Shaving is one of those tasks that men hate to do but we have no choice and have to do it. As much as I dread the task of doing it, it sure does look sexy and smooth once it’s over and done with. As a bonus, recent research has shown that men who shave regularly are more likely to get laid than men who don’t shave. That right there should be good enough of a reason to shave.
Here is a great video tutorial I found on shaving. The video shows you how to have a good, proper shave in about ten minutes. Watch the video below and make sure to take notes if you really want a good shave. I know many guys out there dread shaving because of the irritations it can cause.
Before you reach for the blade, you need to prepare your face for the shave. If you don’t have a shave brush, I highly recommend grabbing one as it can do wonders for the skin. A shave brush can hydrate the skin and hair, it can remove microscopic debris at the base of the hair to clear the way for the cut, and it can help get the hair to rise up to make it easier to shave. When using the brush to lather the cream on to the face, use gentle circular massaging motion and just enough pressure to spread the bristles of the brush to spread all that lather all over the face. This initial lathering of the face is probably the most important part of the shave. So do it right and don’t try to cut corners in order to save time. The lathering of the face should take about 90 seconds or so.
Now that the face is all lathered up, it’s time to put the blade to the face. Be careful and start off with short strokes as can be seen in the video tutorial. Use just enough pressure on the blade to hold the razor to the face. Angle of the blade is also important, about 30 degrees. Make sure there is no overlap and that there are no repeating strokes over the same spot. When shaving, make sure to tackle the easy areas first. The easy areas being the most flat parts of the face such as the cheeks. Try not to shave on rounded contours when possible. Make sure to rinse the blade off in water every few strokes to get that smooth, close shave. When shaving, also try to shave straight down if you can. This will help you maintain a good razor angle.
A Traditional Wet Shave
This is it in terms of basic shaving techniques. I will follow up in the near future with more advanced shaving tips, skin care, and specific products which I find work best for me.
(Photo: TheGiantVermin)
I use moisturizing cream as my shaving cream. It works pretty good and I got no razor burns or irritations.
I’ll have to give that a try. I’ve always just used electric razors, but I’ve been meaning to make the switch over to razors.
I’ll have to give that a try. I’ve always just used electric razors, but I’ve been meaning to make the switch over to razors.
A brush is definitely the way to go for a smooth shave.