Shaving direction

drunkymonkey

Morning guys!

Just something thats been playing on my mind lately,

What direction is the correct way of shaving your face...Up or Down?

Since i started shaving 9/10 years ago i've always shaved up my whole face, i find i have better accuracy this way and its a closer shave. I have tried down a couple of times but it seemed to grow back much quicker and left me with spots.

I did a little survey with my friends and my dad and brother and they all said they shave down and find it weird that i shave up!

Now i know the most common way is down but am i doing it wrong shaving up or is there really no difference ?

darsar

I shave down and then go over again up to get the closer shave! Good topic drunky!

murphym7

I was always told to shave with the grain (down) and not against the grain. You get less skin irritation that way.

Dravokivich

When I'm using something with a blade i'd:

I'd generally shave down along the cheeks / jaw / mouth.

Shave up along the neck...

Kinda side ways along the chin.

But I usually let the beard grow very thick so when using an electric razor... I generally just shave upwards.

S'pose the reason why i'd do'em differently is, with the electric razor, if you clip a bit of skin.. I just get a bit of a pinch. Don't want to clip a bit of skin while using a blade.

I know.. I know... not going to do much bleeding and such... just don't like it.

Brendog

I shave down, then up.

Its an extremly close shave and the hair doesn't grow back too quickly so I've a good 3 days of smoothness haha

helimachoptor

On my face I always shave down towards the ground, but on my neck i always shave up

NothingMan

Generally like Drav, down on the face, up on the neck and along the jaw line. But once it's short an all over up/sideways shave to get it extra smooth.

Lately i've taken to just using a tight trimmer all over though. I'd like to say it's for the stubble look but my facial hair is quite sparse so it looks relatively clean shaven anyway.

drunkymonkey

NothingMan wrote: »

Generally like Drav, down on the face, up on the neck and along the jaw line. But once it's short an all over up/sideways shave to get it extra smooth.

Lately i've taken to just using a tight trimmer all over though. I'd like to say it's for the stubble look but my facial hair is quite sparse so it looks relatively clean shaven anyway.

Are those trimmers good? I'd like to have the stubble look too but i heard the trimmers can irritate your skin!

I usually shave and let it grow till i look homeless then shave again!

Dravokivich

drunkymonkey wrote: »

Are those trimmers good? I'd like to have the stubble look too but i heard the trimmers can irritate your skin!

I usually shave and let it grow till i look homeless then shave again!

Never had a problem with irritation myself.

Yeah... I do the homeless beard thing too... too lazy to shave every couple of days...

Galvasean

helimachoptor wrote: »

On my face I always shave down towards the ground, but on my neck i always shave up

Thats what I do. I generally find it awkward to shave down on the neck. It usually misses bits.

NothingMan

drunkymonkey wrote: »

Are those trimmers good? I'd like to have the stubble look too but i heard the trimmers can irritate your skin!

I'd like to recommend you the trimmer, but I kind of did a role reversal and steal the girlfriends lady bits trimmer(I use a different top on it though ). I don't see how it could irritate you cause if you're leaving 1mm of hair then all your doing is rubbing a plastic topper against your face for a minute and all the hair is snipped by the blade 1mm away from your face.

I never liked using electric shavers though, they did seem to make my face feel all dry and red.

Galvasean

NothingMan wrote: »

I don't see how it could irritate you cause if you're leaving 1mm of hair then all your doing is rubbing a plastic topper against your face for a minute and all the hair is snipped by the blade 1mm away from your face.

The heat generated by some of them can cause irritation. I bought this and the blasted thing gave me a horrible pimply rash like nothing I've ever encountered before. I've since gone back to this. While it doesn't give a close shave (leaves a very thin line of stubble but i dont mind that) but causes no irritation and I've had it two years.

Gran Hermano

With the grain, across the grain and finally against the grain is my method.
Just make sure your face is prepared before (have a bath/shower/sauna/hot towel wrap) and never drag a razor across dry skin.

Use a shaving brush and a proper shaving soap/cream and apply lather between each razor pass.

Have a look here

drunkymonkey

NothingMan wrote: »

I don't see how it could irritate you cause if you're leaving 1mm of hair then all your doing is rubbing a plastic topper against your face for a minute and all the hair is snipped by the blade 1mm away from your face.

That's very true, i just got that impression from my flat mate, he uses one and everytime he used it his skin would be all blotchy and pimples appearing, he has since started clean shaving and the results are much better so he put it down to the trimmer!

