The perfect shave can be a dream for most men without forking out for a shave at the barbers.

As being clean shaven is a rarity for most men, opting for stubble or a beard instead, the majority of us men aren’t exactly clear on how to shave without suffering from skin nicks, ingrown hairs or rashes and irritation.

Here are 3 tips to fully ensure that you land the perfect shave without having to suffer skin nicks or burning cheeks.

3 Steps To The Perfect Shave

The secret to the perfect shave comes down to 1 simple thing, understanding the way your hair grows, often called the grain.

1. All About The Grain

The hairs on your face grow in different directions on different parts of your face and neck. In order to understand which direction your facial hair grows, simply run your fingertips along your skin. When the texture is smoother, compared to other directions, then this is the grain of your facial hair. If it feels spiky then you are going against the grain and you should avoid shaving in this direction at all costs.

Now you know your facial hairs grain, you can land the perfect shave with ease by using the below 2 tips to know which direction to shave in.

2. Knowledge Is Power

Now you know your facial hair’s grain, now you need to know what to do with this piece of information.

Shaving in the direction of your stubble growth will give you a closer, cleaner shave, whilst ensuring your chances of skin nicks and irritation are kept to a minimum. Shaving this way should feel smoother and the razor wont pull on your face, which can often result in a cut or skin nick – a classic sign of a bad shave.

If you have a large amount of stubble padding out your face then this will impact your ability to land a close shave. If this is the case then make a second pass with your razor to achieve a perfect and close shave.

3. Want To Get Closer?

If you want an even cleaner, smoother shave then make a final shave with your razor at a 90 degree angle to the direction your hair grows in. This will give you the closest shave you can get, as good as an experienced barber can do. This will also help with reducing your chances of ingrown hairs, cuts and rashes.

3 of our best tips to help you understand which direction you should shave in for the perfect shave.