Shaving against the grain is easily one of the biggest mistakes men make while shaving. And let me be clear -- against the grain versus with the grain is not just about personal preference.
Shaving against the grain can cause ingrown hairs. It can cause razor burn. It can cause razor bumps. Overall, the performance of an against the grain shave is just inferior to a with the grain shave.
And what’s frustrating is that most men know they should be shaving with the grain, but they are accidentally going against the grain anyway. The mistake is not caused by a lack of knowledge, it’s a mistake caused by lack of execution.
So why are so many men accidentally shaving against the grain when they know better?
The explanation is pretty simple: most men don't actually understand the direction the hair(s) on their beard grow. They think they do, but it’s not quite as straightforward as they think.
Can beard growth really be that complicated? Well, yes. Most guys, myself included until a few years ago, don't realize how frequently hair changes direction on the face and neck.
If you don't know what direction your beard is actually growing in each area on your face and neck, how can you know whether you are shaving with or against the grain? You can't.
What Is A Beard Grain Map?
A beard grain map is simply a blank facial diagram that you fill out to help you visualize what direction the hair grows on different parts of your face. Just google “beard grain map” and you will understand what I’m talking about.
What Do We Mean Shave "With The Grain”?
It might sound very basic, but before I get started on the process of how to map your beard grain, I want to make sure that everyone knows what “with the grain” actually means. Because if there is any misinterpretation of the phrase, then it really doesn’t help to map your beard grain anyway.
Facial hair rarely grows straight out. So instead of growing out perpendicular to the surface of your skin, it typically grows out at some sort of angle. It can grow in any direction, but we typically describe facial hair as either growing upward, downward or in a diagonal/horizontal direction. All this really means though is that it can grow out in any angle imaginable.
Have you ever noticed that the hair on your head doesn’t all grow in the same direction? The most obvious, and extreme, example of this is a cowlick. But pretty much everybody has an area or two on their head where it seems like you just can’t quite get the hair to comb in the same direction as the rest of the hair in that area. You might be able to apply some gel or mousse to it to get it styled right, but once that product loses its hold or gets washed out, that hair is going to go back to it’s natural direction.
Because there are “3” directions that your facial hair can grow, there are also 3 primary directions you can shave it off.
- Against the grain: shaving in the opposite direction that your hair grows
- With the grain: shaving in the same direction that the hair grows
- Across the grain (commonly referred to as cross grain): with cross grain, you’re not shaving with or against the grain but instead across the grain. This could be perpendicular to the grain or any angle in between with the grain and against the grain.
Why Is It Important To Shave With The Grain?
There’s really only one reason that men decide to shave against the grain: they think it will provide a closer shave than with the grain. Personally, I don’t think against the grain gets any closer, but for the sake of time I’ll concede that against the grain might be a slightly marginally closer shave.
But guess what? The marginally, often imperceptible, closer shave is not worth it because it also significantly leads to more:
- Ingrown hairs
- Razor bumps
- Razor burn
Why does shaving against the grain lead to so many problems? Because it essentially tugs at the hair by lifting it up and pulling it out before cutting the hair follicle. Instead of cutting the hair at the surface, it’s cutting at a lower depth on the follicle.
It is not good for hair to get cut that low because then the direction that it will grow back becomes unpredictable. And when the direction becomes unpredictable under the skin, it leads to ingrown hairs and razor bumps.
I can’t reiterate it enough: if you want to stop getting ingrown hairs and razor bumps, stop shaving against the grain!
That’s not the only issue I have with against the grain though. It is also just a much more abrasive shave. Shaving with the grain on the other hand will still deliver a great close shave, but it will be much more smooth.
But let’s say you really feel strongly that against the grain is noticeably closer and you don’t want to sacrifice that closeness. Is there anything you can do? Yes! You just have to be slightly more patient. How so?
You simply re-lather and shave again immediately after your first pass. Personally, if I need to shave again, I still go with the grain. But I know a lot of people recommend cross grain on the second pass because the beard has already been reduced enough that it won’t cause any irritation.
The main point though is just not to overdo it on the first pass. Get a good quality shave on the first pass. For me, that’s all I normally need. But if that’s not quite smooth enough for your, just lather up one more time and make another pass.
Which would you rather do? Take the time to make multiple passes or get down quicker but with the possibility of ingrown hairs and razor irritation? The answer for me is pretty easy.
How to Map Your Beard Grain
Mapping your beard grain isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little time and focus. The good news though is that if you do it right the first time, you won't ever have to do it again because your beard’s hair growth is not going to change directions over time.
