Newbie here...

[noc4ball]

Hey guys,

I'm relatively new to shaving my head and I have a few questions. I was instructed by my barber to shave with the grain to avoid irritation. However, when I shave with the grain, my head feels patchy in some areas (ex. the swirl of my head). The "swirl" of my head is my trouble spot because it comes out completely bald versus the sandpaper feel of the rest of my head. To the naked eye, my head appears to be completely bald, which brings me to my next question. What should a bald head feel like when shaving with the grain? Obviously, I'm not going to yield a smooth head, but should it feel patchy? Or, is it because the hair on the scalp grows in different directions? Thanks in advance, guys.

[PowerOfCheese]

That's been my experience but I'm still considered a noob. I have several spots on my noggin that I must go against the grain on. I thought I'd get razor burn after going over it 4 times in all directions but so far I haven't. Obviously your barber knows a thing or two about hair but does he shave his head? A lot of the guys here are experts and will be able to answer your questions.

[The Scottish Ambassador]

Hey guys,

I'm relatively new to shaving my head and I have a few questions. I was instructed by my barber to shave with the grain to avoid irritation. However, when I shave with the grain, my head feels patchy in some areas (ex. the swirl of my head). The "swirl" of my head is my trouble spot because it comes out completely bald versus the sandpaper feel of the rest of my head. To the naked eye, my head appears to be completely bald, which brings me to my next question. What should a bald head feel like when shaving with the grain? Obviously, I'm not going to yield a smooth head, but should it feel patchy? Or, is it because the hair on the scalp grows in different directions? Thanks in advance, guys.

I shave against the grain all the time to get the smoothest possible result. I make sure I prepare my head properly beforehand to avoid irritation. I use Headshed whcih exfoliates and then put shaving oil on before I use Headslick shave cream. After shaving I use ClearHead. This helps to get rid of any bumps or ingrown hairs. I finish with Headblade glossy lube for a nice shine on the old noggin. My razor of choice is Fusion manual

[time2shine]

If you shave with the grain you'll get a sandpaper-like feel when you run your hand against the direction your hair grows.
In order to get a completely smooth feel, you must go against the grain in every which way the hair is growing.

[warhawk]

hey noc4ball:  1st of all welcome 2 the sly fraternity.  glad that ya joined us.  i shave against the grain 1st & any which direction necessary 2 keep the dome as smooooooth as possible.  unfortunately... there is a location on my dome that i can't get completely smooooooth.  it's located on the top back left of my noggin'.  anyways... post up your headshaving routine in the HEADSHAVING section of the forum: ("your shave routine").  we hope that U become an active member of the best forum on the internet.

WARHAWK

[BALDANDRE]

You want slick, perfect, bowling bald smooth..

bro you gots to go against...barber knows hair...not bald..

that's what we know best!

[Mikekoz13]

Welcome Ball!

I shave with the grain first and THEN against the grain. Once completed your head should feel like a baby's butt.........smmmmooooottthhhhhhhhhh!

[Brkeatr]

Welcome to SBG bro !!   Yes, as the guys have said, most of us have to shave against the grain to get a smooth noggin.....

[Cam]

You want slick, perfect, bowling bald smooth..

bro you gots to go against...barber knows hair...not bald..

that's what we know best!

That says it all. Go against the grain in all directions.


Welcome to Sly Bald Guys!

[joergHH]

Yes, as the guys have said, most of us have to shave against the grain to get a smooth noggin.....

That's my routine too. The Result is a nice smooth head.

Welcome here!   

J

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Welcome Ball!

I shave with the grain first and THEN against the grain. Once completed your head should feel like a baby's butt.........smmmmooooottthhhhhhhhhh!

This works well for me too--and lasts a LONG time as a baby butt smooth finish.

[Tor]

Welcome to our site. Yep, against the grain for the smoothest shave. Pay close attention though after you shave your head and have gone against the grain....some guys get razor bumps if they go against the grain. Use the best shaving cream / razor you can, and replace blades more often than you think you need to. 

[calbito]

I'm a bit of a maverick on this board because the several times that I have razor-shaved my head I used an electric razor with a swirling motion.  So I guess you could say I went against the grain (in more ways than one. ).  The result was always very smooth and lasted for about a day.  I am just mentioning this as a possible alternative in case you find shaving against the grain with a blade razor to be too irritating.

[Papa Don]

Yes, against the grain.  Tried with the way the hair grows and it does not work for me at all.  Welcome to the site.  Sit down and chat often!

[MLNHD]

Welcome aboard, Noc4.  Glad you joined up.  There's a wealth of info available from all these pros.  Shaving just with the grain just doesn't cut it (pun intended) for getting a slick, smooth dome.  I go with and then against the grain.  I use Shave Secret and HB w/ Atra blades and get no irritation, burn, or ingrown hairs.  Experiment!