Hello, folks,
FNG here with an intro and some questions as well.
This is gonna be a long post, so I don't blame ya if you just move on... but I'm hoping you won't.
Questions in
bold.
I'm a 51 year old sort of new'ish sly guy. I've had "spartan" coverage since I went into the Army at 21, (kept a high and tight throughout), then once I left the Army I kept it a buzz cut.
Started with about 3 mm maybe? Eventually over the years took it down to I think 1 mm... then for the past 3 years I've used the Wahl Balding trimmer with a 6x 0 blade.
Just this Christmas; 2018, I got myself a HeadBlade ATX and decided to "take the plunge."
I gotta say, after using the HeadBlade ATX for 3 days I'm pretty disappointed. I can't seem to get that BBS feel that I'm wanting. I looked sly to the eye... but not to the hand. I've since read that it's not really made for that, it's more made for ease of use and less chance of irritation. Any truth to that? Are any of you who use it able to get BBS shaves? I keep having to touch it up with my 4 blade Bic razor.
That's even using the Headshed exfoliant first, and Headslick... still no BBS

Reading more here, having found this site seeking advice on how best to do things, I picked up a Gillette Fusion Power, (meh <shrugs> I'm a gadget guy so anything that's a gadget... like a vibrating razor blade, intrigues me, LOL).
Now THIS gets me BBS !!! Does the HeadBlade really not work well for BBS quality shaves... or do I need more practice with it? Even if that's the case, I wonder, why bother, since I'm LOVING the save quality that I'm getting with the Fusion, (I just actually find the HeadBlade easier to use frankly).
I have some minutia detail questions regarding my routine that hopefully folks here can help with, (I tried searching and couldn't find the specific answers).
I do this every morning so far for 5 days now.
1) Fill a cup up with cold water, and soak a washcloth in cold water, and bring into shower.
2) Run shower as hot as I can stand.
3) Soak my head for a few minutes to wake up and get that stubble nice and fluffy with water and open the ol' pores.
4) Headshed my scalp and face where I shave, (I have a goatee now but thinking about the full beard/bald head look).
5) Rinse out the Headshed and hopefully gunk and grime it's removed.
6) Headslick my scalp and face where I shave.
7) Brush my teeth allowing Headslick to set for a bit.
<-- I've read that you should let this set, but every video I see they go straight from applying it to shaving... which is correct?
8 ) Shave my face.
9) Shave my head, (by this time the Headslick appears to have dried up, so I start rubbing around again, and it gets all lathered up again... so again, should I not let it set a bit?) So far this is taking me about 10 minutes, give or take, to get a BBS feel. I'll keep the slick going, (I find there's enough on my head that if I rub my hand around my head again, it lathers up a bit again), and I keep doing this and searching for some sandpaper to shave down. Once I'm happy with the feel, I rinse my head under the shower, feel around for more rough patches, find a few, shave them down, rinse again... then I'm happy.
10) I then use the cold water in the cup and washcloth to rinse my head again and wipe it down; the idea being to close the pores?.
<-- Should I not rinse at all in step 9 above with the hot shower water, and just rinse with cold water?11) Get out of shower and towel off, patting my head dry not rubbing
<-- Uh... why pat and not rub? Never could find this answer.12) Once dry I tend to find some more rough patches and go over them again with the razor.
Wonder why I didn't feel these until after I've been out of the shower for about 5/10 min?13) Blot my razor blades dry with a towel and put them in some baby oil.
14) Rub in some HeadClear aftershave. I don't mind the sting, but keep reading about how alcohol based aftershaves are bad for the skin long term, (in all my years of face shaving since 15 years old, I've NEVER used aftershave and know next to nothing about it. Had I known more, I may not have had some of the acne issues I did... I've since learned this here in head care, so I've passed the info on to my son as well).
Any better alternatives? 15) Get dressed and finish up getting ready for my day, then add the Headlube, (matte as of now). I'm not using much but the more I rub it in, the more pronounced and white it shows. I've sort of been dabbing some off with a bit of toilet paper.
Am I using too much? I really don't put much on, a "Pump's worth," since I bought the pumps for the lotions. Maybe not rub it in as much? Or will it soak in by the time I get to work, (about 45 minutes after I apply it)?I don't know if it's the fact that I've been keeping my head close to shaved for years, being 51 having lived in FL for 25 years, or what... but my skin/head seem to be pretty tough. I've had no irritation... so far... using the Headshed each day, or going over my head repeatedly with the razor even after my head is dry, (step 12 above). I've never nicked my head so far either, (knock wood), maybe I'm lucky or it will catch up to me... we'll find out.
So... that's me and my routine. Any thoughts, suggestions, answers to the questions?
I'm getting totally obsessed with the sly BBS feel. I've been off most of the days I've been shaving the head, (today was the first day I shaved... day 5 of shaving... that I had to go to work), and during the day whenever I feel some patch I didn't notice before... or has obviously simply grown back... I've been taking the razor to it until it's BBS again, LOL. Hello, my name is Lou, and I've become a BBS junkie... they say the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem, LOL.
Thanks all for the help you've already provided me from all your posting here, and to any help you can provide with this post.
I look forward to being a part of the Sly community.
Take care,
Lou