To check for the direction of hair growth, before shaving, rub your fingers or a credit card across your skin feeling for resistance (which indicates "against the grain"). Shaving "with the grain" simply means shaving in the same direction that your hair grows. People often wonder if they should shave with or against the grain, and in most cases shaving with the grain offers significantly more comfort and less chance for ingrown hair, razor burn or nicks. However, in some tough spots you may want to take one more pass against the grain for the closest shave. When going against the grain, don't hesitate to re-apply shave gel or cream to minimize skin irritation.