Thread: NEVER AGAINST THE GRAIN!?

Train my hair? I can't even train my dog!

Hal, that's the best explanation I've ever heard of what causes ingrowns, and it makes a lot of sense, not like some other explanations. Thank you.

Originally Posted by halwilson

My own difficulties arose because, although my razors seemed shavable, they were not keen enough (certainly not keen enough for shaving against the grain). If you try to shave without a really keen blade, it will pull the whisker before it cuts it. That cut whisker will now be shorter than it need be, resting further down inside the hair follicle. If you have a curly tough beard, this is where the ingrowing hair problems begin. I hadn't realized this until I got some expertly honed razors from Lynn. Hal

Because of poor shaving habits, beard hair will grow snug against the skin toward the Adam's apple. The objective is to retrain the hair to grow straight out to achieve a closer shave without irritating the skin. Keep your strokes short and only shave in the direction the hair grows, keeping plenty of lather between you and the blade. To take the beard closer, shave across the grain or on a slight diagonal. The only way to avoid sensitive skin and ingrown hairs is by NEVER shaving against the grain.

All beard hair south of the Adam's apple is actually chest hair. This helps explain why this area can be unruly and grow in swirls and multiple directions. This can aggravate a man on the go, but you must proceed with the patience of a horse whisperer if there is to be an end in sight. Did I mention you should never shave against the grain?

While it is possible to retrain beard hair, it is not possible unless you resist the urge to shave too close, too soon. By tearing up against the grain at any time, the hair will drop beneath the skins surface thereby making the pore susceptible to bacteria, pollution and irritation from shirt collars. Tiny crusts will form forcing the beard hair to exit from underneath. Now we have acute directional growth and a huge potential for coiling, hence a thick beard and/or ingrown hairs. Rinse your face well with fresh warm water before splashing off with cool water. Gently pat the skin dry with a clean towel - never rub it.www.ShavingGallery.com

Everything I've heard from reliable sources tells me that training whisker growth is an old wives tale.

There is no reason to believe that proper shaving against the grain or any really close shaving, for that matter, presents a problem. If that were true, str8 shaving would be the worst for ingrowns and it tends to be the best. The only logical explanation is the one offered by hal above.

Shaving against the grain becomes a problem only if you do it wrong. I have never been able to shave upwards in the moustache area with a str8. The pressure required to cut seems to be just too much. On the other hand, I can do it easily with a DE using no pressure. The blade floats and cuts lightly (multiple passes if necessary) and there is no irritation.

I can't prove it, but ingrowns seem to go hand in hand with irritation. If you shave close irritation free (and the blade is really sharp), you shouldn't have a problem. The challenge is to learn to do that against the grain.

Originally Posted by D.J. (cant log in)

The objective is to retrain the hair to grow straight out to achieve a closer shave without irritating the skin. Keep your strokes short and only shave in the direction the hair grows, keeping plenty of lather between you and the blade. To take the beard closer, shave across the grain or on a slight diagonal. The only way to avoid sensitive skin and ingrown hairs is by NEVER shaving against the grain.

While it is possible to retrain beard hair, it is not possible unless you resist the urge to shave too close, too soon. By tearing up against the grain at any time, the hair will drop beneath the skins surface thereby making the pore susceptible to bacteria, pollution and irritation from shirt collars. Tiny crusts will form forcing the beard hair to exit from underneath. Now we have acute directional growth and a huge potential for coiling, hence a thick beard and/or ingrown hairs. Rinse your face well with fresh warm water before splashing off with cool water. Gently pat the skin dry with a clean towel - never rub it.www.ShavingGallery.com

Whole head is shaved against the grain, no trouble whatsoever. No pre- nor aftercare, just lather and dry.

Oh, and which Royal Family might that be? There is nothing under testimonials nor on the whole site on this. This either means the statement was false or she hasn't done a good job?

Reason enough for me to stay clear from such a place.

