Need some advice to improve my ATG shaving technique

[Kevin G]

The last 3 or 4 times I have shaved ATG as opposed to just WTG.  It has went well for the most part and I got no razor burn or bumps.  Actually it seems like my head is pretty razor irritation resistant thankfully.  Plus the witch hazel and ClearHead seem to work really good for me.  However the last two times, especially today my razor did some skipping/grabbing on the back of my head.  More so near the upper part.

 Now granted I used a different shave cream(Cremo) which is supposed to give a nice slick shave.(which it did for the rest of my head).  But the back was a problem.  It was so bad that I put my current shaving favorite(Nivea) on the back of my head and did another WTG pass with my Gillette Fusion Proglide instead of the ATX.  Then I went back to the ATX and did another pass ATG and while it was much better, it still skipped a little.  I had to do a couple more passes before it glided totally smooth.

I normally put Shave Secret under my Nivea gel, which is what I did on the shave before today.  Still  had some skipping though.  The weird thing is that the first time that I shaved with the ATX which was also the first time I shaved ATG I had less skipping then my last two shaves.  I thought well maybe the blade is getting dull but then again I have only used it 3 or 4 times.  What on earth am I doing wrong?  I want to work this out because I know that letting the blade skip and grab like that is just asking for trouble.

[VoodooSyxx]

I haven't used the ATX yet (supposed to get mine tomorrow), but I use the Sport and sometimes run into skipping on the back side as well. It seems the skin on the back of my head is a bit looser than the front. I generally make sure I have a good blade and lean forward to tighten up the skin back there, as well as use my other hand to pull it tight. So far it helps avoid skipping along and nicking things up back there. Hope you get things sorted out there bro

[Gary~]

Can't help you with the ATG shaving tips. However, like you I don't get irritated at all if I go WTG or ATG.

What I have found in my admittedly very limited experience is that shaving AGT takes far longer and requires many more strokes then WTG. It therefore also dulls the blades more quickly unless perhaps you are only shaving ATG with no WTG passes. Also, I reckon that if the blades get a bit dull then they are more likely to skip rather than grab if you go WTG. This means that if the first blade skips then the second or third can still cut the hair successfully. Again, making the blades last longer.

I know that a lot of people here love ATG because of the ultimate smoothness but for my money you can't beat a quick WTG every day. It looks good, you have the choice of feeling the smooth or the rough depending and you can justify a shave everyday. It also ends up costing less in blades and saves time even when compared with shaving only every second day ATG.

[Sir Harry]

It's normal to experience some skipping on the back of the head, because on most guys, that's where the hair tends to be the strongest unlike the top and crown areas. Many times I have to make a second pass on the sides and back because that's where the shadow is. What I do is lather up one area at a time and concentrate on that area instead of lathering my whole head and risking the lather drying up before I start shaving in that area. I do the top first, then each side one at a time and the back last because that's the hardest. Give this method a try if you can, and good luck!

[Mikekoz13]

I always shave WTG first and then make a second pass ATG. I never have this "skipping" problem.

[Kevin G]

SlySirHarry,  I will definitely try just lathering one area at a time.  I often have the problem that you mentioned where the gel/cream wants to dry up and I wind up having to re-lather.  VoodooSyxx, I will try what you said also by leaning my head forward to make the skin more tight.  That makes a lot of sense to me.  Thanks for the advice guys and anyone else feel free to add more to the discussion.  Any and all advice is really appreciated.

[Kevin G]

I just shaved a little after I got done posting my last post and both of you guys advice seemed to help.  I am still getting skipping but not quite as much, so thank you both.  I suspect that I may just need to make the switch to a good shave soap and brush like was suggested to me on another thread.  From the sounds of it shave soaps seem like they provide superior protection and provide a smooth shave.  I guess they would kind of have to with many people using them with safety razors .

[Gary~]

I just shaved a little after I got done posting my last post and both of you guys advice seemed to help.  I am still getting skipping but not quite as much, so thank you both.  I suspect that I may just need to make the switch to a good shave soap and brush like was suggested to me on another thread.  From the sounds of it shave soaps sound like they provide superior protection and provide a smooth shave.  I guess they would kind of have to with many people using them with safety razors .

