If you suffer from irritation on your neck, read this.

[Biltong & Boerewors]

I often read that a lot of my fellow shavers suffer from the same complaint that made my shaving experience bearable at best, hell at worst.

It only took me 35 years to solve the problem that has been annoying me, and I would love to claim that I solved it myself, but the truth is I saw it somewhere on one of the many shaving tutorials I watched and decided to try it. It worked.

Turns out that for many men, myself included, the beard grows downwards from under the chin (no surprise there), but then turns 180 degrees and grows upwards for the last inch to two inches going down. Right at the most sensitive part of your neck, the bit that often burns and gets inflamed after a shave.

Why does it matter? It matters because when you shave down from under your chin, the first part is WTG, but right at the most sensitive part, it turns into ATG. If you have a sensitive skin, this is a recipe for disaster.

The solution? Very simple. I start shaving from the bottom up, until I feel the razor start hitting the ATG bit, then stop and shave down from under the chin, again stopping as soon as I feel the direction changing. Takes a bit of practise, but very soon it becomes second nature.

Second pass, I would just go straight from bottom up, to under the chin for the ATG pass. Mostly I don't bother going down again, because I don't want to risk the irritation, so yes the bottom bit is never BBS, but it is irritation free and looks much better than an inflamed turkey neck.

These days I flinch when I see the guys shaving straight down from under the chin. Each to his own, but it never worked for me.

 

[Flintstone65]

Yep, that was me too — I now do exactly what you describe, and my neck is a lot happier for it. I was told many moons ago that my irritation was most likely because I hadn’t accurately mapped my beard, and that person was right. So I give every newbie I meet the “map the beard” lecture, but your specific advice is really better. I’m not sure everyone’s neck hair grows that way, but mine sure does.

 

[Esox]

Theres another solution to the same problem that worked for me. A more rigid blade.

Rigidity in DE Safety Razors - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/rigidity-in-de-safety-razors.555887/

OK, I'm on a "rigid blade" hunt. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/ok-im-on-a-rigid-blade-hunt.521389/

A more rigid and stable blade makes ATG shaving much easier.

 

[spookmeister]

Definitely agree with all of this, mapping your beard is important.

I find my postwar tech holds the blade nice and tight. Also the Gamechanger and Rockwell 6S are great for against the growth passes.

 

[Reyort]

Good read.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Great advice!

Before I switched to a DE two years ago, I shaved my neck from the bottom all the way up to my neck line. Now I try to do what you advised: 1) from the neck line down to where the change in direction takes place, and 2) from the bottom up to (again) where the change in direction takes place. But I sometimes struggle with the area where the change in direction takes place. And I also have a small area where the hair seems to grow outward to the side.

Again, map your beard and try to start WTG seems to be the key.

Thanks for raising this topic!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

A more rigid blade

I don't think they come much more rigid than a Rigarazor 7/8th's straight razor.
Joking aside, I had the issue since starting with cartridge razors many years ago, and tried all the usual pre- and post shave remedies. It got better when I started using a real brush and shaving soap, but my problem was only really solved when I started using the method described above.
As a youngster I got the mapping advice, but my beard mostly grows in an orderly downwards way, except for the pesky bit, that I never realised was different.

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

And I also have a small area where the hair seems to grow outward to the side.

I know exactly what you mean, right next to your Adam's apple, both sides. Mine is the same, but it doesn't bother me when I shave it upwards.

I sometimes struggle with the area where the change in direction takes place

I find that the part above the border is not so sensitive, so I go from bottom up on the second pass, all the way to the jaw line, so really I go over the sensitive part twice WTG, picking up any stragglers. I rarely do a complete downwards stroke.

 

[RayClem]

My beard does not change direction on my neck. My problem is change in grain at my jaw line. However, if you have ever watched one of the shaving videos from Ruds Shaves, you will note that he shaves his neck downward until he reaches his Adam's apple and the reverses direction for the bottom portion. That is exactly what the OP is describing. Thus, if you are not sure what he is talking about, look up one of the Ruds Shaves videos.

