and have found the only way to avoid becoming a bloody pulp by Friday was to go the electric route. I have a 3-head Norelco razor and use Mennen electric pre-shave lotion prior to shaving. I'd say the shave isn't as close as with a blade razor, but it's decent enough that I'm willing to sacrifice some shave quality to keep my blood inside of my neck.

[Wasabiak]

I used to use Edge Gel, but i switched a couple years ago...........To shower gel. Believe it or not, it works better than any shaving cream i have ever tried. It's very smooth. I shave against the grain, never get cuts or anything. Try it and see what you think.

[John Galt]

Shaving in the shower with a little fog-proof mirror is the only way to go. The steam and moisture make everything smoother and easier.

[Eaglesfan27]

I really should try shaving in the shower, as right now I also have a lot of problems. I use the Mach 3 Turbo as well. I have to against the grain to get any sort of half-decent look. I would love to grow a beard and mustache despite the heat in the south, but my wife HATES facial hair.

[cuervo72]

I think JG's probably right about shaving in the shower. I've just been too lazy to get a mirror. Half the time I don't bother fully shaving, I'll just use a wet razor to trim away most of the stubble on my cheeks and neck, while leaving the goatee area alone. Every other day I'll do the full treatment, but never do it that well and will usually nick myself. Right now I have shaving cream, but I think gel generally works better. I've used dial soap before though and thought that that was good. Who knows.

I've done the beard thing before, but it gets to be a pain and my wife doesn't like it. Goatee is better, but she doesn't like that much either.

[Ksyrup]

I may try shaving in the shower as well. Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Wasabiak,

Any kind of shower gel, or is there a particular kind?

[Ryche]

I use an electric razor, every day. I'd love to grow a goatee or something similar just on my chin like I used to do in college, but the wife hates facial hair and will start plucking it out with a tweezers if I don't shave. I pretty much have to shave everyday with an electric because if I let it go or use a blade, my hypersensitive skin goes nuts.

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by Eaglesfan27
I would love to grow a beard and mustache despite the heat in the south, but my wife HATES facial hair.

That's what my girlfriend used to say and now she loves my beard and would be very upset if I shaved it... :)

I go the electric route, but I only have to use it on my neck and cheeks since I have the beard going...

[Wasabiak]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
I may try shaving in the shower as well. Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Wasabiak,

Any kind of shower gel, or is there a particular kind?

Whatever is on sale. I prefer the Suave Aloe Vera and Water Lilly. But any flavor will get the job done. Ah, yes, i neglected to mention that i DO shave in the shower with the aforementioned fog free mirror. Very convenient, plus with my bad back, bending over the sink to shave is a no-no.

[cuervo72]

Good to know I'm not the only one who refers to shampoos and bath products (and candles) as having "flavors". :)

[Franklin]

Originally posted by Subby
Gilllette Mach 3 Turbo, shave with the grain, every morning, in the shower. Replace the blades every two weeks.

Go slow. Give your face a break and don't shave on weekends.

Exactly what I do. I have a tough beard, and this is the only way to go.

Subby, I'm touched... you must have really been paying close attention.

[CamEdwards]

Ksyrup,

I'm glad to see you've decided to try shaving in the shower. I make that the last thing I do before I get out, which gives the steam plenty of time to soften the whiskers.

I also use the Mach 3 (man, Gilette must be raking in the cash), but I don't use shaving cream. Instead, I use the old fashioned shaving soap and shaving brush (Burma Shave, as a matter of fact). I've been using Burt's Bees Bay Rum shaving soap for a few years now and it's the only thing I'll ever use. I also use the Bay Rum aftershave and it doesn't make your face and neck feel like it's on fire. It actually does soothe your skin.

[korme]

i shave once a week

i love it

[ice4277]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
i shave once a week

i love it

That often?

[ice4277]

dola

I have the same problems as KSyrup, I actually now shave BEFORE I take a shower, for some reason I seem to get less cuts that way, and the warm shower soothes the skin so it doesn't look bad when I get out. I may try the shaving in the shower idea though.

