How Shaving With The Grain Just Might Work For You

How Shaving With The Grain Just Might Work For You

Many men try to shave against the grain to gain their closest shave. Even though this method cuts the hair as close to the skin as possible, it also causes problems for the skin. Razor bumps, skin irritation and even cuts can result.

About Shaving Against the Grain

Shaving against the grain causes the razor to pull at the hair before cutting it. That is why going against growth pattern produces such a close shave. But this tugging can damage hair and skin. It causes those ingrown hairs and razor bumps, resulting in swelling and redness on your face that you can probably happily live without.

Many men have skin that does fine with shaving against the growth pattern. But others suffer from it and have to make the choice between a really close shave today with those red bumps tomorrow, or shaving with growth as nature and invention intended.

If you are not an adrenaline junkie and want to focus on shaving with the grain, don’t fret. You can still get a very close shave through this method. The trick is just in knowing how.

shaving with the grain

Shaving with the Grain: How to Get Your Closest Shave

To get your best shave with the grain, you will first need to obtain a double-edged safety razor. There are a multitude of these to choose from at The Original Shave Company. It is just a matter of choosing the right one for your grip and style.

Edwin Jagger 3D Laser Diamond DE3D14BL
Edwin Jagger DE3D14BL

Safety razors are not dragged across skin. Unlike disposable razors from the grocery store, these razors are designed to glide across your skin. This provides a great shave without razor bumps and irritation that multi-blade cartridge razors can cause.

One thing you have to remember with a safety razor is that you must change the blades frequently enough to keep them sharp. Many people overuse throwaway cartridge razors by bearing down harder on the skin, but that will not work with safety razors.

The next step is to determine which direction your hairs are growing. When you have a slight outgrowth or five o’clock shadow, run your hand across your face to note this growth direction. You need to do this for all areas of your face like your cheeks, jawline, under your nose, chin and neck, as hair does not grow in one direction throughout your entire face. Mentally “map” your growth in your mind, so you know the pattern when shaving cream is covering your skin. Eventually, this mapping will become second nature to you and you will not have to think about it each time you are shaving with the grain.

Taylor of Old Bond Street Pre-Shave Oil
Taylor of Old Bond Street

To start shaving with the grain, first use warm water to wash your face and open your pores. A nice, warm shower can be great for this. Apply pre-shave oil, gel or lotion to moisturize and protect your skin while softening facial hair.

Apply shaving cream to your face, preferably using a badger hair brush. Then, with your hair growth map in mind, gently glide the safety razor over your skin. Rinse the razor or flip to the other side for a second pass on each pathway through the shaving cream. Remember to go slowly when shaving with the grain and not bear down. When your shave is completed, use a quality after shave lotion to protect and moisturize your skin.

Remember that if you want to obtain the closest shave and don’t want to shave often, going against the grain might be the best way for you to go.  However, this is not recommended for those with sensitive skin because it will produce results that could irritate and cut your skin.