To stretch or not?

[bald as]

With a straight it is a given that face contortions and stretching provide a safer and smoother shave but do you use straight like techniques to give you a better during shave experience. What are the advantages you notice with safety style razors using various stretching methods?

 

[Psmith]

I have stretched my skin when shaving with a DE, usually with a razor that isn't quite as aggressive as I'd like. I mostly do it on my cheeks and side of face to ensure a true BBS against the grain.

 

[SpeedyPC]

@bald as this will answer your question below I think

 

[Monsta_AU]

I do my neack a bit, but that is limited to tilting my head up and sideways to stretch the skin a bit. I also contort my jaw a little for the cheeks.

If you are using a straight or shavette, it is amost required.

 

[RustyBlade]

Yes for sure. Face contortions, grimacing and stretching are required for me to achieve BBS. Main pull stretch is under my jaw line where I need to pull up ATG as DE can't access a clean plane to achieve BBS. Again for back of the gonion a pull forward is required.
My neck has to be taut either by lifting chin and slight turn otherwise the DE bites. Adams Apple the same.
Upper lid is a wiggle to the left and a wiggle to the right
Plenty of YouTube videos on the topic.

 

[RustyBlade]

Oh and baboon butt cheek blowing helps too wtg & ATG hence why I'm not a YouTube star!

 

[Arnold J Rimmer]

Yeah, unless you are a fan of the "bounce and bite" that a straight is typically capable of... gauging a furrow in your face is not pleasant. I speak from it happening 3 weeks ago in the same, lazy circumstances.

While I find that it is more often linked to a dull blade, un-stretched skin can have a similar effect. It doesn't push through the hair, so you try a little harder, it suddenly gives, hops a little, then trenches in, only to be stopped by whatever piece of bone lies beneath... in my case, it was the cheekbone, just under the eye (up-stroke).

Definitely stretch the skin. It allows a much better gliding effect.

 

[Snooze]

Yeah, unless you are a fan of the "bounce and bite" that a straight is typically capable of... gauging a furrow in your face is not pleasant. I speak from it happening 3 weeks ago in the same, lazy circumstances.

While I find that it is more often linked to a dull blade, un-stretched skin can have a similar effect. It doesn't push through the hair, so you try a little harder, it suddenly gives, hops a little, then trenches in, only to be stopped by whatever piece of bone lies beneath... in my case, it was the cheekbone, just under the eye (up-stroke).

Definitely stretch the skin. It allows a much better gliding effect.

Ouch! Sounds painful

 

[Snooze]

With a straight it is a given that face contortions and stretching provide a safer and smoother shave but do you use straight like techniques to give you a better during shave experience. What are the advantages you notice with safety style razors using various stretching methods?

I think that's one of the advantages of at least trying straights and shavettes and a variety of SE razors - I have picked up techniques with stretching skin, lack of pressure etc that then benefit me when I return to DE razors.

 

[Benjamin]

Yes, definitely I stretch.
I know that with straights it's used to make the skin more taught, but I also find it particularly useful to pull the skin away from the hard, pointy bits of the face to a flatter surface to shave. eg adams apple, jawline.
One of the most handy tricks I have learned, was to rub Alum on my finger tips, so they won't slip on soapy skin when stretching.

 

[Arnold J Rimmer]

Ouch! Sounds painful

Only for the instant before the pain receptors are cut!

Honestly, the real pain came with pouring aftershave into the wound. Ay Carumba!

Stretching the skin just allows the straights to glide over the skin, rather than trying to tunnel through it.

 

[mpontiff]

I often stretch the skin on my face, especially where my cheek meets my neck, in order to have a flatter surface. I usually tilt my head to shave my neck but if I'm using a very mild razor, I benefit from stretching the skin there. Lastly, when shaving my head, I'll stretch the skin to shave that little hollow where the neck meets the skull.

 

[gthomas04]

I find a few minutes stretching the hamstrings helps with upper body stability - I also have the unique ability to convert all skin surfaces on my face to flat surfaces (or at least that is the way they look after my morning pills).