Originally by: K1K1R1K1

---

So I've been shaving for more than a few years now and wanna find out if there are ways to make it suck less. I've noticed a few odd things about shaving that I wanna share, and I wanna see what methods you guys (and the occasional bearded lady) use to make it less painful. I use a Gillette Mach 3 razor (I tried the fusion thing... meh, I went back to the Mach 3). So here's some things I've noticed and have problems with.

1.) New blades suck. For some reason (probably because they're so bloody sharp), new blades give me more cuts. I prefer a used razor (2 or 3 shaves) over a new one. Am I the only one who does/prefers this?

2.) Shaving every day is impossible for me. Shaving every other day is painful. Shaving every third day is tolerable. Shaving every 4th day is essentially painless. What gives? The longer my hair grows out, the less painful shaving gets (yet I cut it down equally smooth no matter how long it is). Is there a way around this? I don't want to look like a hobo the majority of the time just so that I can have a painless shave. And no, my hair doesn't grow slower than normal. It's average if anything (ie: you can tell I haven't shaved after a day).

3.) I shave against the grain. Everything I read about shaving says to shave with the grain. When I do so I miss a lot of hair. So which way is better?

4.) I tried different ways to make it less painful. Such as really massaging the shaving cream into my skin after rinsing my face with hot water (after a shower), to just slapping it on dry skin just before I'm about to head out. It seems to make little difference (just putting it on dry skin is worse, but not as much as I had expected). Anyone here have a technique that works?

I don't know any older guys I can really ask about this, and my friends are all about as ill-informed and experienced as I am. So if you know something I don't, please share the knowledge.

Thanks

---