Now that i think of it the trimmer could have been dirty!
Probably some guy at a house party using it on his bits!

I'm in a predicament, see i like the homeless stubble look, i look better with it, fairly distinguished i must say! The itchyness wins in the end though and i have to shave it off for relief! On the other other hand i LOVE the feeling of a clean shave, but i'm left looking like a 12 year old boy! So i can't win!

P.s ... anyone try a turkish shave yet? I had one done last week! :cool:

NothingMan

Galvasean wrote: »

The heat generated by some of them can cause irritation. I bought this and the blasted thing gave me a horrible pimply rash like nothing I've ever encountered before. I've since gone back to this. While it doesn't give a close shave (leaves a very thin line of stubble but i dont mind that) but causes no irritation and I've had it two years.

Well this is what I use/steal. With the trimmer head on the closest setting. Does me fine and makes a change from my Mach 3 being all used and gross.

drunkymonkey

Gran Hermano wrote: »

With the grain, across the grain and finally against the grain is my method.
Just make sure your face is prepared before (have a bath/shower/sauna/hot towel wrap) and never drag a razor across dry skin.

Use a shaving brush and a proper shaving soap/cream and apply lather between each razor pass.

Have a look here

I first use that Nivea exfoliating stuff in the shower then get out and put on shaving gel, shave. Then afterwards rinse my face with warm water, dab with a towel and put on some moisturizer!

If i don't shower i wash my face with hot water and rub soap in to soften the hair , wash off with warm water again and shave away and put the cream on afterwards!

Been fairly tempted to get a straight razor though! I really do love shaving!

omb0wyn5ehpij9

I always shave down, I end up with a very irritable skin if I shave up

drunkymonkey

Bryn wrote: »

I always shave down, I end up with a very irritable skin if I shave up

See it's the opposite for me, and i just wanna know why!?

Unless it could be because my face is like this :pac:

drunkymonkey

Does it have something to do with whatever way you shave first?

OldGoat

Facial hair & Hats forum. Imagine, a whole forum dedicated to shaving, not shaving, razors, brushes, creams, soaps, hair trimmers - and the occasional hat.

Galvasean

drunkymonkey wrote: »

See it's the opposite for me, and i just wanna know why!?

Unless it could be because my face is like this :pac:

I knew what was coming before clicking but man, that was funny! :pac:

d'Oracle

The direction depends on the grain.
Always shave with the grain, less ingrown hairs and rash that way.

drunkymonkey

OldGoat wrote: »

Facial hair & Hats forum. Imagine, a whole forum dedicated to shaving, not shaving, razors, brushes, creams, soaps, hair trimmers - and the occasional hat.

I didn't realize there was a Facial hair forum! Boards really does have every type of forum!! :eek:

My apologies!

trotskee

Always with the grain

Thomas828

Usually for me it's down to get rid of the thickest stubble and then up for the smoothest possible shave. If I only shave downwards then it just feels like a job half done.

nkay1985

Gran Hermano wrote: »

With the grain, across the grain and finally against the grain is my method.
Just make sure your face is prepared before (have a bath/shower/sauna/hot towel wrap) and never drag a razor across dry skin.

Use a shaving brush and a proper shaving soap/cream and apply lather between each razor pass.

Have a look here

Listen to the man, he knows what he's talking about!

Great stuff in the Safety Razors thread in Facial Hair and Hats. Been using a safety razor for a good while now. Bought blades for my Mach 3 recently as I had to shave in a hurry and it felt like I was plucking each hair out of my face as I was shaving, wasn't a very clean shave and gave me dry skin afterwards. Horrible things altogether!

pento

use olive oil to shave, shaving cream is a scam.

NothingMan

pento wrote: »

use olive oil to shave, shaving cream is a scam.

It's cheaper than olive oil! Costs a lot to pulp up all those virgins.

LFC5Times

I shave down the face & chin and up the neck.

Dord

OldGoat wrote: »

Facial hair & Hats forum. Imagine, a whole forum dedicated to shaving, not shaving, razors, brushes, creams, soaps, hair trimmers - and the occasional hat.

Throw it over if you want (with a redirect of course! )


BTW, it's best to shave with the grain initially. After that if you want a closer shave you can go back and shave against it. It's important to look at the direction of the grain across your face as it may not all be growing in the same direction. Let the stubble grow out for a few days if you can't see it easily.

