Hair growth in different directions.

[Ikaponthus]

Hello,

I'm new. I haven't actually got my straight razor yet, but I've ordered it. It should be arriving today or tomorrow.

A couple of questions in advance:

1. The hair growth on my neck goes in different directions. The "top half" seems to go downwards, so a downwards stroke would be WTG. The bottom half grows upwards, so a downwards stroke would go ATG. The shaving tutorials seem to recommend shaving your neck downwards. Is the different angles of hair growth going to matter?

2. I'm been putting off shaving until my new shaving kit arrives. So I have a good week's worth of thick stubble right now (I have a thick & wiry beard). Is this going to matter much? Or is it better to learn with short stubble? If it's a problem, I can shave it short with my beard-clippers.

Thanks.

 

[Doc226]

Hello,

I'm new. I haven't actually got my straight razor yet, but I've ordered it. It should be arriving today or tomorrow.

A couple of questions in advance:

1. The hair growth on my neck goes in different directions. The "top half" seems to go downwards, so a downwards stroke would be WTG. The bottom half grows upwards, so a downwards stroke would go ATG. The shaving tutorials seem to recommend shaving your neck downwards. Is the different angles of hair growth going to matter?

2. I'm been putting off shaving until my new shaving kit arrives. So I have a good week's worth of thick stubble right now (I have a thick & wiry beard). Is this going to matter much? Or is it better to learn with short stubble? If it's a problem, I can shave it short with my beard-clippers.

Thanks.

Keep the pass WTG (whatever direction that is)

I would actually recommend a first pass with a DE WTG and follow that with the same with the straight. Don't try to do too much at first.
Keep the angle very shallow (spine almost touching face)

 

[smalltank]

Wait a week..feel the pattern with your fingers..gives you a better idea

 

[Krodor]

My neck wtg is downwards from chin to abou halfway, then wtg is bottom up. Ya just shave wtg whichever way it is, and as you do it just say "I'm special" the bottom half of my neck ends up getting 2 wtg and one atg pass. Rest of my face gets wtg and 2 xtg.

 

[ladykate]

Hello,

I'm new.

2. I'm been putting off shaving until my new shaving kit arrives. So I have a good week's worth of thick stubble right now (I have a thick & wiry beard). Is this going to matter much? Or is it better to learn with short stubble? If it's a problem, I can shave it short with my beard-clippers.

Thanks.

Shave it short. Then shave it with your DE (or whatever). THEN practice with your straight. A big problem that I've seen with many is thinking that one can mow through a thick beard without any previous experience with a straight. It takes a while to learn how to shave with a straight so make the learning easy on yourself. If you absolutely MUST start with the straight and a thick beard, then do wtg passes (a couple of them). Go easy because you can snag on a patch of hair and do damage because you aren't used to the angles necessary. Then clean up with your regular razor. You won't be great with your first shave. Few are. After a while, you won't be able to stop drinking from the well... sort of like taking a sip from a spittoon.

You will learn much about your hair growth as you get used to your straight. It is only a matter of experience. However, a straight wtg shave is the best starting point.

Dan

 

[Puerco]

I found it easiest when I started to use the straight for the first pass and remove the big stubble and clean up what's left with a DE. So that's the other way around from what I see here recommended.
A straight doesn't care how long that beard is and you can see what you're doing while any other razor can clog up from longer stubble.
I did that for a day or ten and then ditched the DE.

 

[Doc226]

A straight doesn't care how long that beard is and you can see what you're doing while any other razor can clog up from longer stubble.
I did that for a day or ten and then ditched the DE.

That's true if you have your technique down, if you are learning it is harder to shave a longer beard.

Hone did a video that he takes a carpet off his face without any effort-but he has some experience
[video]http://www.youtube.com/embed/m79CnN2wD8E?wmode=opaque[/video]

 

[Go West Young Man]

Follow the direction of growth, whatever that happens to be for you. It's more helpful to think of your face as a series of 1-square inch boxes. Shave each box WTG, and don't worry about what direction the boxes around it are.

 

[Jporco]

I generally pay close attention to hair growth direction when I am doing my clean up after 2 passes (WTG and XTG). I find that the two passes reduce the beard enough to really help the beard growth direction stand out.....no pun intended.