Let Your Beard Grow For At Least A Few Days
You need to grow your facial hair out for at least a few days in preparation. What’s the ideal length? It needs to be longer than just a 5 o’clock shadow because you need a little length to be able to see and feel what direction the hair follicles are headed. But at the same time, you don’t want it to be a full length beard because a full beard will hide the initial growth direction at the skin/root. You’re looking for what direction the hair grows right when it exits your skin.
Print Off A Blank "Beard Map"
Alright, before you get started mapping, you’re going to want to find something to take notes on. There’s going to be a lot of different areas you will have to map and you aren’t going to be able to remember everything. Like the old Chinese proverb says, “The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory.”
You could just take notes by writing things down like taking notes in a lecture, but I highly recommend taking a more visual approach.
Why I Wet Shave has a great blank template that is perfect for beard mapping. It is essentially just an outline of a male face and jaw, and you will be drawing arrows on this diagram to indicate what direction your beard is growing in that area.
I really like that it is already broken up into smaller subsections so you can slowly focus on different parts of your face and won’t miss any of the smaller changes. There are 20 sections to map on this diagram which is awesome! It’s better to drill down into these smaller areas and be a little too exact rather than miss anything.
Map Your Beard By Sight, Feel & Sound
Alright, it’s finally time to map your beard and figure out what direction your facial hair grows. Remember, you want to take this one small section at a time so do the following process for one area, write down your notes and then move on to another section and do it all over again. Keep doing it until you have your entire face and neck mapped out.
Let’s start with the left cheek. Get up next to the mirror and look at the individual hairs in this one area. Just looking at it in the mirror should give you a good idea what the direction it’s growing, but let's confirm.
Take a credit card out and rub the edge of the card on the area you are evaluating. Does the credit card smoothly glide over the hair? Does it feel like you’re just smoothing the hair down? If so, then the direction you stroked is the direction your hair grows.
Just to confirm a little more though, now rub the edge of the credit card in the opposite direction. Is there more friction? Does it kind of sound like sandpaper? Does it feel like the credit card is raising the individual hairs up? If it does, you now know this is going against the grain for this area.
Keep rubbing the edge of the credit card in different directions until you figure out the direction with the least resistance and friction. Take a pencil and record this on your beard map by drawing an arrow in the direction with the grain.
The following video that Gillette put together does a really good job of demonstrating how to identify what direction your beard grain grows. It’s worth a quick watch.
Now that you've done one area, just keep moving along and do the same thing for the rest of your face and neck. Take it slow and really try to get as exact as possible. You’re probably going to be surprised at just how often your hair changes direction on your face and neck.
Beard Maps Are Only Helpful If You Actually Use Them
Once you’re done mapping your beard, tape it to your bathroom mirror so that is will be right there in front of you to use the next time you shave. This will serve as a great reminder to shave with the grain!
If you've been shaving against the grain, knowingly or unknowingly, then this is going to be a hard habit to break. It's going to feel really uncomfortable figuring out how to shave in a new direction in some areas.
After practicing for a while though, it will start to come a little more naturally and your new “normal” will be with the grain.
If you're really struggling, I recommend practicing with some dry runs. Just take the blade out of your safety razor and practice your technique with an empty razor. This is great for training your muscle memory for when it’s time for the real deal.
Use An Alum Block To Double-Check Your Work
Don't expect to get shaving with the grain 100% perfect the first time. And that's okay because like we said, it takes some practice. There is a product though that is really good at double-checking your work right after a shave though: an alum block.
Alum blocks give very precise and immediate feedback about the quality and performance of your shave. All you have to do is rub a wet alum block on your damp face after a shave and everywhere it stings, you're getting a message that something wasn’t done right there.
The only drawback though is you might now know the exact reason why you're getting feedback in this area. It could be because you accidentally shaved against the grain. Or it could be due to something else like improper blade angle, using too much pressure, using a blade or razor that is too aggressive or some other technique problem.
Regardless though, it’s good to have feedback and be able to identify your problem areas. This way you can focus on that area a little more next shave and be 100% sure you're going with the grain. And if you still get irritation and feedback, at least you know it's not due to shaving in the wrong direction.
I actually print off another blank face diagram and keep track of my problems areas on it. It's easy to forget where you need to clean up your technique, but this will help you identify any recurring issues.
Mapping Your Beard Grain Is
Guaranteed to Improve Your Shaves
I don’t make a lot of guarantees in life. I’m just not that bold of a person to constantly be saying “I guarantee product X is the best!” or “I guarantee this is the best way to do Y!” But i’m really confident that if you map your beard grain and follow through by actually shaving with the grain, if will improve your shaves.
I’d like to know though, how many of you have already mapped your beard grain before? Did it help you become better at wet shaving? Do you have any other tips or tricks that I left out?
