Is a closer shave possible?

[JustAnotherDO]

Hello, I started using a manual razor (headblade / Gilette Fusion Proshield) with a mixture of shave secret oil and headblade cream, and I always have these spots that don't seem to be shaveable. I think I am going too close as can be seen in my pictures!

For those little follicles, is there anything that I can do to get a truly smooth shave?

[SlyCatCrossing]

Its tough to say without seeing your head in person but there is a very easy test: after you are done shaving and clean up and dry off and so forth, rub your hand around your head. Go back, forth, side to side, circles... Every which way you possibly can. If you feel any resistance in Any direction (some describe this as a "sand paper" or "gritty" feel) then that is your against the grain direction which means you could possibly achieve a closer shave by adding a pass in that direction.  If you do what I said above and feel no stubble of any sort in any direction at all then that means you have achieved the closest shave possible for you and suffer from something many of us sly guys do which is the dreaded shadow haha.

By the look of it I would say you probably are not going atg (all around atleast) however without actually seeing your head in person it is difficult to tell as you may just have a pretty serious shadow, which isn't a bad thing or anything wrong but means you may always have visible "hairs" like that

[JustAnotherDO]

Thank you for your advice!!!

[Wicked_Ripper]

I guess you could simply rub your head WHILE you're shaving, since it's wet and probably oily, you'd get a better chance of feeling where you missed a spot, or there you get the sandpaper feeling...., and you can come back to that area, maybe you've just ....missed it

[SlyCatCrossing]

You also could maybe try skipping the oil to see if it makes a difference. I know for me oil usually causes the blade to skip a bit which results in residual stubble.