[mckerney]

I shave 1 or 2 times a month because I'm lazy.

[Aylmar]

Shaving in the shower is the only way to go. Like some others, it's usually the last thing I do before I turn off the water. Lets those whiskers get nice and soft. There's a reason barbers used to wrap your face in a warm towel before giving you a shave. Just took me a few years to figure out what it was. :) Ah...I miss getting a good barber shop shave.

[mckerney]

Originally posted by Aylmar
Ah...I miss getting a good barber shop shave.

Sweeny Todd scared you off, eh?

[cartman]

I use the Norelco from the last James Bond movie. The marketing did their job on that one for me. I plunked down $125 for the razor, but I haven't had anyone remotely approaching Halle Berry status approach me. Maybe I need to try a different sensitivity setting or something.

[wbonnell]

I also recommend shaving in the shower. However, it no doubt wastes a lot of water.

As for frequency, I only shave once, maybe twice a week. By the end of the week- today!- I look pretty scruffy. I suspect it bothers some people, but since the company policy doesn't explicitly mention shaving, and since it doesn't affect my performance (software engineer), I don't bother.

[albionmoonlight]

Am I the only guy with a beard on the board? (or just the only guy with a beard who feels a need to comment on a shaving thread?)

[Franklin]

I have a beard, but I trim it, and I can't stand hair on my neck.

[Bee]

I pull the hair out one at a time with my hands, it's the only manly way to do it.

[Tasan]

I go between goatee and clean shaved every three months or so, just for variety and the heat. When I'm fully shaving, I use the Mach 3 Turbo in the shower, plus some gel stuff for sensitive skin. I still bleed though, especially right after getting rid of a longterm goatee. I might try that stuff Cam recommened, it sounds pretty good.

[wbonnell]

Originally posted by Tasan
I go between goatee and clean shaved every three months or so, just for variety and the heat.

I do the same- drives people at work crazy

[Killebrew]

I use some double blade brand name shaver and Edge gel. If I haven't shaved for a few weeks the skin can get pretty razorburned but wearing boxer shorts seems to help prevent that.

[AZSpeechCoach]

I have a very thin, slow growing beard. It is not attractive at all. That having been said, I am also very lazy. As a consequence, I wind up fairly scruffy. I usually shave once a week, when the wife complains enough and starts witholding sex. I tried to grow a goatee, with mixed results. It's also starting to get grey.

[revrew]

I have EXTREMELY sensitive skin, especially on my neck. Struggled for years to find something that would work. I started with a 3-ring Norelco, but if I put it up against my neck, three rings of blood -- literally -- begin dripping the second it touched me. My jawline, etc, isn't nearly as bad, but I used to get ferocious razor burn no matter what I used.

Then I tried an experiment. Just to see. Now, even though I keep a beard right around the jaw line, I still shape it and shave my neck the way I discovered in my little experiment.

eh, hem. A lady's Gillette Ultra, with the green moisturizing strip, held between the thumb and first two fingers (just like a woman would shave her legs) works great. Against the grain on my cheeks, with it on my neck. No more razorburn.

There. My secret is out.

[Wasabiak]

Originally posted by Killebrew
I use some double blade brand name shaver and Edge gel. If I haven't shaved for a few weeks the skin can get pretty razorburned but wearing boxer shorts seems to help prevent that.

LMAO!!!!! Funniest post i've read all week!! :D

[Airhog]

I use an electric razor. A nice one that cost around 70 bucks and has 3 blades. It works pretty well if I shave after getting out of the shower. Its also waterproof, and I have used it while showering, however it tends to be a bit more painfull.

[CamEdwards]

Originally posted by revrew
I have EXTREMELY sensitive skin, especially on my neck. Struggled for years to find something that would work. I started with a 3-ring Norelco, but if I put it up against my neck, three rings of blood -- literally -- begin dripping the second it touched me. My jawline, etc, isn't nearly as bad, but I used to get ferocious razor burn no matter what I used.

