Please critique my routine

• Please critique my routine by JDCookMS on 21 Feb, 2014 13:42
• Hey everyone. As I said over in the introduction I'm new here (and am new to shaving my head). I was hoping that y'all might be able to critique my routine.
  
  I am using a Headblade ATX, with the 4 blades attachment. I use Nivea Men face scrub (it says it's supposed to provide a smoother shave) For shaving cream I am using Gillette fusion proglide sensitive gel. My aftershave is Nivea Men, with an spf 15 in it.
  
  I shower and while in the shower I have a mirror set up on the wall. I use the face scrub. I then lather up with the gel and go over my head two times. After I dry off I will go over my head with my electric razor to get any spots that I might've missed. I then apply the aftershave.
  
  I have nicked myself a good few times (but that's to be expected while learning). I'm just not satisfied with how smooth my head is afterwards. I can still feel a little stubble, even though when other people rub my head they don't seem to feel it. Is that normal?
  
  Any recommendations are more than welcome.
• #1 by tobler1 on 21 Feb, 2014 15:13
• I think most everyone has spots on the head that are harder to get smooth.  That's certainly the case with me.  Your regimen sounds thorough to me...Unfortunately, however, it appears that the Belarusian judge has made a pact with the Bolivian judge...While I was inclined to give you a 9.5 for technicality and a 9.3 for artistic merit for your routine, Judge Krapovichka is going to lowball you, I'm afraid...
• #2 by Sir Harry on 21 Feb, 2014 15:46
• It sounds good, man....However may I suggest getting some Shave Secret to add to your shave gel? Shave Secret is sold in WalMart and you just add a few drops to your shave gel which will make your blade glide over the hairs a little better. Also, down the road when you get your technique down good, invest in a shaving brush. When you apply your gel with a brush, lit spreads out better resulting in smoother shaves. Good luck and keep us posted!
• #3 by greatnessinc on 23 Feb, 2014 17:58
• Ditch the canned gel and get a bottle of Headslick and a shave brush.
  Go with a 3 pass routine it takes a little longer but is worth it.
  * 1st pass with the grain (front to back)
  * 2nd pass against the grain (back to front)
  * 3rd pass across the grain (start mid way between the temple and the sideburn shave around the side to the back then to the parallel side of where you started)
  
  Note: with Headslick and a shave brush you only need a small squirt of it to get the job done.
• #4 by greatnessinc on 23 Feb, 2014 18:03
• Here's a quick video tutorial I did for the ATX a while back
  
• #5 by PabloSanDiego on 23 Feb, 2014 20:42
• greatnessinc and Sir Harry,
  
  I have a few newbie questions.  Hopefully they're not too stupid!  I've been shaving daily for exactly 3 weeks now, and so far so good.  Like the OP, I would love to get an even closer shave if possible and improve my routine.
  
  First, how do you use the shave brush and HeadSlick?  Do you squirt the gel right from the bottle onto the brush?  Or do you have one of those small bowls?
  
  Sir Harry, how do you do your mixture with Shave Secret?  I assume you mix it in a small bowl?  Do you now know how much to use, so you just rinse it out after you're done and there's not much waste?  Or do you mix up a bigger batch and just leave it in there when you're done and have it for next time?
  
  I'm settling into my routine now, but am looking to improve it.  I squirt about a nickel size glob of HeadSlick onto the fingers of my left hand.  I then lather up my head, and start with the back, sides, then front/top.  I do not rinse the "extra" HeadSlick off my left hand during the shave.  I'm frequently feeling where I just shaved with my left hand, and if I feel some stubble, I apply a bit more lather and do that area again.  Even when I'm done there's some waste as there still some gel between my fingers.
  
  I am intrigued with using a brush, but I just need to learn a bit more about how to best use it with a gel like HeadSlick.  The fingers technique does not spread the gel very uniformly over my head, so I think a brush might be my next purchase.
  
  Next question:  You and others have described how you go WTG first, then ATG.  I get a much closer shave ATG, so that's all I do.  I apply more gel as I described above during the shave and probably hit every patch of scalp 2-5 times during the shave.  What is the benefit of going WTG first as I think for everyone that method does not shave as close?
  
