Grain question

[MikeyAces]

Hey guys,
Not sure if I'm a strange case, or if lots of guys have a similar hair growth pattern. The hair on my throat, it grows towards the right. In order for me to shave against the grain, I'd be shaving sideways, towards the left. Whether I'm right or not, I always thought that was odd. So as a result, I lather up, shave downward, re-lather, and then shave upward. I've tried shaving against the grain before, moving right to left, and every time I've tried, there irritation lasts for upwards of 6 or 8 hours. Am I supposed to do the best I can shaving north to south, and vice versa, or can I effectively shave across my throat without irritation?

EDIT: While I'm new to the wet shaving world, I've been at it for about 6 months, and I have a pretty good understanding of what works for me. I'm used to getting a DFS on my face, but am never able to achieve the same shave on my neck.

[Chuck Norris]

Have you looked closely at your grain in a magnifying mirror? It'll look like a tornado whipped across your face. Hair growing in all kinds of directions and swirls. It might be different on the left side then on the right too. It was a real "Ah Ha!" moment for me.
I don't shave just up or just down, but rather feel the grain and go with it (sounding like i watch too many Kung Fu movies). The "Gillette Slide" demonstrated in Mantic's advanced video helps too to ensure slicing as opposed to tugging.

[luvmysuper]

My neck hair is similar.
So on the right side of my neck it grows from the adams apple toward the back of my neck.
If you consider this growing from west to east, I do a pass that is from southwest to northeast on an angle, which is kind of a combination of XTG and WTG and then a pass from southeast to northwest, which is a kind of combo between XTG and ATG.
Works pretty well for me.

[FOGEY]

I have hair growing up my neck, down my throat, back toward my ears on the sides of my jaw....

I just go WTG most of the time. If time and energy prevails I will try XTG and on touch up ATG.

To save on irritation I use a light touch and lots of water with my shave oil or Lather. Specially the last two passes.

I also have tough old whiskers and oversensitive skin that is easily pealed with a heavy hand.

FYI, I don't do the DE as I gave em up in the sixites for the Norelco. Went back to wet shaving last fall. Love it and enjoy reading all the info available on the forums. And am getting a pile of pucks, mugs, multiblade pitch-its, SE. I get lots of shaves per each as I hone em on my hand some.

My latest is a Shick Twin Blade Sensy something or other... I like the blade cleaner tab feature, It's light and works great for trimming around my stache and nose and other tight spots. But do like a variety and they are soooo inexpensive.... My kind of fun:

[drew212]

I have a similar problem, on my left side it grows from left to right all the way to the middle part on the right side of my neck, then it grows down, until finally near my right jawbone it grows downwards. I also can never get a DFS on my neck, but I can get a DFS consistently on my face with little/no irritation.

[Rocketeer]

Hey guys,
Not sure if I'm a strange case, or if lots of guys have a similar hair growth pattern...

Lots of guys have the same situation with the whiskers on their neck, me included.

On each side of my neck they grow horizontally; off to my right on the right side of my neck and off to the left on the left side of my neck. In the area below my chin, it grows "normally"; i.e., straight down.

While I can go ATG in every other quadrant of my face, doing so on either side of the neck gives me irritation. I can, however, go ATG in the area under my chin. So, for the two side areas of my neck, it is WTG and XTG only. And note that a WTG pass on my neck starts at the adams apple and goes horizontally toward the back of my neck; while a XTG pass is either N-S or S-N.

All this just shows the importance of knowing the direction of your whisker growth in each area of your face to mitigate irritation.

[Go West Young Man]

First pass slavishly follows the grain of my beard, so I end up doing all sorts of gymnastics adjusting angle and direction. I have a little more latitude on the 2nd and 3rd passes but still try to keep consistent shave to shave otherwise I'll get irritation all over my neck.

[Optometrist]

I do a simple 2 passes N/S followed by a 3rd pass S/N and then a touch up horizontally from ear to adams apple on each side. I find that so long as preparation and lather is good, I get a close, irritation free shave.

David

[shmeegs]

I have a patch of hair on one side of my neck that has hair like the tornado. I do j-hooks and soft buffs against it to get as close to smooth as possible. Try going in angles on it. Instead of with or against, try a down and across action. It might help you out.

[Dennard]

Reading this thread makes me appreciate having a very simple grain to follow. My hair grows down and toward the corners of my neck except for my soul patch and the part of my beard directly under it.