Some shaving scenes in films should warn, "Don't try this at home." For the best razor experience, learn from these characters' mistakes.

In the same way you wouldn’t trust Ron Burgundy to educate you on the duties of an anchorman, you can’t necessarily count on movie characters to be good shaving mentors. In fact, some movie men make perfect role models for what not to do: They scrape when they should glide, sting when they should soothe and drive the razor north when they should roll south.

Health and beauty expert Kyan Douglas, best known as the grooming guru on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and present host of TLC’s 10 Years Younger, took a sharp look at the shaving scenes in some popular flicks and shows us why they should be recut.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

In Front of the Mirror:

Jim Blandings (Cary Grant) must battle for real estate in front of the bathroom mirror as his freshly showered wife (Myrna Loy) cuts in front and foils Grant’s attempt at achieving uninterrupted shaving.

The Wrong Cut:

Douglas concludes that a shaver needs to be able to focus on the task at face.

“There are times when I’m rushed or in a hurry,” says Douglas, “and those are the times I knick my Adam’s apple. And then those become the most inconvenient times -- because now you’re still late, and you’re also bleeding. So just give yourself the time to really respect your face. It’s delicate skin, your face. Take care of it.”

In the same way you wouldn’t trust Ron Burgundy to educate you on the duties of an anchorman, you can’t necessarily count on movie characters to be good shaving mentors. In fact, some movie men make perfect role models for what not to do: They scrape when they should glide, sting when they should soothe and drive the razor north when they should roll south.

North By Northwest (1959)

In Front of the Mirror:

In the men’s room of Chicago’s Union Station, Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant again) must shave to disguise his identity but only has access to a teeny women’s pink razor (the property of his romantic foil, Eva Marie Saint).

The Wrong Cut:

Sure, Grant had to make do with whatever kind of blade he could get; after all, he was on the run from the law, mistaken for a killer. But obviously, you should avoid using a woman’s razor on your face.

“Women often use those kinds of disposable razors,” notes Douglas. “I don’t know that ‘lady shavers’ -- if that’s what you want to call them -- are really designed to get the close kind of shave the way the men’s razors are. Plus, on a very practical level, you really shouldn’t be sharing razors with anybody -- it’s not sanitary. Things can definitely be transmitted, like warts. And because it can be a bloody situation, sharing razors has even been linked to transmission of Hepatitis C.”

As for the teeniness of that pink shaver, Douglas adds, “It’s not so much the size of the equipment, it’s really the quality.” And Douglas opts for a good multiblade razor.

The Graduate (1967)

In Front of the Mirror:

While attempting to scrape off some bristle (stroking the razor upward on his neck), Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) gets a visit from his mom who basically asks him if he’s tomcatting around at night. Shocked at the question, Hoffman slits his finger on his safety razor.

The Wrong Cut:

“This is kind of an almost iconic image of a man shaving,” says Douglas. “He’s got his chin up, he’s lathered up, he’s going against the grain -- shaving up from the Adam’s apple. But here’s the deal: One is supposed to go with the grain.

“Now what if the hair on your neck grows in different directions, as it does with many men? Or around your chin, for example? Shaving up is perfect if your hair grows upward. If you get a 5 o’clock shadow very easily and you want to control that, rather than go against the grain, you can go sideways into the grain -- it’s not as traumatic on the skin. You’re less likely to get razor bumps and irritation.

“But the lesson is to really pay attention to the grain of your facial hair and do your best to shave with it,” says Douglas.

And the other lesson?

“Don’t talk about sex with your mother while you’re shaving.”

Home Alone(1990)

In Front of the Mirror:

In an iconic motion-picture moment, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) indulges in bathroom grooming capped off by a splash of aftershave -- resulting in the sting heard round the world.

The Wrong Cut:

Forget that the 8-year-old in the movie never actually “shaves.” The takeaway involves the use of boozed-up post-shave elixirs (which can really smart a freshly shorn face).

Says Douglas: “It’s just a very old-school mentality about aftershave -- that stinging is good because it’s disinfecting. It should be used to soothe the skin.”

