I use a merker double edge safety razor

Christ, this is really expensive?
Is it worth it? You're sure there aren't cheaper alternatives?

I'm still getting the hang of my safety razor. Whenever I try to go against the grain my skin flips the fuck out and I get all this bumpy red skin and whiteheads. If I don't though I don't get a very close shave. My routine is shower, wet face with warm water then apply shaving cream. Any tips would be nice.

You might be putting it on too thick. It should be basically a liquid.

Use less pressure.
The blade is razor sharp already-it'll cut hairs without you digging it into your face, I promise.
Focus more on finding the right angle and just sliding the razor across lightly.

Also, I don't know about the merkurs but on older Gillettes you'll get more of an audible scraping noise when you've got the angle right, and that helps to key in on the right technique too.

i've heard epilating your face is bad news. isn't it like super painful

That's razor burn.
You get it from pressing too hard like says, and from going over a place too much. Use longer strokes and as much of the width of the razor head as you can to minimize the amount of times any one part of your face has the razor pass over it. If a razor blade goes over a certain part of your face 13 times, you're much more likely to get razor burn there than if you only go over it twice, no matter how little pressure you use.

that's just how your stuble is like, you won't change it.

Remember you're not removing your facial hair when shaving, you're just cutting it really fucking short. Some people have that shadow, some people shouldn't even shave because shaving wreck havoc on their skin...

As said by that other user, you should do 1)along the grain 2) across (sideways if you will) 3) across in the other direction compared to before 4) against if you really want to but it may be too harsh at this point
tl;dr you're not doing anything wrong, you could be perfectly shaved and you'd still have it. That guy in your pic looks really clean actually, he just doesn't look like he has the skin of a teenager when he shaves.

It has nothing to do with the razor and everything to do with your technique.

Don't use pressure.
The weight of your razor is more than heavy enough to cut the stubble by itself. All you have to really do is guide it around your face.
You don't need to press at all. If you feel you need to, try changing the angle of the razor instead.

Use shaving cream. It's cheap, it works and you can see where your razor's been. That matters now.

I prefer shaving soap and a brush to get it all around my face-I find it works better than just my hand-but even just rubbing Barbasol on gives a nice shave.
You don't have to spend a lot of cash on premium stuff to get a great result. I've gotten it with a $5 brush and a $1 cake of Williams soap in a coffee cup or just shaving cream alone. The secret is in the prep; getting a good shave is much easier if you take the time to prep your face properly.

So that said, fundamentals time:
1) Use more and hotter water than you think you need to. If you have shaving soap, let it soak in some of the hot water for a few minutes before applying. Making sure your beard is wet will also help you get a good shave.
2) Rub in your shaving cream more than you think you need to. If you use a brush, load up your brush more and build a lather on your face longer than you think you need to. When done right, your face should feel smooth and slick everywhere
3) Use a fresh blade. Safety razor blades wear out faster than cartridges, and some people don't pay attention. If the blade is pulling, replace it.
4) Use a light touch.
5) Reapply shaving cream to your face between passes.
6) Afterwards, use some sort of aftershave.

>shaving

My gramps had the same issue. That's just how your beard is my man.

If you want to "fix" it you can only try to go closer to the skin, which means a straight razor and angling it precariously.

But if you're like this why even bother trying to do the clean shaven look? It's as stupid as some scraggly beard having retard going for a "full beard".

Embrace what you were given.

>Jon Hamm

He doesn't necessarily need to spend more on new equipment.
Even a cheap safety razor can get there-I've done it-let alone OP's Merkur. It just takes practice and proper technique, and he's already 90% of the way there.
Just a couple of simple things like using less pressure and/or holding the razor at a slightly different angle is all that he really needs. For me the last 10% came when I quit pressing so hard. Once I tried to center the contact of the razor higher on the domed head near pic related and just let it slide over the skin, everything came really easily after that. I felt like an idiot for taking so long to figure out something so simple, but it's the difference between reading about something and the doing of it.

igor, is it you?

No, my name is Vladimir.

nah

youtube.com/watch?v=EF-kCSRjvmQ

Well, you've got the old manual epilators, but they take much more time. Just buy a cheap epilator. The only difference is that the more expensive ones have a larger area that they cover.
Also, think about the money you spend on blades. The epilator lasts longer, so it's cheaper.

Depends on yor sensitivity. I can pull most of my hair from the roots and most of it doesn't hurt much.

For the both of you, I say try wax first, since both take the hair by the roots.