How do I avoid razor burn and cutting myself when shaving my upper lip?

I use a sharp razor, hot water before and cold water after and I use aftershave, but I still get bad razor burn when I shave (only on my upper lip though). I do shave against the grain, but otherwise I don't get a clean shave, any advice?|||Stop using shaving soap, or shaving gel or shaving cream. Switch to using Baby Oil instead. It will give you a close, smooth shave w/no razor burn. It will also make your blades last longer. DON"T bare down so hard on the razor! It only takes a LIGHT touch!