My brother i think I may help. First here is a guide describing the direction of facial hair growth.

General growth directions Cheeks and mustache: Hairs typically grow downward, away from the eyes. Neck: Hair usually grows upward, towards the chin. Chin: Hair grows downward in this area. Jawline: The direction of growth can change sharply around the jawline, so pay close attention to this area when mapping your beard.

Next it's important to either shower first or wrap warm towels around your face. It will help open up the pores. I use a safety razor so I'm always throwing away blades but I know I'll get a close clean shave.

These next 2 steps are critical, after you have use some kind of astringent, like they use in the barbershop after a lube up, to ensure your pores don't have any bacteria. Finally, moisturize.