People with facial hair, how do you shave/trim?

[Redbeard The Pink]

Recently my girlfriend got me a wetshaving kit with a safety razor, a brush and I got myself a nice shaving cream - I started shaving my face when I was 14 and it still hasn't developed fully but it has grown enough for me to shave daily if I want to maintain the clean shaven look.

When I started shaving I used shaving gel and disposables, then one day my mom got me a Mach 3 and I used it until I ran out of blades - I never bought new ones because of ridiculously overpriced they are, not to mention I like to grow my facial hair for some days (sometimes a week) until I shave and cartridge razor blades get dull and clogged with hairs if I shave a 7 day beard. I got a close shave with disposables as much as I got with the Mach 3, so I used them + shaving gel until about one month ago.

I used to go straight against the grain, a terrible mistake that cost me lots of skin cuts, razor burns, bumps and ingrown hairs. Since I started shaving just with the grain in my first year of college I get a much closer, comfortable shave. I used to do a pass with the grain and a second pass to make sure I got all the hairs (with the grain as well). I prefer bic sensitive single blade razors and I think those are the best disposables on the market considering the price.

Now with a safety razor things have improved a lot, shaving is more enjoyable and doesn't feel like a chore like it used to - I still do two passes on my face, but the second one is across the grain to reduce stubble length - Going against the grain is usually a free ticket to get razor burns as my skin is sensitive. I'm not into the whole addiction of collecting all kinds of razors, brushes, blades, etc, but I do enjoy having the new tools - Blades are super cheap, about 25 cents per blade, and razors can cost some money but will last a lifetime if properly cared for (a good blade can be bought for 30-50 but you can pay more if you want to) - Some brushes are very cheap as well and good quality, and creams are more expensive than shaving gel but since I used less amounts I pay around the same (for the creams). Due to the comfort on my face from shaving with a safety razor I started shaving daily about a month ago and I haven't had any problems - I sometimes give my skin a rest on sundays.

If I even went back to disposables I'd prefer to just use an electric trimmer/shaver - There are some good quality ones even if you pay a significant amount of money and it's very rare to cut yourself. A good option for those who dislike shaving with a razor.

What about you guys?

Just my 2 cents here, but I wouldn't recommend going straight to a wet razor on a week-long beard. It's way easier on your razor and your skin if you buzz it down to your face with a trimmer first.


I tend to keep as much beard on my face as possible. I just recently set up for a big grow; I'm trying to keep my lines as natural as possible as early as possible so it comes in as full as possible, but I can't just let the neck-beard go completely because I work in front of the public (plus I like to keep it neat-looking while it's growing in).


Right now I'm keeping my cheek lines completely natural and using a trimmer to set a nice, defined neck line as low as I can without it looking awkward. After setting the line with the trimmer I clean up my neck with one of those old-school, double-sided safety razors. Instead of gel or cream I use an oil-based product called "Shave Secret." It's a lot nicer to my skin than soap-based stuff, and it only takes a few drops to do the job; the only drawback is that you have to rinse your razor really well because it leaves a film.


For my actual beard, I use beard oil, beard balm, and mustache wax, and I pretty much just trim it with scissors once every few weeks unless I'm resetting it to short with the trimmer. Once it's long enough to cover my neck again I'll quit shaving entirely and just stick to the scissors to keep it shaped.