 

[Dalejr]

I'm fairly lucky as I can shave up, down, sideways, you name it on anywhere of my face without issue except to the very small area to the right of my adams apple that I have to be extremely careful with.

 

[Chandu]

As others stated that is why knowing which way your hair grows is important. You can't just copy someone else's shaving directions and expect success.

Theres another solution to the same problem that worked for me. A more rigid blade.

Rigidity in DE Safety Razors - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/rigidity-in-de-safety-razors.555887/

OK, I'm on a "rigid blade" hunt. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/ok-im-on-a-rigid-blade-hunt.521389/

A more rigid and stable blade makes ATG shaving much easier.

I agree, but even with a rigid blade, not everyone can ATG. Skin tension, the acuteness of the hair's angle to the skin and so on also factor in. For sure a rigid blade gives you a leg up, but there are other factors too.

I would say ATG with a mild rigid razor might work for some where a more efficient rigid razor did not. I.E. the Feather AS-D2 instead of a Fatip. I have a Fatip, well Schone acually. I want to like that little supervalue but it has more blade feel and less smoothness than I like. I found a Karve with an SB E plate to have a lot more smoothness than the Schone. The Feather is loads smoother yet.

 

[VerbaVolant]

Then there is this.

 

[Noodles]

I would argue that it is not one thing or another.....it's all of them. My Adam's apple hair does as you have described. However, to either side it goes at an opposite 90 degree. Now, having said that I learned years ago with carts to shave as you suggest. In my case, that means the upwards first pass is actually XTG in most places, sort of as an efficient way to tackle the task at hand. I usually do a second pass under my chin which varies from WTG to XTG to ATG (in one spot...actually more XXTG). The net result is, unless I shave perfectly, I almost always get a bit of redness in four spots, particularly the bottom corners.

So....I agree with what you have stated, but it won't solve everyone's issues. You also need good technique, proper blade angle, a slick soap, and a rigid blade (in my case....vintage Gillette Techs and TTO Adjustables....someday....maybe...a Wolfman). And, I still get a little red, but a nice shave that is less irritating, smoother, and closer than carts.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I used to cut myself around my Adam’s Apple until I learned about skin stretching. So this area is no longer a problem area for me, but skin stretching is a must for this area for me.


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[persistent analyst]

It took me a while to notice this too - even when I thought I had it figured out. It's made my neck shaving irritation free, finally! My first wtg around my neck looks like: chin and directly below to just above Adams apple, shave downwards; along my jawline and about an inch or so below, shave from chin to ear; bottom inch or so shave upwards.

 

[Chandu]

Then there is this.

Thank you! That is kind of what I meant by skin tension, but this describes and shows it exactly. That is how my neck is, so if I have a very efficient razor, I need a ton of slickness and a light touch to even consider ATG on the neck. Cheeks, I can ATG all day long in comparison.

 

[Chandu]

Here is a good video

Understand Grains of Hair Growth and Shaving | Jatai Academy

The direction in which hair grows will determine the shaving strokes you take. The grains of hair growth can be determined by examining and feeling the skin.

www.jatai.net

 

[Tester28]

The hair in the bottom 1-2 cm of my neck is noticeably coarser and I feel it if I rub my fingers downwards against it.
For this reason I have been going ATG on the neck area first.....altho I do a full S>N pass.
I'll try doing the half and half and see how it plays out. For the neck area I find my self doing diagonal passes and it seems to be the best course of action for now. To get it absolutely BBS I have to add another sideways pass...left to right...and then reverse the same action. Can be done with a DE...with a shavette or straight, might be impossible.

 

[RayClem]

For those who have difficulty shaving ATG, I suggest that you consider a different soap. With some soaps, I do get irritation shaving ATG. With others, I can easily shave ATG, even though I do have skin that is easily irritated.

 

[gstriftos]

@RayClem, any recommendations ? I know YMMV but it would be nice to have feedback, especially for soaps that can be sourced in EU.