Shaving with the grain

So with cartridges I learned about 16 years ago that if I don't shave with the grain I get nasty bumps/ingrown hairs. Since DE shaving I've gone xtg on my cheeks with positive results. I tried halfway between xtg and wtg yesterday on the rest of my face. OUCH!!! Terrible bumps on my jawline and neck.

Does that ever go away with time or should I just stick with wtg shaving for life? I'm getting a crazy smooth shave wtg and am happy with it.

It might have to do with technique, but I don't go ATG, and I doubt I ever will. I just stick to WTG and XTG, though that second pass can be difficult on my neck, so in some places I just end up doing two WTG passes.
For now I'd suggest just sticking with what's comfortable and maybe once in a while try an XTG pass to see if you can handle it.

I started with going first WTG and the second pass XTG. After about 3 months and getting my technique down I now do ATG in select problem areas. Ease into it!

I think everyone is different...

Most of my face and chin responds well to WTG. But, if I want a BBS on my neck I must have ATG.
Fortunately, this dosen't cause me problems.

jaredmccoy said:

Since DE shaving I've gone xtg on my cheeks with positive results. I tried halfway between xtg and wtg yesterday on the rest of my face. OUCH!!! .... .... ....I'm getting a crazy smooth shave wtg and am happy with it.

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Well if you're trying something that's ½ way between xtg and wtg you're combining the worst of both. As you've just discovered. If WTG is giving you "crazy smooth" results that's plainly what suits you best so I'd stick with it if I were you. Shaving is meant to be a pleasant experience a little touch of luxury and enjoyment. Anything that makes you go OUCH!!! is contraindicated.

If wtg works for you, I wouldn't change it.

As the saying goes, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. If I got crazy smooth with WTG only, I would absolutely stick to it, so that's what I recommend. If you want to try XTG, maybe you should apply less pressure on the razor and/or map your beard better. It might also be that your skin can't handle well an XTG or ATG pass.

Piling on here - if you're getting BBS without going ATG, than there's no reason to do it. On the otherhand, if you've got a couple of rough patches, try j-hooking those spots instead of a full ATG pass. That works for me if my face is feeling too irritated for an ATG pass.

tankerjohn said:

Piling on here - if you're getting BBS without going ATG, than there's no reason to do it. On the otherhand, if you've got a couple of rough patches, try j-hooking those spots instead of a full ATG pass. That works for me if my face is feeling too irritated for an ATG pass.

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Good advice. I routinely do two XTG passes (in both directions) and then touch-up with J-hooking. Never need an ATG pass.

Also, to the OP: even if you have mapped your beard, it may be wackier than you think. My neck has about 5 different grain directions, and a couple of them I didn't really discover until I'd been doing it for a while. Your "near-XTG" might be mostly ATG.

I do a "diagonal" ATG/XTG under my jaw and on the neck because straight ATG is very harsh on that part of my face and it seems to work. Other parts of my face's skin are less sensitive. Everybody's different, though.

"Absorb what is useful, and discard the rest." -Bruce Lee

I think crazy smooth shave is what we are all shooting for. You have reached the goal. Don't kill the goose that is laying the golden eggs. I think I will try multiple WTG passes tomorrow to see if I can get the same results as you.

agree with the others, if your results are good why change?

WTG is a good way to get used to pressure and angle. Once mastered along with excellent prep, it's your choice if you want to go further. In the meantime, enjoy your progress!

Can someone please explain jhooking? I'm relatively new here and havent seen that term before.

Grantypoo said:

Can someone please explain jhooking? I'm relatively new here and havent seen that term before.

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See YouTube video by Mantic 59, a B&B member. The title is "Advanced Shaving Techniques".

mswofford said:

WTG is a good way to get used to pressure and angle. Once mastered along with excellent prep, it's your choice if you want to go further. In the meantime, enjoy your progress!

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+1

mswofford said:

See YouTube video by Mantic 59, a B&B member. The title is "Advanced Shaving Techniques".

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Here it is:

Thanks, that helped a lot.

Try different approaches and only use what works for you. No need to do more than needed to get the shave that you want.