DO NOT TAKE THIS AS ADVICE

I’m gonna share how I shave, but I’m not going to pretend as if it is optimal or works for everyone. I have very dense and stubborn hair that, for some reason, I can only successfully shave if I go against the grain. Across and with the grain just doesn’t really remove much hair, and my hair grows in such wild directions that I have multiple places in my body (arms, legs, chest, and back) where I have to take multiple passes in different directions. As far as I’m aware, this is not typical, at least not to the degree I have to deal with.

I’ll start with how I shave my face, since that’s pretty easy. I started with an electric shaver when I first started getting hair from puberty. I stuck with that until very recently, when I switched to a safety razor. Electric shavers are really easy to use, but they don’t give you as good of a shave, and the cost of replacing the shaving heads is ridiculously high. With a safety razor (and Cremo shaving cream), I get an incredibly close shave, and I can get by with 5 shaves on a blade, so it’s around 2-4¢/shave. I shave against the grain in a single pass over my entire beard area up to my cheeks, and that gets me a very good shave. The only sign I have hair there is the shadow above my lips, and I’m hopefully gonna be starting laser soon to treat that (and the rest of my body). Use very, very little pressure; let the blade do the work. I invested in a nice safety razor (Leaf twig), and I’ve loved it so far. There’s a learning curve, and you will cut yourself at first, but eventually it just becomes second nature. Cartridge razors are generally easier, but it’s harder to reach difficult areas, like right below your nose. Many of them come with blades on a different edge that you can use as a trimmer for tough to reach areas, so use that where necessary if you choose to go that route.

As for my body, I use cartridge razors. Specifically, I use the Billie razor, and I use one razor for most of my body, and a different colored one for other, just because I don’t like using the same razor everywhere. The blades are exactly the same, it’s just a hygiene thing. I shave against the grain for all my hair, which means that I have to do multiple passes in different directions in problem areas, like my thighs. For instance, on the front half of my thighs, I shave upwards, on the back I shave downwards, and then I shave across starting from the back of my thigh and wrap around (in both directions). I do the same thing for my lower arms (below the elbow). My chest is a bit of a mess with hair growing in all sorts of directions, so I’ve had to learn what directions to shave in what locations and I can now easily shave my entire torso in 5 minutes (at least the front side). My back is tricky because I can’t see what I’m doing, but I have great flexibility, so I can reach it all on my own. The worst areas to shave for me are my genitals, and between my buttocks, the latter if which being the worst because I can’t see anything and it’s such an awkward and dysphoric area.

Since I have so much hair and shaving is so strenuous, I shave my body in sections. I split my main areas into 3, and I do one per day: 1. legs and buttocks, 2. chest and back, 3. arms. I also alternate every other day between: 1. armpits, 2. genitals. Those areas I find grow especially fast, so I need to take care of them more frequently. I shave my face every day.

I plan on getting full body hair removal in the future (laser and electrolysis), so hopefully one day I no longer have to worry about shaving, but for the time being it is a chore and a half. It’s a huge amount of effort to keep consistently shaven, and I often find myself missing days (sometimes multiple days in a row) because I just can’t find the motivation to do it. But there is something you need to understand: shaving is something you do for you, not for others. You get to choose how often you do it, and that choice is yours alone.

also, this probably doesn’t need to be said, but: don’t sleep on hair removal, esp. for the beard / face … beard shadow is one of the biggest visual cues that cause people to gender you as male, and relatedly, it usually causes loads of dysphoria, but it takes a long time for hair removal to work, whether you use laser or electrolysis, you can expect that process to take months to years.

So start early to reduce long-term suffering (if possible, of course; just saying: it’s high priority!).

I use a safety razor because the blades are much cheaper. Cartridge razors are fine too, but double edged blades are like 10-20¢ each if you get them in bulk.

The other advice I’ve seen here is good. Prep the skin with heat and moisture, pull the skin taught, and use minimal pressure. Avoid using dull blades.

The main thing is be aware of the grain. Hair has a grain, it grows along the surface in a direction with some variation. Generally beard hair grows down and away from the center, but yours may be different. Take some time to observe what grain pattern your hair follows.

The first pass should be with the grain. Shave the entire area with the grain, then go back for one or multiple passes in different directions. I usually do a three pass shave on my face, pass 1 with the grain, pass 2 across the grain, pass 3 against the grain. Shaving against the grain on the first pass is virtually guaranteed to result in cuts.

I’m writing this from the perspective of someone with fair skin, european ancestry, and largely straight beard hair. Hair is highly variable, make sure any hair related advice comes from those with similar hair to yours.

First, are you doing a hot water soak? Give your hair 3-5 minutes under comfortably hot water, it opens and softens the follicles, making them easier to cut through.

Secondly, find a shaving cream that works for your skin. I use a cheap sensitive skin kind with aloe and oatmeal, this keeps the skin soft and minimizes irritation(the bumpiness).

Two passes with the razor, one with the hairs growth direction, the other against. Be very light, you should just feel the razor head against your skin. Pressure leads to skin getting caught, and that leads to cuts. If you feel like you need pressure to cut, your blades are too dull.

Keep the skin taut by doing things like opening your mouth, or pulling on your skin lightly. Taut skin is smooth skin, less risk of cutting yourself.

For any irritation after, find a light lotion. You don’t want something too heavy or greasy, just a gentle moisturizer. A part of irritation is from the skin getting dry alongside the abrasions.

EDIT: If using a disposable/replaceable head, try different blade counts. Some people do great with 1-2 blade heads, some have a better response with 3-5 blade heads. That really comes down to your skin and hair. It’s a trial, but once you work out which is best, it’s consistent regardless of brand.

I’d you’re doing legs, arms, or genitals, a contouring razor is your best friend, it flexes along your curves better than other razors designed for the face/throat.

No need to do anything the hard way when you’re just starting out. The whole process with prep, safety razors, after care etc can wait. I’d also skip the disposable two blade razors.

Invest in a decent starter set of the modern 4 and 5 blade cartridge razors with the reusable handle and soap strips around the blades. They’re forgiving compared to everything else, which is perfect when you’re learning. Even if you want to try more trendy shaving equipment later, you’ll be grateful to have something fast and foolproof on hand when you’re in a rush!

As for technique tips: Any kind of soap will help the head glide, but obviously shaving cream is made for it. Light pressure is all that’s needed. Let the razor blades do the work.

Stretching the skin taught helps avoid irritation. Shaving with the direction of the hair to start can help your skin and follicles acclimate to the abrasion. Then you can try shaving against when you’re ready.

Lots of good advice here, I’ll add a couple of tips

Multi-blade razors can cause irritation. The first blades pull the hair out of the follocule, cut the hair, and the remainder will fall back into the follocule. This makes the shave feel very smooth, but it can lead to irritation and ingrown hairs. If you had a hard time with bumps or irritation then it may be best to use a single blade razor and use multiple passes.

I use an alum block after I shave to help prevent irritation and bumps. Wet the block and rub it on the shaved area, leave it on for a bit (like the 30 seconds or so) and then rinse it off with cold water.

Pull your skin tight and then use short strokes of the razor. Stretching the skin tight allows the razor to work more effectively. If shaving your face, be prepared to make some ridiculously silly faces…

I always start shaving with the grain. If that’s too stubbly then I do pass against the grain. That is usually smooth enough for me, but more passes could make it smoother. It’s just more irritating the may passes I do.