Someone on this site recommended "King of Shaves Alphagel Shave Gel". I saw it, bought it and tried it. It is fantastic stuff as long as you add a few drops of water to your head from time to time as you shave. It is good because it leaves no after smell, it doesn't leave the head feeling tight, it is very very slippery and very importantly it washes out of the razor very easily -- no need to put it under a running tap to clear out the gunk -- being able to properly  clear the razor every few swipes is paramount.

Wouldn't shave soap be harder to clear?

[Switchy]

I just shaved a little after I got done posting my last post and both of you guys advice seemed to help.  I am still getting skipping but not quite as much, so thank you both.  I suspect that I may just need to make the switch to a good shave soap and brush like was suggested to me on another thread.  From the sounds of it shave soaps sound like they provide superior protection and provide a smooth shave.  I guess they would kind of have to with many people using them with safety razors .

Someone on this site recommended "King of Shaves Alphagel Shave Gel". I saw it, bought it and tried it. It is fantastic stuff as long as you add a few drops of water to your head from time to time as you shave. It is good because it leaves no after smell, it doesn't leave the head feeling tight, it is very very slippery and very importantly it washes out of the razor very easily -- no need to put it under a running tap to clear out the gunk -- being able to properly  clear the razor every few swipes is paramount.

Wouldn't shave soap be harder to clear?

Bro. there are so many members and so many what works for them.  To me it is what I like and what I do.  I use a HB Sport, HeadSlick in the shower and then depending on how I feel I use a Fusion, Shick, or DE for my fine face LOL !    With Brush , don't like the canned item's anymore ! LOL

[Gary~]

Bro. there are so many members and so many what works for them.  To me it is what I like and what I do.  I use a HB Sport, HeadSlick in the shower and then depending on how I feel I use a Fusion, Shick, or DE for my fine face LOL !    With Brush , don't like the canned item's anymore ! LOL

I hear you. I'm looking to trying the HB sport -- should be waiting for me next time I go to town on Friday.

[Switchy]

Bro. there are so many members and so many what works for them.  To me it is what I like and what I do.  I use a HB Sport, HeadSlick in the shower and then depending on how I feel I use a Fusion, Shick, or DE for my fine face LOL !    With Brush , don't like the canned item's anymore ! LOL

I hear you. I'm looking to trying the HB sport -- should be waiting for me next time I go to town on Friday.

Your going to love it.  And head slick small amt. in the shower totally Sweet !   

[Gary~]

Your going to love it.  And head slick small amt. in the shower totally Sweet !  

Yeah, I'm really happy with the gel I'm using but I'm getting a travel pack of the headblade products which includes  head slick so I have to try it. A lot of people on this forum  really rave about it. I really had to consider carefully whether I wanted to push [sport] or pull [atx] and as I shave only WTG I thought that with the ATX those wheels would have to run over my ears when shaving the sides.

Anyway, that bloke Jack in the headblade video on youtube makes the sport look so easy and quick.

[Natedawg]

I'm not sure I understand the "skipping" thing correctly, but I always have to make multiple passes on the back of my head for a smooth result, and I only shave ATG (don't use headblade razors, though).
Either way, don't give up. Just keep trying the right combination of technique and product until you feel it's satisfactory. 

[Kevin G]

Maybe skipping is not the right term I am looking for Natedawg.  I just call it that because it is kind of what it reminds me of.  Pretty much what happens is that when I shave ATG and reach a trouble spot, the blade all the sudden gets hung up real bad.  If I try to pull through it, the blade is real choppy.  Kind of like it moves a little, gets hung up, moves a little more, gets hung up, etc.  

A couple things I learned that seems to help is first of all makes sure I shave every day(shorter hair is much easier).  Also I found that  if I also shave sides ways over the spots in addition to WTG, then it seems to go a little better ATG but still not as well as I would like.  This last time I shaved, while I still did not have visible irritation, one spot felt a little irritated for part of the day.  

Part of me feels like saying the heck with it and just go WTG from now on.   But on the other hand I only have problems with a couple spots on the back of my head.  And it would be a shame to lose the smoothness over just a couple spots.  So I will keep trying.  The next thing that I will try is some shave soaps like Mikekoz recommended to see if they help.  I also thought about maybe getting a good wet/dry shaver from Panasonic to see if it takes care of the problem.  But I will  go with the shave soaps first.  If anyone else has any ideas please let me know.