The Aviator (2004)

In Front of the Mirror:

Because he needs to emerge from seclusion, Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) must finally shave off his ratty beard. Helping him perform the deed: Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale).

The Wrong Cut:

Based on our shave-with-the-grain rule, it would seem this scene gets it wrong, since Beckinsale slides the razor up DiCaprio’s neck, against the grain. But after careful inspection, Douglas concludes the scene actually got it right.

“Straight-blade professionals will often shave against the grain,” notes Douglas. “But only after they’ve shaved the face once with the grain. And it looks like that’s what she had done: There was just a little bit of shaving cream on his cheek, but the rest of his face had been shaved.”

Starsky & Hutch (2004)

In Front of the Mirror:

Ken Hutchinson (Owen Wilson) shaves in the police department men’s bathroom.

The Wrong Cut:

At first glance, it would seem Wilson has his technique wrong, holding his razor nearly full-on vertically. Were you to follow suit with a modern-day razor, you’d be gaffing.

But for this scene, Douglas blames Wilson’s equipment: the retro safety razor (the movie’s set in the ’70s). “With those old-school razors, it’s really like working with a straight blade,” explains Wilson. “The angle in which you hold it is really important. So I think the actor was holding the blade the way it actually needs to be held, so he didn’t cut himself.”

Douglas adds, “One of the things I really like about this scene is that Owen Wilson really seems to be taking his time -- taking small strokes, sort of like doing detail work. And that’s really great if you’re someone whose facial hair growth pattern goes in many different directions.”

Hancock (2008)

In Front of the Mirror:

About to emerge from prison to commit acts of super-heroism, John Hancock (Will Smith) first decides to clean up his act. He parks himself in front of his cell’s sink, applies shaving cream and shaves … using his fingernails. 

The Wrong Cut:

Since we mere mortals can’t fairly evaluate the effectiveness of fingernails as razors, Douglas found another flaw.

“What struck me about that scene is that he didn’t use any water,” says Douglas. “He just put the cream on there and just … thwack. And in our imaginary Shaving 101 lesson book, the first thing you talk about is applying water to soften the beard. You should really first wash your face, or take a shower, or splash water on your face for a minute or use a wet hot towel -- something that keeps moisture and heat on your beard long enough to moisten that hair shaft.”

Shaving accomplishes much more than just removing hair from your face. Here, we reveal the surprising benefits that accompany the right cut.

As even cavemen knew thousands of years ago, the act of shaving removes facial hair (except, their method involved sharp rocks, which couldn’t have been much fun and which made removing neck stubble, in particular, an adventure akin to dodging the dreaded follicle-saurus). What they -- and maybe a smart iPhone-carrying, Wii-playing guy like you -- didn’t realize is that the act of face-blading can also boost job prospects, improve skin health, curb wrinkles, and according to scientific research, make you more attractive. Here’s how.

At Work
Fair or not, people make assumptions about what job you’re suited for based on whether you’re clean-shaven or bearded, according to a Stockholm University study. The psychologists heading the study collected photos of men with and without facial hair and asked subjects to decide which job best fit each man.

The results were surprising: Apparently, having a beard is a positive for a college professor or scientist, but the opposite is true for white-collar jobs. If you’re a lawyer, budding executive or salesman, your favorability goes up once the stubble is shorn. Keep this in mind next time you’re weighing whether or not to come back from vacation with the Grizzly Adams look. 

In the Fountain of Youth
Using a razor keeps the skin healthier and holds acne at bay. It all has to do with exfoliation, the mild removal of the top layer of dead skin. “This helps cleanse your pores and reduce microscopic pimples that could ultimately lead to full-blown pimples visible to the naked eye,” says Dr. Daniel Sheehan, a dermatologist at the Medical College of Georgia.

A second benefit to exfoliation: It stimulates collagen production in the skin, which promotes elasticity and a younger, more vibrant glow.

