Congrats on your first shave! The best advice I can give you is to give yourself at least an hour to shave with a straight when starting out. In the case of straights, slow is better. When I first started, I was rushing for work and gave myself a deep gash in my thumb. It took four stitches at the ER to close it. Since that day, I have learned to go slow and easy. The shaves will get closer as you become more proficient with the razor.