Then I tried an experiment. Just to see. Now, even though I keep a beard right around the jaw line, I still shape it and shave my neck the way I discovered in my little experiment.

eh, hem. A lady's Gillette Ultra, with the green moisturizing strip, held between the thumb and first two fingers (just like a woman would shave her legs) works great. Against the grain on my cheeks, with it on my neck. No more razorburn.

There. My secret is out.

There is no shame in making sure your face isn't sliced to ribbons when you shave. I don't care if you cover your face with peanut butter and have yaks lick it (and your whiskers) off with their sandpaper-like tongues. Whatever works, man.

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by albionmoonlight
Am I the only guy with a beard on the board? (or just the only guy with a beard who feels a need to comment on a shaving thread?)

I've got a beard, but I shave my neck and my cheeks. I just don't like having hair on my neck and my cheeks are pretty patchy...

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by McSweeny
i shave with Subby


um, yeah

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by primelord
I had an electric shaver with the 3 dial type blades but that just ate me up everytime. A buddy of mine has a Braun electric and I tried it once and it seemed to do a pretty good job, but I have't been able to convince myself to drop $200 on it yet to find out if it will work over the long haul.

I had the same experience. I had one of those 3-dial jobs, but it just didn't work. I used a roomates Braun once and it worked great, and I've been eyeing them for years but I just don't want to buy it and find out it doesn't really work. I did pick up an electric beard trimmer a few years ago (I normally sport a goatee), and that works tremendously well.

As for shaving, I hate to do it because its a nuisance, so I generally shave once a week or so (sometimes I'll shave my neck more often, because I hate having scruffiness there) - although a couple times a year I'll grow a beard just because I don't feel like bothering.

I'm lucky enough to have the LEAST sensitive face in the history of mankind - I use a Mach 3, often without shaving cream, with a blade that is months old, and rush through so that I'm done as fast as possible.

[Ben E Lou]

Time to let y'all in on the greatest shaving discovery ever. My wife and I were in Charleston for her brother's med school graduation, and I discovered that I had left my shaving gel back in Tucker. I was in the shower, so I looked around and grabbed what was in there and used it: her "Johnson and Johnson Clean and Clear Oil-Free Daily Pore Cleanser." It has little micro-scrubbers that do WONDERS shaving. It gives me by far a much more smooth, easy, cut-free shave than I've ever had before, both for my head and for my face. That was 2 1/2 years ago, and I have used it exclusively since then.

I was at camp with kids recently and a leader from another cabin came in and asked to borrow some shaving cream. I told him to give the Pore Cleanser a try, and he said the same thing: by FAR the most smooth and easy shave he's ever had.

Give it a try. It'll set ya free.

--Ben

[alterra]

Mach 3 with my girlfriend's conditioner in the shower.

[Radii]

bumping this, as I just had the lady that cuts my hair set me up w/ a goatee and I'm going to be shaving everything else on a regular basis for the first time in about 6 years, and I remember it being a very painful/mandatory experience back then.

[Kodos]

I've been blessed with a thin beard and blond hair. I can get away with shaving just a couple times a week. :)

[Fidatelo]

I use the same $40 electric that I bought 10 years ago in high school. I shave about twice a week, sometimes less if I'm lazy. I could probably go 2 weeks without anything resembling a beard, it would just be more like patches of long hairs.

Sometimes I get jealous of people that can do the whole "perpetual 5 o'clock shadow' thing like Charlie from Party of 5, but then I read a thread like this and figure I'm probably pretty lucky :)

[markprior22]

My daughter got me a shaving cream heating thing a year or so ago and it seems to help.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Originally posted by Eaglesfan27
I really should try shaving in the shower, as right now I also have a lot of problems. I use the Mach 3 Turbo as well. I have to against the grain to get any sort of half-decent look. I would love to grow a beard and mustache despite the heat in the south, but my wife HATES facial hair. <p>GROW THE BEARD! She'll learn to live with it. I use the Sensor XL, but on my head, not my face. If I tried to shave my face nothing works. The hair is too thick. I have stubble immediatly and it is painful. (The top of my head is another matter altogether. Bald is beautiful.<p>Grow the beard, you are the male of the species, it is natural...