HoekmanX:

I always used to shave my face wet with no lather before I started with the str8. I find a smooth cream very helpful for the first two passes (I'm doing 3 or 4 right now, so I always go against the grain at the end). When you go at your head with one you might want to cover your bases with a little water and cream for the first run through or two.

I'm very interested to see how you fare with that. having been a 9 year dry head shaver you're probably in the best position. The only thing that would make you any better prepared is to simply take a month or two (maybe more) to get used to handling the straight razor. That's actualy probably a very good idea now that I think of it, but being a masochist yourself ...

X

P.S. How many scars on the back of your scalp would you need to get or how much of your skull would need to show before you get concerned?
:lol:

I have shaved my head "wet" for the past 9 years, always using the canned shaving cream. But want to go back to basics.

I usually shave my head every second day, and under those conditions it now takes me 15 minutes and 1 go, after 3 days it has to be 2 runs.

The amount of scars on the back of my head is minimal (no clue on the future), most often cut places were around the ear and near spots where the hair tends to go the opposite way (no clue on what you call that "curl" in the hair's growth).

Cuts are usually a result of very old (moe than a week) blades or "congested" blades. Anothe possibility is the disappearing of the "glidinggel" on the blades, once that is gone you will get way too much friction.

Most important with the disposable blades is keeping them clean whilst shaving. I never managed to get that right, until I started shaving under the shower, the running water washes the hairs out x times better than when rinsing the blade. The only trick is to keep the lather on .... 8)

Furthermore I do all by touch. In case of moles etc. I put a finger on it and shave following the contours of the finger positioned, slowly moving the finger prevents cutting.

How many scars will it take ..... erm, scars do not bother me, if I do not kill myself I will keep trying till I get it right regardless. :twisted:

Hoekie

Why do you want to use a str8 for this? You're shaving in the shower and blind, and then you're putting your finger in the path of the blade- a bad scenario for a str8. It seems to me you would do better with a safety razor, maybe even an M3P with the motor running for what you want to do.

Originally Posted by HoekmanX

I have shaved my head "wet" for the past 9 years, always using the canned shaving cream. But want to go back to basics.

I usually shave my head every second day, and under those conditions it now takes me 15 minutes and 1 go, after 3 days it has to be 2 runs.

The amount of scars on the back of my head is minimal (no clue on the future), most often cut places were around the ear and near spots where the hair tends to go the opposite way (no clue on what you call that "curl" in the hair's growth).

Cuts are usually a result of very old (moe than a week) blades or "congested" blades. Anothe possibility is the disappearing of the "glidinggel" on the blades, once that is gone you will get way too much friction.

Most important with the disposable blades is keeping them clean whilst shaving. I never managed to get that right, until I started shaving under the shower, the running water washes the hairs out x times better than when rinsing the blade. The only trick is to keep the lather on .... 8)

Furthermore I do all by touch. In case of moles etc. I put a finger on it and shave following the contours of the finger positioned, slowly moving the finger prevents cutting.

How many scars will it take ..... erm, scars do not bother me, if I do not kill myself I will keep trying till I get it right regardless. :twisted:

Hoekie

Have done both suggested ways, but spending $40 a month on disposable blades is a waste, and motorised, well just isn't shaving ....... as mentioned before, I have been shaving my head for the past 9 years

Why? Back to the old ways, and save the wallet and maybe some environment! But do not get me wrong on using my fingers, it sets the path out, so you do no miss a spot. I only "block" 1 mole I have in my neck (this after cutting it a few times)

Basically I use my free hand as a "ruler" and skin tightener.

Hope this clears things up (as we are going way way off topic, maybe I/someone should set up a head-shaving-topic?)

---------------------> Done http://straightrazorpalace.com/viewt...hp?p=8320#8320

Hoekie

Originally Posted by stbdtack

Training facial hair? -- I don't think so!

Myth no. 2 -- don't shave against the grain. You'll never have a really close shave unless you do.

I agree.

The first pass should always be down the grain. That way, on your second pass, which, logically to me at least should be against the grain where possible, you should get the closest possible shave.

That is my experience at least...