Shaving, Beard Design, and Facial Hair Services
Prep and skin tension
Shaving is a skin service, not just hair removal. Cleanse, apply warm towels to soften the beard, then lather and let it sit. Skin tension - stretching the skin with the free hand - is what lets the razor cut cleanly instead of skipping. Hold the razor at roughly a 30° angle, use short strokes, and shave with the grain first. Against-the-grain passes give a closer shave but raise the risk of ingrown hairs and irritation, so they are a finishing step, never a first step, and they are skipped on sensitive skin.
Razor care
A straight razor is stropped to realign the edge and honed to restore it. The blade is wiped, never slammed, and the razor is disinfected after every client; disposable blades go straight into a sharps container. Never shave over moles, warts, inflamed or broken skin, or anything you cannot identify - refer.
Beard design
Beard work is about balance and clean outlines. Establish the cheek line naturally and remove only what falls below it, keeping both sides symmetric. The neckline is the most-tested landmark: roughly two finger-widths above the top of the Adam's apple, following the jaw's natural curve, with corners faded up into the sideburn. Too high looks unnatural; too low looks sloppy.
Mustache and goatee
Trim from the center outward, work dry for control, and always cut less than you think you should - hair does not grow back on command. Styptic powder stops a nick; a nick that keeps bleeding ends the service.
Rule of thumb: with the grain to remove hair, against the grain only to finish, and only if the skin can take it.