  Thanks for the help.
   
• #6 by Sir Harry on 24 Feb, 2014 00:04
• Pablo, glad you asked....the only dumb question is the one that is not asked LOL...
  When I use head slick (sometimes I use shaving soap), I first put four to six drops of Shave Secret in my scuttle (bowl). Then I drop one capful of head slick and then I wet my brush and mix the H.S. and S.S. inside the scuttle with the brush. If I have more than three days growth, I add a capful of baby oil to the mix. I use a DE razor, so if I drop baby oil on therrazor, that's usually enough without adding it to the lather. Everyone has different ways that they shave, I lather one side at a time then shave that one area till I get what I want. I use the ATX occasionally, but my best shaves have been with a DE. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
• #7 by Goatee on 24 Feb, 2014 08:24
• I always have a couple of patches that will not get smooth!! Then, just a couple of hours later the hair starts growing back!!
  
  Sometime i wonder why i try so hard to get a smooth head when it all starts getting rough a few hours later.
  
  I have been shaving daily now i use my Braun Electric and i will get some head slick to use with it as it is a wet/dry shaver!
• #8 by g_bald on 24 Feb, 2014 10:09
• Your routine sounds just fine to me. I actually like Sir Harry's method of using the scuttle... I usually lather from the bowl into the hot, wet brush.
  
  I will not - unless I have no choice - go back to lathering with anything but a brush. Not only does it feel "old-fashioned" - it also has numerous benefits (it helps stimulate the blood vessels on the scalp and exfoliates nicely too). I got my brother one for his birthday and he shaved with it that day and loved it! Another "brush convert"!
  
  It's definitely an investment well worth it. If you are not allergic, boar's hair or badger hair brushes are the best.
  
  That being said, I have not had particularly great results with any HeadBlade. I DO like HeadSlick and HeadLube though. You need very little to lather up the dome. Gels I don't like anymore though. I find they tend to get messy as well and the soap feels like a hot lather on my scalp as opposed to the feeling of the cold foam. Nothing beats a hot lather shave! I don't want to seem like a "sales guy" but I find the Gillette Fusion Power works great. It takes one 'AAA' battery, which lasts quite a while (I just changed mine the other day and have been using it regularly [i.e. every day or every other day] since the beginning of August) and the blades last a good number of shaves. Even as a 'newbie' (both to this site and to shaving the melon) I found very little irritation. What irritation I had was due to pressing the razor down too hard. Just lightly press it and let it glide...oh yes, and enjoy it too!
  
  One thing most people think of is that pressing harder will give you a closer shave. That just leads to skin irritation. I catch myself pressing harder, especially when I am in a hurry, and scold myself and go back to letting it glide. Especially if I have 2-3 days growth (mostly because I got lazy or was travelling where I can't take my 'toys' on an airplane) it is harder to cut through the stubble with it and the tendency is to bear down harder. But I've trained myself to overcome that (I hope to learn to fetch a stick and bring it back next LOL  ) tendency to bear down. Remember: just let it glide and the blades will do the work for you.
  
  I haven't been brave enough to try a straight-blade razor yet. I got a nice nick in the sideburn area from it (it's VERY sharp!) so I folded it up and told myself I wasn't yet the artiste with it that I thought... Some other guys (I think Sir Harry is one of them) use the old fashioned DE razor (maybe your dad or granddad had one) - I haven't tried them yet.
  
  Gee, I rambled on quite a bit! I hope this - and all the other posts and information - helps you out to getting the best and most enjoyable shaving experience money can buy!
• #9 by -Doug- on 24 Feb, 2014 10:44
• For what it is worth, I'd try a cartridge with fewer blades. I found that the few blades a cartridge has the better the shave I tend to get. I've never really been a fan on the HB blades but I do love the ATX.
• #10 by greatnessinc on 24 Feb, 2014 16:09
• "greatnessinc and Sir Harry,
  
  I have a few newbie questions.  Hopefully they're not too stupid!  I've been shaving daily for exactly 3 weeks now, and so far so good.  Like the OP, I would love to get an even closer shave if possible and improve my routine.
  
