Shaving up on the neck

[Mark T]

I have been shaving for 30+ years and have always shaved up on my neck.
I have read the tutorials on this wonderful site (thanks B&B), watched youtube videos, and see everyone shaving down for the first pass. I tried shaving down and got a little irritation- not much. My question is: does it really matter which way I go? Will the irritation gradually diminish if I continue trying the downward stroke?
Thanks gents, I'm really having fun with DE shaving!

 

[Marco]

Dear Mark,

It isn't a question of up or down shaving on your first pass, since it depends on how your hair grow.
So, if your hair grow upwards, you have to shave upwards first.
If your hair grow downwards, you have to shave downwards first.
What really matters is shaving with the grain first.

P.S.
On my neck I make the first pass upwards, too.

 

[KeNd0]

I`m still a Noob so take this with a grain of salt.
I also have been shaving up on my neck for a long time with cartridges. My fist two DE shaves WTG resulted in some fairly bad neck irritation. While mapping my facial hair I noticed my neck hair comes straight down from the chin, then 90 degrees both sides of adams apple towards the back.
My last shave I went ahead and shaved the neck area up as I always have done. I tried to be as light and gentle as I could, and I had no noticeable neck irritation. IT seemed to work, I will try it again tomorrow and hopefully see the same results. This goes against everything I`ve read here though, so I am not suggesting it will work for anyone else.

 

[funkyb]

Dear Mark,

It isn't a question of up or down shaving on your first pass, since it depends on how your hair grow.
So, if your hair grow upwards, you have to shave upwards first.
If your hair grow downwards, you have to shave downwards first.
What really matters is shaving with the grain first.

P.S.
On my neck I make the first pass upwards, too.

Or if you're like me and your hair goes all over the place...even circles in places, you flip a coin and hope for the best

 

[wilsondude]

I agree that your first pass should be With The Grain. I do two WTG passes first - I have to do this sideways on my neck and downward just below my chin line - my next pass is Across The Grain, and fourth pass is Against The Grain. Hope this helps. Get to know how your hair grows and this will be a big help.

 

[bladeruner]

Or if you're like me and your hair goes all over the place...even circles in places, you flip a coin and hope for the best

Same hear. I just make sure I use the lightest pressure on my neck as possible.

 

[Mark T]

Thank you gentlemen. I am enjoying learning the art of shaving.
Next up--- the str8 razor journey!!!!!!

 

[Gizmo]

Like others have said, everything depends on your hair growth. The hair on my neck grows horizontally outward from my adam's apple, and after my WTG pass I shave upwards for the XTG pass. I find I can keep the blade angle steadier going up than down.

 

[brian1g]

I tried to go with the grain on my neck for the first couple of months with mediocre results. I always ended up with spots of irritation and razor burn.

Finally i started to go with 1st pass down and 2nd (and final) pass up and it has worked very well for me. My hair does grow in all different directions so i basically do across the grain passes x2.

What I have noticed from this is closer shave, less irritation, and easier. My neck doesn't get bbs from this but it rarely has any redness or ingrown hairs so it actually looks better.

 

[troy1979]

my hair is all over, so i start going upward and pray...

 

[GoldenMonkey]

I try to go with the grain first pass, but my neck hair is so weird that I gave up and just do south, then east or west (from the center line of my neck towards the ear on that side), then two passes north, followed by any against the grain cleanup.

 

[Go West Young Man]

A technical WTG pass on my neck would go N-S from the jawline down about 2 inches, then veer hard outward until just before the neck tendons and curve down about 45 degrees.

I've managed to figure out the most efficient least irritating passes for me, and they actually bear little resemblence to those directions.