Behind the Foliage
Dr. John C. Browning, a dermatologist at the University of Texas, notes that beards block you from applying moisturizer, the lack of which can speed up wrinkling. “It also allows others to fully see your face and takes away any assumption that the reason you have facial hair is because you need to hide behind something,” he says.

There’s a caveat, though: “Having a clean-shaven face exposes you to the sun’s rays more, so it’s important to apply sunscreen,” says Browning. “In case you’re worried about not getting enough vitamin D, which your body produces when you expose your skin to sunlight, take dietary supplements.”

In Love
Two studies offer good news for the clean team. The first was conducted by the international market intelligence company Synovate. It found that 26 percent of American women prefer men with beards, while the other 74 percent go for clean-shaven guys. (The highest ratio of women who prefer men who use razors comes from South Africa, at 94 percent; the lowest is Canada, at a still whopping 70 percent.)

The second study came from scientists at Barry University in Florida and the University of Louisville. In it, a group of men and women were given pictures of whiskerless and bearded guys, and they were asked to rate them on certain specific traits. The findings: Clean-shaven men were regarded as more appealing, more agreeable, younger and more mature.

Top NFL players’ numbers are growing at the same pace as their beards and mustaches. Here’s our cutting analysis of what may be the potentially hairy connection.

There needs to be an investigation into a performance-enhancement trend in the National Football League. More All-Pro players are running faster, hitting harder and jumping higher. And we have reason to believe the performance-enhancing evidence is as clear as the nose on their faces -- or at least the brush right underneath it.

That’s right: Neatly trimmed facial hair has been sprouting all over the league’s elite players’ otherwise ugly mugs. Is it a coincidence that the best of the best are fine-tuning their facial hair like violin strings? We doubt you’ll think so after you read our performance analysis of the hairy-faced men of football.

Pitt’s Pendulum

Player:

Ben Roethlisberger

Position:

Quarterback

Team:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Facial hairstory:

Trimmed beard and goatee

Big Ben and his beard burst on the scene in 2004, when he was drafted by the Steelers. Rocking the vaguely Eastern European goatee and matching mustache, at 23, he became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history. Roethlisberger actually had a fan site (called Ben’s Beard) dedicated to his facial hair, and it was supported by over 14,000 brush buddies. Despite this, in February 2006, he shaved it all off for The Late Show With David Letterman. Just a few months later, he was in a career-threatening motorcycle accident … after which he returned with his beard reborn and went on to lead the Steelers to another Super Bowl championship.

Post-game analysis:

Is Roethlisberger’s brush with success only a coincidence? The answer is as plain as the hair on Ben’s face: Without it, Big Ben’s a stopped clock.

Rowdy Receiver’s Face Moss

Player:

Randy Moss

Position:

Wide Receiver

Team:

New England Patriots

Facial hairstory:

From well-groomed mustache and beard to hobo-looking face brush

The bad boy of the New England Patriots has had both a hairy and stylish career. He arrived in the NFL from Marshall with a stylin’ (and neatly trimmed) beard and mustache -- along with a criminal rap sheet and a bad reputation. But Moss’ stats and beard grew throughout his pro career as he set the NFL single-season touchdown reception record as a rookie and became the league’s top receiver for the Vikings from 1998 through 2005. Later, as a Pats-man, he led their way to the Super Bowl. This year, though, his beard became particularly unruly, inviting comparisons to a member of ZZ Top. Simultaneously, his numbers dropped -- along with his focus -- and his teammates and opponents questioned his dedication.

Post-game analysis:

We’re thinking, if he just gets himself a little trim, he’ll be back in the Pro Bowl.

Brush Fired

Player:

Brett Favre

Position:

Quarterback

Team:

Minnesota Vikings

Facial hairstory:

Round-the-clock 5 o’clock shadow

Brett Favre joined the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 -- a fresh-faced kid from Southern Mississippi who … sucked. It took a few years for Favre to find his way to Green Bay and the Don Johnson round-the-clock shadow look that put a fuzzy fine point on his image. Once he mastered the constant mowing of his facial foliage, he simultaneously cranked up the caliber of his gunslinger image. The brush caught fire in 1995 when Favre nailed down his first MVP Awards and led the Packers to their best record in nearly 30 seasons. He then led the team to the Super Bowl title the following season. In the years since, he’s put up Hall of Fame numbers with the Pack, then the Jets and now has the Vikings playing better than they’ve had in years.

