Is Shaving Against the Grain Ok?

I recently got an email from a friend and loyal follower of my blog. Despite my shaving tips, my friend pointed out that I have been neglecting all of you shavers out there who have fine, and thin beards. He wrote to me that despite his best attempts to avoid irritation, he just can't shave with the grain because the hairs just don't get cut.

For this group, and this group alone, I am going to break all my rules. Some people have
ultra-straight hair on their head and on their beards. Some people, despite their best attempts, just can't grow a full beard. (Or at least something that most of us would consider to be a real beard!)

So here are suggestions for my fine-bearded buddies:
1) It is ok to shave against the grain if you are careful. Very straight hairs are unlikely to become ingrown, as opposed to curly hair. Since the hair shaft itself is not curved, the shaved edge of the hair will usually grow out of the follicle without causing problems. So cutting the hairs very close to the skin (which is what happens when shaving against the grain) may be ok.

2) While you may be dismayed by your sparse facial hair, the good news is that you will likely not need to shave as frequently as your werewolf friends. For some this may mean once a week, for others, every few days. It all depends on you.

3) What remains the same for everyone regardless of how much or how little hair you have is skin preparation. Wash. Shaving Cream. Light, Short Strokes. Moisturize.

My apologies to my fair-haired friends. For every rule there is an exception, and that is you!