Arkansas members everywhere!

Hey everyone,

New member from Arkansas here. Looking for some guidance on where to go next. Currently, I'm having a lot of trouble with my shaves. Getting a lot of ingrown hairs and irritation. I would also like a closer shave that I could shave more often (maybe every other day).

My current ritual is: warm shower, apply warm shave gel by hand, shave face (cheap multiblade disposable) against grain and more sensitive neck with grain, cold water rinse, after shave gel.

Basically wondering where to go from here. I'm not against any shaving style(straight, safety, disposable, etc). I would just like the end goal to be achieved. My technique and ritual may be the major fault here. What advice would you give this noob? Also, it looks like the average costs to start a straight razor kit is around $250 on the low end. That seems like a huge investment compared to $10 that I'm spending now. What do you think my best option would be to get started to my goal?

Hey man, there are getting to be quite a few Arkansans on here! Unfortunately most all of us are noobs! As to the ingrowns I was having fits with them for years. I was using a Gillette fusion doing basically the same thing as you. When I started stretching the skin better and starting out going with the grain it almost immediately cleared up the ingrown hairs. That was before I changed to a brush and cream/soap. I have since started using a straight and while my shaves aren't anywhere near as close as I can get with my fusion they are getting much better.

First thing I'd tell you to do is to start shaving with the grain on the first pass. If you still want it closer after that then go to the against the grain stroke.

Hi and welcome. Start by doing some reading in the library as all the starter info and the other basics of shaving are in there. Map your beard growth and start by going wtg for a couple of passes till good then add xtg and finally atg. Stretching and pressure will make a difference too. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask

Thanks for the welcomes guys!

Hello from yet another Arkansan. eddy has given the right advice. Welcome to the forum.