Post-game analysis:

Once Brett-man started focusing on the crucial details of his All Pro appearance, his meticulous legend as a superhero on the field grew and grew.

Bigfoot’s a Big Hit

Player:

Nick Mangold

Position:

Center

Team:

New York Jets

Facial hairstory:

Wookie puss

Nick Mangold, an offensive lineman taken by the New York Jets in 2006, has grown on the Big Apple like a huge pile of hairy moss on a skyscraper. After a near-Rookie of the Year season (rare for a center), the 6-foot-4-inch, 305-pound stunt double for that Bigfoot dude in Harry and the Hendersons is already considered one of the best at his position in the league. He’s all set for his second Pro Bowl season at the tender age (for a side of beef) of 25. So why don’t you know him? Because the dude’s got so much hair on his head and face, he looks like a Wookie.

Post-game analysis:

One full contact drill with a razor and a set of sheep shears, and this guy could be as rich and famous as Michael Jordan.

Groomed and Dangerous

Player:

Ray Lewis

Position:

Middle Linebacker

Team:

Baltimore Ravens

Facial hairstory:

Stylin’ bristles

Showing up in the mid-’90s, Ray Lewis had a suitcase full of swagger and a macked-out mug full of trimmed, waxed and styled facial hair. He instantly became the most dominant player at his position since Dick Butkus … with a lot more flair. Sure he’s had tough times -- like when he pled guilty to being on the scene of a murder after the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta (the only black mark on his otherwise clean off-field record). But that brush with disaster has disappeared in the rearview mirror as Ray-Ray continues to rack up big numbers and batter quarterbacks at the advanced assaulting age of 35! Now sporting a personality to match his civilized style, the eight-time Pro Bowler and 2000 Super Bowl MVP has sacked his bad-boy image to become a Madison Avenue All Star, racking up all sorts of endorsements. 

Post-game analysis:

When the personality of the defensive face of the NFL caught up with his stylish facial image, Lewis became a media darling.

A few swipes of the blade can highlight your best -- and distract from your, well, less than best -- facial features. Here’s how.

The hair on your face can work the same kind of magic as the hair on your head: The right cut can make you more handsome; the wrong one can emphasize your flaws.

“The general rule with facial hair is that you want it to offset the shape of your face and the size of your features,” says Eddie “Champ” Hall, owner and head of faculty at Champ’s Barber School in Pennsylvania. “If your face is long and skinny, a chinstrap beard can create the illusion of width; if it’s round, a goatee will help draw the eye down and make your face appear longer; if it’s square, a circle beard can help soften the jawline.”

And when it comes to trends, it’s not always the best idea to take your cues from Hollywood. The Van Dyck look (a mustache and pointy goatee -- think Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler) was all over the red carpet at last year’s Oscars, but it’s not a look everyone can pull off.  

Here’s how to get the look you want:

Circle Beard
Looks like: A small chin beard that connects around the mouth to the mustache, creating a circle or oval shape. Also referred to as a “door knocker.”

Good for: Square faces. This style helps soften the jawline and adds curves.

How to get it: “In general, you want to grow a lot more hair than you think you’ll need,” says Cori Randall, New York City-based hairstylist and instructor. “Grow a full beard, 2 to 3 inches in length, and then shape it down using clippers, making sure the outside lines are sharp and even and line up with your smile lines.”

Goatee
Looks like: A small chin beard resembling the facial hair on a billy goat.

Good for: Round faces, especially those with double chins, because it helps draw the eye down and make the face appear longer.

How to get it: “Completely shave the cheeks and upper lip,” says Hall. “Then shape the area around, and slightly under, the chin into a desired patch of hair.”

Balbo
Looks like: A mustache combined with hair on the chin (basically a circle beard, minus the connection between the two patches of hair).