Creamy Goodness

Thomas828 wrote: »

Usually for me it's down to get rid of the thickest stubble and then up for the smoothest possible shave. If I only shave downwards then it just feels like a job half done.

this, but i've recently moved to a safety razor which makes shaving against the grain oh so much more dangerous. that being said though going with the grain with a safety razor is so smooth i wouldn't attempt going against the grain with it.

Jimmy Iovine

Always shave down even on the neck. Have tried up a few times on the neck but it just rips my skin to shreds and it flares up later that day which is never a good look.

I do generally make a second pass on the face going from the ears at an angle to the chin. Works a charm and cuts it quite tight

Sugar Free

First pass with the grain, second pass against the grain, third pass (only stubborn parts like just below the jawline) across the grain.

I also use a safety razor, they give extremely close shaves with the right razor/blade/soap combo.

WallyGUFC

Has anyone ever seen that stupid program on RTE1 from time to time...forget the name but it's four American doctors basically giving advice on everything and anything.
They said always with the grain. If you go against it causes irritation apparently and you want to leave just a bit of the hair itself left. Now for ya!

Raedwald

I would always shave with the grain, so down the face and neck. Never feel good shaving up as its cutting against the face, would only do this if a difficult patch needed sorting.

Diabhal Beag

I always shave from the bottom of the sideburns to the chin

carlaboi

I always shave up but I always thought you shave up on the neck and down on the face.

cocoa

with the grain for the first pass, which for me is mostly downward and left to right, then depending on how much growth I had in the first place another pass with the grain or across and then finally against (upward in places and right to left in places). Always more risk of cuts against the grain and to be honest you can easily get close enough with the grain. Lots of good discussion of shaving and safety razors in the Beards and Hats Forum, much though that may not entirely make sense...

source

1st pass, always with the grain....just remember that hair doesn't just grow up or down.

2nd pass, across the grain, from jawline to nose,

3rd pass, as above but from nose to jawline

4th pass, against the grain....

Result: super smooth skin in every direction.

I use a safety razor, brush and soap/cream, never that crap in a can.

@ Creamy Goodness, shaving against the grain isn't a problem with a safety razor, the key is proper preparation, and using more than 1 pass, even if you just use 2 passes, 1 with the grain and 1 against the grain it makes it much easier.

RoryMurphyJnr

+ 1

Take a trip into the Waldorf Barbers on Westmoreland St (assuming you're in Dublin)
Hot towel shave in there is the best around

R

johnmacward

drunkymonkey wrote: »

Are those trimmers good? I'd like to have the stubble look too but i heard the trimmers can irritate your skin!

I usually shave and let it grow till i look homeless then shave again!

Trimmers will definitely NOT irritate your skin, unless you decide to hack your face off with one. There not close enough to irritate.

johnmacward

foinse wrote: »

1st pass, always with the grain....just remember that hair doesn't just grow up or down.

2nd pass, across the grain, from jawline to nose,

3rd pass, as above but from nose to jawline

4th pass, against the grain....

Result: super smooth skin in every direction.

I use a safety razor, brush and soap/cream, never that crap in a can.

@ Creamy Goodness, shaving against the grain isn't a problem with a safety razor, the key is proper preparation, and using more than 1 pass, even if you just use 2 passes, 1 with the grain and 1 against the grain it makes it much easier.

What DAY of the week do you leave free for that?

source

johnmacward wrote: »

What DAY of the week do you leave free for that?

:D:D It takes about 10 minutes in total. When I first started with the safety razor it took about 20 minutes but it's worth it.

OldGoat

I'm about 10 minutes too but only for 3 passes. Love the way the first pass is taken slow and carefully but the last pass is a quick and nonchalant swipe.

bricky06

i always shave up on my cheeks/chin area and down on my neck, i dont know how you other guys shave up on the neck? i tried this when first starting to shave (about 14/15) and had terrible irritation and "shaving bumps".

Maybe i should try shaving up again, it could have been my teenage skin that was the problem? or is that just a plain bad idea?

OldGoat

There is no 'right' direction for everyone. Our hair grows in different ways on different parts of our face and neck. Find yours then shave with the grain, then across the grain.

scientific1982

I always shave up against the grain.

magneticimpulse

NothingMan wrote: »

Well this is what I use/steal. With the trimmer head on the closest setting. Does me fine and makes a change from my Mach 3 being all used and gross.

i hope you dont steal this from your girlfriend? its a carpet strimmer

I always shave up...with mach 5 fusion