Some Neckly Advice

**adios_mach_3s** · 05-03-2012, 06:39 AM

So... I've been DE shaving for a couple of months and it's been going great, with one exception - my neck. When I first got started, I was destroying my neck (I have VERY sensitive skin). Over the last few weeks I've been able to get the neck irritation to a manageable level by focusing heavily on the blade angle and applying little to no pressure.

However, last night, I finally had a light bulb moment. I have been doing one pass only on my neck - North to South. Finally it dawned on me that a North to South pass (on the areas of my neck where I'm getting irritation) is actually against the grain due to the way the hair grows in those areas.... So, I did a with the grain pass which actually angles out from my adam's apple and what do ya know? No irritation - not even a single weeper.

So, now I feel like a dork considering all of the advice on this forum about the importance of mapping out beard growth.... I guess some of us have to learn the hard way.

Maybe, just maybe this will be valuable advice for fellow newbies.

**mistervee123** · 05-03-2012, 06:47 AM

That is inspiration! Sounds like you're already on the right track. Here's a LINK to an online app that helps map the direction of the grain of your beard. Hope it helps.

**turtle** · 05-03-2012, 06:54 AM

WTG is not the same direction for everyone.

It's not like north on a compass. Everybody's "beard north" can be in a different direction

**Straight Rasier User** · 05-03-2012, 07:52 AM

Yep ... Map Your Face.

I am lucky as most of my beard grows down at a slight angle from the Nose to the corner of my mouth and through to the upper part of my neck.

At the lower half of my neck the hair growth changes angles.

Since I Mapped My Face I do WTG, XTG, Reverse-XTG and the ATG.

However, I am starting to do my neck area a couple of times with WTG to get the growth down before the ATG pass.

**Useless shaver** · 05-03-2012, 09:18 AM

Congratulations!

Yes, it's valuable advice. But, as you've learned, the lesson you (me, us...) learn by yourself is never forgotten...

**Kostas1** · 05-03-2012, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by turtle

WTG is not the same direction for everyone.

It's not like north on a compass. Everybody's "beard north" can be in a different direction

Beard North!

I like that!

Congrats on the discovery!

**PugslyCat** · 05-03-2012, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by adios_mach_3s

However, last night, I finally had a light bulb moment. I have been doing one pass only on my neck - North to South. Finally it dawned on me that a North to South pass (on the areas of my neck where I'm getting irritation) is actually against the grain due to the way the hair grows in those areas.... So, I did a with the grain pass which actually angles out from my adam's apple and what do ya know? No irritation - not even a single weeper.

It is excellent advice! We tend to talk of the WTG pass being being north to south because for most of us, that's the way it is on our cheeks. For the rest of our face we really should all be mapping it if we are having issues.

In my case, I can get by without irritation even though at some spots I am not doing WTG/XTG/ATG but rather XTG/WTG/ATG. I suspect that if I took the trouble to map my beard I could probably do as well just with a true WTG/XTG shave and save the time and sometimes irritation of a third pass.