How Do You Shave?

Lucky them. Took me around ~30 years to finally be able to.

posted by OSH

I thought it was the only real way to shave?

When I did shave (head and/or face) that was the only way I'd shave.

First - with the grain.....then against to get it smooth!

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

What percentage of millennials have beards do you think. Walking through the airport today, it seems like easily >50%. 

Of course...have to lump people like this. It's not like beards are "new" or limited to any generation. But, do your thing.

posted by wkfan

First - with the grain.....then against to get it smooth!

Depending on the length, when I shaved, it may have been that. But, I would typically just trim with an electric before I'd shave. I never usually let it get long enough where I'd do two shaves with a blade. 

posted by Laley23

I am against the grain when I am shaving back to back days (wedding weekend, etc). With the grain to shorten and then against to get smooth if it’s been multiple days between shaves.

That's how I do it, as well, except for me, it's usually shaving every other day and then doing the with/against if, for whatever reason, I go 3-4 days between shaving.

posted by OSH

Of course...have to lump people like this. It's not like beards are "new" or limited to any generation. But, do your thing.

Relax.  I was observing a lot of people I see every day that look to be 40 or younger have beards - more than half it seems like.  I threw it out to see if that was realistic or just my observation.  How is that "lumping" people?

posted by GOONx19

This was the first time I've ever heard of people shaving against the grain on purpose.

If I go with the grain, I’m shaving again at 3pm. Doesn’t get close enough to the skin. 

posted by BRF

I start by shaving with the grain on the sides of my face and neck, then if some spots still feel rough, I go against the grain. 

Exactly what I do. Can’t see doing it any other way on a face. 

posted by GOONx19

This was the first time I've ever heard of people shaving against the grain on purpose.

That's interesting - this thread is the first time I've ever heard of people shaving with the grain exclusively.  Maybe for folks with a lighter color  or finer textured beard, it's close enough?  Or are those folks using an old-fashioned cutthroat blade that's extra-sharp?  

I tried a barber shave a few months back for the first time - not sure I could tell the difference in closeness from me shaving, though.  I've seen videos of some barbers making several passes at different angles, but they're really moisturizing the face first.

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

Relax.  I was observing a lot of people I see every day that look to be 40 or younger have beards - more than half it seems like.  I threw it out to see if that was realistic or just my observation.  How is that "lumping" people?

Who's not relaxed?

posted by OSH

Who's not relaxed?

I was asking what percentage of people in the millenial age group have beards and you got worked up about my "lumping" people together - whatever the hell that means.  I see a lot of guys below the age of 40 who have beards I was wondering if anyone knew how many (based on a survey or something).  

posted by Laley23

With or against the grain?

Couldn't add a poll on my phone.

With. Against is uncomfortable.

MAC5 has been good to me over the years. Expensive but I can make a blade last 5-6 weeks with shaving 5-6 times/week.

Against.  Feels smoother.

Upon further review after reading all the comments and actually thinking about them when I shave.........I go with the grain on the sides of my face first, then start with the grain on my neck, then immediately go back against the grain on the neck. Then I feel and go against the grain on my face if rough (almost always).....then I feel my neck again and go against the grain if still rough. 
 

posted by GOONx19

This was the first time I've ever heard of people shaving against the grain on purpose.

Only way to get it "smooth/close" is to go against the grain once it is short enough. I go with the grain first, then against to make it smooth.

THIS is a clean close shave, lol.  No more flaky skin here!

When I was shaving today, I was thinking about how I use my left hand for the left side of my face and my right hand for the right side of my face. A few days ago, on the baseball trivia thread, we were discussing players who threw left but batted right. It came out that Ironman92, cat_lover and myself do/did that rarity. So I was wondering if you use the same dominant hand to shave or do you switch hands?

posted by BRF

When I was shaving today, I was thinking about how I use my left hand for the left side of my face and my right hand for the right side of my face. A few days ago, on the baseball trivia thread, we were discussing players who threw left but batted right. It came out that Ironman92, cat_lover and myself do/did that rarity. So I was wondering if you use the same dominant hand to shave or do you switch hands?

And folks, we have officially ran out of interesting topics to discuss on the OC.

Looks like we can add the OC to Covid deaths.

But to answer the question, same hand to shave full face.

posted by thavoice

And folks, we have officially ran out of interesting topics to discuss on the OC.

Looks like we can add the OC to Covid deaths.

I was laughing to myself when I made my post!

posted by BRF

When I was shaving today, I was thinking about how I use my left hand for the left side of my face and my right hand for the right side of my face. A few days ago, on the baseball trivia thread, we were discussing players who threw left but batted right. It came out that Ironman92, cat_lover and myself do/did that rarity. So I was wondering if you use the same dominant hand to shave or do you switch hands?

I switch hands, but it's not all one side or the other.

When I do cheeks and above, it's the same hand as the side of the face (right hand on the right, left hand on the left), but when I'm cleaning up my neck, it's the opposite (right hand on the left, left hand on the right), because my hair below my beard seems to grow from the middle out, so in order to go against the grain, I have to shave toward the middle.

If I shave my neck with the grain, I get serious razor burn on at least the lower 2/3.  So for my neck, it's from the sideways or maybe like 10 degree angle toward the middle, and then against the grain.

But a lot of times for a quick shave I use an electric razor.  I prefer a blade, though.