Shaving & Playing & Irritation.

[Doug@GT]

A good aftershave lotion is what solved the problem for me. A little Nivea on the upper lip fixes the problem.

[Joe Baker]

I wear a beard & mustache, but shave a very thin line next to the top lip (you can't see it; I actually slide the shaver, and later the mouthpiece, up under the whiskers to reach this area), and enough area under my bottom lip for the mouthpiece to be only on skin. I got a Remington shaver a little over a year ago, and it's been easy on the skin. I try to shave several hours before I'm going to be playing, but if I can't I just "gloss over" the area the mouthpiece will touch. I can still feel a bit of stubble afterwards, but it's little enough that a get a good seal, and the skin itself seems to be unaffected. I assume other "foil" type reciprocating shavers would give similar results.
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Joe Baker, who gives his Remington a thumbs-UP

[Dylan King]

I never have a problem when I shave. My lip stays comfortable whether I have just shaved cose, or have a full beard. I hear all kinds of brass players say they just don't feel right after shaving. Maybe you could try laser hair removal for a permanent solution.

[Mark]

Never mind...

[AndyL]

I like the nice smooth feeling from shaving _right before_ I play.

FWIW, I use a Braun electric razor. An old Model 150 seems to shave the closest.

Another brand of electric now has a lotion dispenser right in the shaver head for those with sensitive skin.

[Will]

A pharmacist reccomended peanut butter to me for this problem.

Woah, I don't think I could fall asleep smelling peanut butter all night. (I'd either get hungry or get sick of it)

I just recently shaved after having a beard and mustache for a couple years. I did notice a difference but had no problems playing and demonstrating tuba and bass trombone at a local high school and middle school. One thing I did notice was that my embouchure slipped around due to the spit left in the mouthpiece. This is something I never experienced with the facial hair. Anyway, the beard and 'stache are coming back. Not for playing reasons but because I like the look.

[BVD Press]

Shave and then shower right after. It seems to soften me right up!!

[corbasse]

Shave and then shower right after. It seems to soften me right up!!

I do more or less the opposite: I shave after or mostly during a shower. The warm water makes the hairs softer, and my skin seems to be irritated a lot less the moment I started doing it. I don't even need after-shave lotions or balms anymore. (other than for a nice smell )

[tubatooter1940]

I used to shave the whiskers off my horny hide.Noe I just drive 'em in with a hammer and bite 'em off inside.

[Kevin Hendrick]

Having a moustache solves the whole issue for me. I just need to keep it trimmed up a bit. I'm more comfortable with bigger mouthpieces, so the moustache doesn't seem to interfere in any way that I can tell. Maybe a real pro would tell me to get rid of it.

What for? If it doesn't interfere with your playing, and you like having it, I (for one) sure don't see a problem with it.