I’m right handed and do the right side first. Then I use my left hand to do the left side. Then I do my chin and the strip on my neck under the chin and finally my upper lip all with my right.
I soap up with shaving soap and a brush. (Currently using Clinique) Then I start right under my bottom lip, centered. As I turn from side to side (looking in mirror), I switch hands, right for right, left left. I go with the grain except for neck, chin gets with and against. I make a funny face to get my moustache area.
I use an electric razor. I start from the right side near my jawline and work it from there.
I begin with the left side and gradually work my way over. Generally, I prefer an electric razor to a standard one, as well
Left
[ul][]Right handed, right side first. []Edge gel (I used plain soap for a month and found it to be fine… but then used the gel again and found it to be superior) With the grain all around, then redo the part under the jawline (where it’s thickest) by going against the grain repeatedly. [/ul]
Left handed. Right, then bottom, chin and throat, left and finally moustache. Against the grain. Disposable razor.
Of course, I only really need to shave once a week or so. Damn genetics.
Right Handed. I shave in the shower, so I don’t bother with Foam or Gel.
- Left cheek, using the left hand, up to the corner of my mouth, with the grain.
- Left side of my neck, using my right hand, up to the middle of my neck, with the grain, then against the grain.
- Right cheek, using the right hand, up to the corner of my mouth, with the grain.
- Right side of my neck, using my left hand, up to the middle of my neck, with the grain, then against the grain.
- Chin, with the grain.
I have a moustache, so my upper lip escapes unscathed.
Does that mean you do the inside next? :eek:
gouda, thank you so much for creating a pointless and inane poll about shaving. I was just thinking about doing the same thing this morning, but didn’t do so, because I thought I would look ridiculous. But since you have set the precedent, I hope you will forgive me when I hijack this thread a little bit later. But as to the OP, I am right-handed, and I shave the right side first.
But now, on to my hijack:
Yet, even though I shave the right side first, and always begin by shaving as close to the right ear as possible, when I switch over to the left side, I always start somewhere in the middle, and I really don’t know why. So, as to the hijack, dopers, please explain your strange shaving habits, and if possible, explain how they came into being.
I start at the left sideburn. I am left-handed. I like baseball, you?
Right-handed.
Soap & brush.
right sideburn/jawline with grain; then throat, from right to left, against the grain. Then left sideburn, left cheek. Right cheek. Chin, left to right, with grain.
I enjoy shaving my husband…
1st I soften his beard with a very warm moist towel.
Soap & Brush
R cheek down then up
L cheek down then up
neck against the grain working L to R
chin R to L with grain then up
He has a mustache
Then I rub my cheek against his for the ultimate closeness test
Start on the right side (left by the mirror’s reckoning) up by the ear and slowly work down, shaving almost entirely perpendicular to the grain. When approaching goatee, stop and start on the left side. When approaching goatee, stop and begin under chin on right side, then left, then clean up all the stupid f***ing spots I missed.
Feel even more spots I missed on way to work. Curse.
Start right below my right sideburn, go downward. Shave right side, but leave area around mouth and chin free (back from my days when I had a goatee.) Left side next, then above lip, chin, then neck, starting on the ride side going up. When that’s done, I do my neck again going down this time (I still haven’t figured out whether up or down is against the grain…they both feel kinda smooth.) Then I redo my cheek going up (against the grain.) It scraps along rather unpleasantly, but I get baby butt smooth skin. And the GF loves that.
I’m an equilibrium freak, one of those people that bang a knuckle on a wall and has to deliberately bang the opposite knuckle on the wall to feel that all is right with the world.
I start with right sideburn, straight down to chinline, then the left. Then I work in one half razor width swipes straight down alternating sides until I get to the middle. Then the right side stache trim, then the left. If I have a Vincent, like now, I do the left side trim, then the right. Then I do the middle of the neck to the chin, then I alternate strokes left and right working towards the ears. Each time I switch sides, I flip the razor to the other blade. (I use a double edged safety razor).
I won’t even get into how I trim the length of facial hair. That is an epic.
My pleasure 
Only if I think I’m gonna get lucky that night.
I can’t believe I didn’t know this until I checked this morning; after all, I’ve been shaving for many years.
Starter on the left upper cheek.
The things we learn on the Board! In this case, how much of my life is on autopilot!
For well over a year, I tried shaving in different ways each time. I’d start at the left or right ear; left, middle or right neck; left or right cheek; below nose and on the chin. Problem was that unless I remembered I would automatically return to the old routine of starting with the right ear. It was a good lesson on the importance of habits, since shaving became something I had to think about and it was therefore a pain in the neck. What got me to stop recently was that I realized I always applied the shaving creme the same way and was not about to start varying that.