[Buccaneer]

Hmm...

I've been using Machs for years, currently have the Mach 3 Turbo Deluxe Gold Edition. I only shave twice a week, on Monday and Thursday because I'm too lazy. I can make those great blades last for months without any nicks or buts. I always use Edge gels. I do have to trim my goatee with an electric razor about every 10 days, it's a pain because it's easy to screw up.

The aspect of shaving that I have trouble with is the after shave (not cologne, that's fagg... oops, sorry). For years, I used Old Spice Hydrogel - great stuff. Then they discontinued that. Then after buying the last bottle of hydrogel left on the earth, I switched over to Old Spice Soothing Gel. Then they discontinued that. Now I'm back to the regular Old Spice (in the cool bottles), non-alcoholic kind for sensitive skin. The only problem with the liquids is the waste. Not only the gels caused less waste but it went on smooth.

[sabotai]

I shave when I feel like it. Usually once a week...sometimes I go 2 or 3 weeks without shaving. I usa a desposable razor...the same one I was using about 4 months ago. And I use shaving cream.

[Glengoyne]

Originally posted by Kodos
I've been blessed with a thin beard and blond hair. I can get away with shaving just a couple times a week. :)

I wear a full beard, and it is the weakest ass thin beard anyone has ever seen. I mean Neal Odonnell's beard kicks my beards ass. I rub a tad of shaving cream on my neck, and scratch the rest of my non beard related hair off at least once a week. I trim it at least twice a month. Usually when the stray hairs get long enough to interfere with eating and drinking.

It is good to be a geek.

[Phoenix]

Gillette Mach 3 Turbos and Braun Synchro when in a hurry or need a quick one on the weekend - I never seem to get a close enough shave and get a lot of irritation on the neck - I'm considereing letting my wife wax my neck area and see if that helps

[vtbub]

Schick Quattro and Edge Gel.

I probably could shave twice a day :(

[cody8200]

I use the schick extreme 3 and edge with aloe about once or twice a week. It seems to do alright until I shave my upper lip in which case I usually cut myself for some reason. Man it hurts to cut your lip.

[Craptacular]

Norelco. Every day. Always have, always will. I'm debating to try the one with the "goo" so I can shave in the shower.

[Wasabiak]

Originally posted by Buccaneer
Hmm...

I've been using Machs for years, currently have the Mach 3 Turbo Deluxe Gold Edition. I only shave twice a week, on Monday and Thursday because I'm too lazy. I can make those great blades last for months without any nicks or buts. I always use Edge gels. I do have to trim my goatee with an electric razor about every 10 days, it's a pain because it's easy to screw up.

The aspect of shaving that I have trouble with is the after shave (not cologne, that's fagg... oops, sorry). For years, I used Old Spice Hydrogel - great stuff. Then they discontinued that. Then after buying the last bottle of hydrogel left on the earth, I switched over to Old Spice Soothing Gel. Then they discontinued that. Now I'm back to the regular Old Spice (in the cool bottles), non-alcoholic kind for sensitive skin. The only problem with the liquids is the waste. Not only the gels caused less waste but it went on smooth.

Yeah, i hear you Buccaneer. I used that same Old Spice Gel, and i loved it. Why is it that companies stop making all the good stuff??? Like Frito Lay........Those bastards made these really good Ranchero flavored Doritos, they came out the same time the Guacemole flavored ones came out (this last fall). I LOVED those Ranchero flavored chips, but the bastards quit making them. I have been to every grocery store in the 5 state area looking for these damn things...........

Anyway, i hear ya.

[Buccaneer]

Wasabiak: You stick around as long as I have and you will see so many products that you get hooked on and then they pull it. I can't begin to count the number of times it has happened and it is very frustrating.

[Toddzilla]

I'm also part of the super-sensitive skin club. So much so that I can't even use an electric more often than every other day. I have totally given up on blades and have settled on the newest Braun that comes with it's own cleaner. It gives me by far the closest most-comfortable shave ever. Something about keeping the blades clean must really do the trick. It shaves closer than any blade ever had before.

