When I was doing my first man shave (as opposed to shaving my legs where I only go ATG), he had a couple days growth and thick coarse hair. For giggles (yes, I often giggle) I tried ATG first on one spot and almost ripped his face off... even after good prep. It was absolutely necessary to do WTG first, then I followed with XTG and touched up ATG. I am only a humble newbie, but I can see how the individual's hair makes a lot of difference. I like the process of starting WTG first to minimize any irritation. Yep, that's my 2 cents... may only be worth 1 cent though.