  First, how do you use the shave brush and HeadSlick?  Do you squirt the gel right from the bottle onto the brush?  Or do you have one of those small bowls?
  
  Sir Harry, how do you do your mixture with Shave Secret?  I assume you mix it in a small bowl?  Do you now know how much to use, so you just rinse it out after you're done and there's not much waste?  Or do you mix up a bigger batch and just leave it in there when you're done and have it for next time?
  
  I'm settling into my routine now, but am looking to improve it.  I squirt about a nickel size glob of HeadSlick onto the fingers of my left hand.  I then lather up my head, and start with the back, sides, then front/top.  I do not rinse the "extra" HeadSlick off my left hand during the shave.  I'm frequently feeling where I just shaved with my left hand, and if I feel some stubble, I apply a bit more lather and do that area again.  Even when I'm done there's some waste as there still some gel between my fingers.
  
  I am intrigued with using a brush, but I just need to learn a bit more about how to best use it with a gel like HeadSlick.  The fingers technique does not spread the gel very uniformly over my head, so I think a brush might be my next purchase.
  
  Next question:  You and others have described how you go WTG first, then ATG.  I get a much closer shave ATG, so that's all I do.  I apply more gel as I described above during the shave and probably hit every patch of scalp 2-5 times during the shave.  What is the benefit of going WTG first as I think for everyone that method does not shave as close?
  
  Thanks for the help."
  No such thing as a stupid question.
  With headslick you just squirt a drop or 2 on the brush then lather up. WTG is a safer pass and less likely to cause cuts or nicks. Think of it like mowing your yard then coming back the same row in the opposite direction to get any missed blades of grass (hairs). The nature of multi-blade cartridges is that the first blade pulls the hair up and the next blade is supposed to cut the hair under the skin. This can and often does result in ingrown hairs. Going ATG can pull up skin as well as the follicle which is commonly how cuts and nicks happen, that's less common after your scalpe adjusts to being shaved on a regular basis. But no matter how seasoned you are at shaving, sooner or later there will be blood.
• #11 by PabloSanDiego on 24 Feb, 2014 17:58
• greatnessinc, I know we're all different, but maybe I have a tough scalp!  Today was my 23rd straight day shaving (plus 4 or 5 second shaves before going out at night), so close to 30 shaves and I have yet to get even a small cut or nick [knock on wood].
  
  Tomorrow morning I'm probably going to carve my head up or cut an ear off after writing that!
  
  I find that a first pass WTG doesn't get close enough, even with my Gillette Pro Fusion and its 5 blades.  All it seems to do is scrape the shaving gel off my head so I have to lather up again.  I really hate stubble and want to get as close as I can, as I'm always dealing with stubble and the velcro 12 hours later; I really hate that.
  
  but as I said, we're all different in how our hair grows and responds to different techniques, and I'm still far from settled on what works for me.  So maybe I'll give the WTG another shot.
  
  I am definitely going to get the brush though.  I sort of like the idea of using the small shaving bowl too, it just seems cool and from all reports from you, Sir Harry and others, it's way more effective also.  I might even get two brushes/bowls, one for the shower for my head and one for the sink for my face.  I tried shaving my face in the shower and even with a mirror I really disliked that and got a horrible shave.  I guess after 35+ years of shaving my face at the sink it's too hard to switch.
  
  
• #12 by greatnessinc on 25 Feb, 2014 13:25
• If you're already a few weeks into regular basis head shaving you can safely go ATG with little worry of getting cuts or nicks. If you have an extra coffee cup it's a perfectly acceptable alternative to a shaving bowl. Shaving brush makes a difference. I really didn't think it'd make that much of an impact until I tried one.
• #13 by g_bald on 28 Feb, 2014 09:48
• 
  I agree with this wholeheartedly. I don't go WTG anymore, even after a few days. Normally I don't go that long unless I can't help it. Even then, it's still shorter than the shortest attachment I have for my clippers!
  
  The brush is the way to go, definitely. I use mine EVERY time.
  
  I do sort of regret the look and feel of shearing off all that yucky hair and feeling the incredible surge of coolness, but I don't "regret" it enough to go back!