Now all I need is a decent after-shave to soothe the skin. I use the Nivea stuff and it's allright, but i still have a bit of a burn afterwards.

/most helpful. thread. ever.

[Arbitrary Aardvark]

I have a beard, but shave parts of my cheeks and neck. I use, and have used for twenty years, a standard safety razor. (I used to have a very nice one which belonged to my Great Grandfather, but it disapeared in a move. I now use a cheepo.) I use Gillette blades, and replace them fairly often. I use actual shaving soap, with a brush and shaving mug my mom got me about fifteen years ago. I make sure the water is very hot before lathering up. I've never been able to manage using electric razors (beard trimmers, on the other hand, I like), and prefer the single-edged traditional blade. Whenever I use a double-edged blade, it gets clogged with my whiskers every inch or so.

[Samdari]

Originally posted by alterra
Mach 3 with my girlfriend in the shower.

I have tried to talk my wife into this. How'd it work out?

[cthomer5000]

I've become pretty frustrated with my shaving results. I use a Braun electric (the one they advertise all the time), and have been using it for almost exactly one year now.

Consistently, I'm no happy with the performance in the neck region. It handles my face fine, but just can't seem to cut the mustard sub-chin.

I have to throw in a standard razor shave 1-2 weeks in order to get a real close shave in the neck/throat area. The electric just can't keep that closeness.

[Ksyrup]

Anyone going to give this a try when it comes out?




BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- There's a new Rolls-Royce for the serious shaver.

Gillette rolled out a new high-tech, premium razor Thursday, a souped-up version of the Mach3Turbo featuring 62 patents and a tiny, battery-powered motor that emits pulses that work on the skin to prop up hair so it can be lopped off more easily.

The Boston-based company said the gentle, electric hum of the "M3Power" not only reduces the need to shave over the same skin surface repeatedly, but even produces an agreeable massaging sensation.

But the Rolls-Royce device, expected to hit North American shelves in May, will also come with a Rolls-Royce price tag: $14.99 for the shaving system (including a battery), compared to $8.99 for the Mach3Turbo. A 4-pack of blades will go for $10.99, a 15 percent premium.

"I'm not concerned about the product or the quality or the ads or the message, it's just whether or not the consumer will readily accept the trade-up," said William Steele, an analyst at Banc of America Securities.

Gillette says they have before, and they will again.

"Men have demonstrated over and over a willingness to pay if we perform, and we do," said Mary Ann Pesce, Gillette's vice president of new shaving products.

The M3Power, rolled out in New York on Thursday after much industry speculation, is a counterpunch to rival Schick-Wilkinson Sword's four-bladed "Quattro," which hit shelves in September amid much fanfare and some concern it would cut into Gillette's market lead. Gillette has sued Schick, a unit of St. Louis-based Energizer Holdings, for patent infringement.

But Gillette says M3Power is more of an extension of the Mach3 product line, and that its next-generation shaving system is still in development. Pesce declined to say whether Gillette would try to include the M3Power technology in a woman's razor. Gillette's new Venus Divine women's system goes on sale in March.

The M3Power comes with a Duracell battery -- also manufactured by Gillette and lasting three to six months under normal use -- that fits in the handle and powers a small motor that generates what Pesce described as a "gentle hum." That energy increases the tension in facial skin, and essentially props up hairs, which can otherwise lie flat.

Gillette also says it has improved the technology behind the coating of the blades, to make sure they stay uniformly smooth throughout.

"It also provides this new experience that guys said was like a massage," she said.

Gillette refused to discuss details of its marketing plan for the new system, but said it would kick off with an ad during the Super Bowl.

Peter Hoffman, president of Gillette's blades and razors division, declined to give specific sales guidance but said he expected comparable results to the rollout of Mach3Turbo, which generated $300 million in sales in its first year.

Most of that came from customers already using Gillette, and the company acknowledged that would likely happen again here. But Steele said it would likely lead to some new customers, and that Gillette's strategy has worked in the past.

"Leave it to Gillette to innovate behind its own products," he said.