Good for: Square and oval faces, to add curves.

How to get it: “Just like the circle beard, you’re going to need a lot of hair to work with,” says Randall, “so you’ll need to grow it out for a few weeks.” Then use a razor to completely shave off the cheek area and the connection between the chin hair and mustache.

Van Dyck
Looks like: A mustache and a separate pointed goatee. It’s named after the 17th-century Flemish portrait artist of the same name, who often sported the look and used it in his paintings.

Good for: Square and oval faces, to add curves.

How to get it: “Again, this is a look where you’ll need to grow out a full beard before you trim it down into shape,” says Hall. When you have enough hair to form a slightly longish goatee, “shave the cheeks until you have a circle beard, then carefully remove the connection between the two patches of hair and continue removing hairs until you get your desired shape.”

Chinstrap
Looks like: A line of facial hair that extends from the sideburns and runs all the way along the jawline.

Good for: Round and oval face shapes, to introduce lines and angles.

How to get it: Shave the cheeks, upper lip and chin area, leaving a strip of hair along the jawline. “Start out by leaving a wider strip of hair than you think you need,” says Hall. “You can always narrow it down to a desired width later on.”

Soul Patch
Looks like: A small patch of hair -- circular, square or triangular -- located directly below the lower lip above the chin. The look was made popular by beatniks and jazz musicians in the 1950s and ’60s.

Good for: Any face shape, to add character and style.

How to get it: “The key to creating this look is absolute symmetry,” says Randall. “Shape it slowly from both sides, using your chin and mouth as guideposts.”

Whether your back resembles the Amazon or you just think below-the-belt topiary’s cool, here’s what you need to know before you begin.

Remember that guy in middle school with all the back hair? He probably had a nickname like “werewolf” or “yeti.” And he had no choice but to learn the art of body shaving, better known as manscaping, at an early age (or it’s possible that he was so scarred from the locker room jokes that he turned into a recluse and didn’t bother).

Now that you’re older and pumping out more testosterone than when you sneaked into PG-13 movies, the subject of body hair isn’t quite as funny. Whether or not to shave -- and where -- is entirely personal. But being clean and tidy is definitely in.

“It is one of those things that men are finally comfortable talking about,” says Dr. Lisa Kellett, a dermatologist. “Many men are acquiring a more tailored, less hairy look.”

Successful manscaping without nicks or ingrown hairs involves somewhat different strategies than those used for shaving the face. Here are tips for clearing hair -- all the way down to the groin, where it can sometimes be hard to spot the lion in the tall grass.

Anywhere
Always manscape after or during a shower so the skin and hair is completely softened. To get an even smoother shave, shear any long hair with an electric trimmer or scissors, says Dr. Jeffrey Benabio, a dermatologist and skin care expert. Then apply shaving gel or cream and use a razor that adjusts to the shape of your body. Rinse it often.

Armpits
Remember the cardinal rule of shaving: don’t apply pressure with the razor. To avoid nicks and ingrown hairs, let it glide across the skin. When you’re finished, avoid an alcohol-based deodorant for a while: It’ll irritate.

Chest
Sure, women shave against the grain on their legs, but don’t follow their lead, especially on the chest, where the skin is softer. Glide the razor mostly downhill except around the nipples -- you’ll need to be extra careful here. (Losing a nipple would make for lots of stares at the beach -- not the good kind.) Follow the hair’s varying directions and be sure not to nick the coarse skin.

Back
Don’t try this alone. The person shaving should merely follow the advice above (shave with grain, let razor glide, etc.). A few more words of wisdom, though: don’t ask a girl to do this on your first date.

Groin
Again, cut the hair short first. Then use a fresh blade, pulling the skin as taut and flat as possible. Use only light, short strokes. These last tips are especially important when clearing the brush around the tree, so to speak. There’s no real danger to hitting any veins or lopping anything off in this, um, especially sensitive area.

Still, nicks are easier to get if you’re not meticulous. When you’re done, use moisturizer or else the area could itch for days and result in ingrown hairs -- the manscape from which there’s no escape.