How to Get a Smooth Shave

Once upon a time, shaving was an art handed down from father to son. This was necessary, as the implements used to shave, the straight razor and later the safety razor, could injure a person fairly severely if they weren't used properly. With two innovations all that changed. Cartridge and disposable razors and canned shaving cream pretty much killed the necessity to teach anyone how to shave.

I am 40 years old, started shaving around 13 and thought I knew what I was doing until a couple of months ago. Not that I've ever been happy with the shave I've gotten, but I've learned to live with it. I didn't like shaving and just assumed with my beard I was doing the best I could. It really never occurred to me to look on the internet for help. Then I started shaving my head. I was irritating my scalp a little, so I went online to see if anyone had any advice, and BAM, I found a load of information, so of it contradicting other, but you should expect that when dealing with information on the internet.

Now everyone is different, everyone has different skin, different hair, different expectations for a shave. There are basically 2 methods of shaving, dry and wet.

Dry shaving generally involves using an electric razor. There are a few non-electric mechanical razors. There are also a few electric razors that can be used wet or dry. My experience with dry shaving is limited to a few electric razors that I have tried. I haven't had good luck with them, burning myself before getting a good shave, so I won't pretend any expertise. Maybe I just haven't found the right razor.

Wet shaving however, I have recently discovered a few things about. Wet shaving involves water, preferably lots of it. Now remember, everyone is different, so everyone needs to experiment to find what does and does not work for him or her. The following should be looked upon as tips or guidelines, not the end all of shaving.

Give yourself plenty of time. One of the reasons we get bad shaves is that we think of shaving as a necessary chore rather than a pleasant part of starting our day. A quick shave is a bad shave.

Wash with soap and hot water. Shower before shaving if possible. This softens the hair, gets rid of the oil coating it, lubricates the skin somewhat and opens the poors. If you can shave in the shower great if not, then wet the area to shave down again with hot water before lathering up. You want to keep it as wet as possible.

Use a good shaving cream or gel. Certain experts claim the best stuff to use is European shaving cream that comes in tins and that it must be applied with a badger hair shaving brush. I don't know, as I haven't tried this. They say that the brush applies a good amount of foam, exfoliates the skin, makes the hairs stand up, lubricates and moisturizes the skin, ect. I do know that this stage is very important. Some people recommend exfoliating before shaving. Everyone has there own opinion about the best stuff to use to shave. Some people like to use shaving oils, which can be hard to find. Others use baby oil. Still others prefer a particular gel or cream or soap. The purpose of whatever you use is to soften the whiskers or hair, lubricate the skin to protect against nicks and irritation, and hold the cut whiskers. The advantage to using a brush would be that the whiskers and hairs would stand up and be separated. You might not do that as well applying the foam by hand. I personally like the gels. I use one of the Edge gels and I've heard good things about Aveeno and Nutragena products also. You want a product that produces foam that lubricates, protects, and hangs around until you are through, but you also want a foam that washes off you and the razor easily, too. A gunked up razor doesn't work very well.

Next, lets talk about razors a little. The type of razor you use is partly dependent on personal preference, but partly on hair and skin type. Now, many people will tell you to avoid disposable razors and go with either cartridge or safety razors. I don't have any personal experience with safety razors, other than having seen some old ones. I shave most of my face and my head, so I don't feel to safe with a safety razor, no pun intended. I use either a cartridge or a disposable, usually double bladed. You can check out the internet for recommendations on different cartridges or disposables. Once again experimentation may be your best guide. If you have curly hair, coarse hair, or have sensitive skin, you might want to stick with a single blade razor. The theory behind the double-bladed and triple-blade razors is that you get a closer shave because the first blade bends the hair and pulls it out a little so the following blades get a lower cut. This might work, I seem to get a closer shave with a double-blade, but it can result in the hair being cut below the skin level and growing the wrong direction resulting in a painful, red bumb that can easily get infected. This is called a shaving bump. They can happen to anyone, but people with coarse or curly hair and certain skin types are more prone to them. If you are, you might want to avoid the multi-blade razors.

When you actually shave your face, here are a few tips. The longer shaving foam stays on your face, the softer it makes the whiskers, so save your problems areas to last. The hairs on your chin and upper lip tend to be thicker and more numerous, so save them to the end of the shave. Start out and work toward the center. Don't change direction in the middle of a stroke as this can cause nicks. Now some places recommend long strokes, while others recommend short. I personally like long strokes if I can do them. The general recommendation is to use downward strokes on the cheeks and jaw, upward on the throat. I usually do my throat twice, once each direction. Some places recommend stretching the skin taunt before shaving it. I don't unless it is hard to do like the upper lip, or the crease on the back of my head, and then I still try to be careful, as stretching the skin increases your chances for the ingrown hair shaving bumps. Rinse the razor after each stroke. Most places recommend hot water for this, however I find that increases my likelihood for razor burn, so I use cool water. Also, if you use a multiblade cartridge or disposable razor, you might want to keep a toothpick or small square of cardboard around. The space between the blades will get clogged with dead skin, hair and shaving goop and it may not rinse cleanly. Use sharp blades, if you feel it pull the whiskers, stop and get a new cartridge or razors. Dull blades increase the chances of accidents and definitely won't give you a clean shave. Also, no pressure should be used. Let the razor do the work.

Shaving with the grain means shaving in the direction the hair grows. Shaving against the grain means going the other way. You get a closer shave going against the grain, but you irate the skin more. If you are shaving your head for the first time, stick with with the grain on your first go. I usually do my head twice, once with the grain, then once against it. I do the same with my throat. My problem areas are the back of my head behind each ear and my throat. When you are finished, feel for any missed areas. If it is a small area, wet the razor well and go back over it carefully. If it is larger, relather the area.

After shaving, I usually was with warm water and soap, then rinse in cold water. If there are any nicks, treat with a septic pen. Afterwards I use a vitamin e rich aloe aftershave made by Bald Guyz. I would recommend avoiding any alcohol-based aftershaves as it will clean any cuts or irritation, but it will also dry out the skin. The cool water rinse will close your pores and just plain feels good. Pat rather than rub when you towel after the rinse. If you are shaving your head, look into a specialty razor like the Head Blade. Once I was used to it, I found I got an excellent shave on the top, front, and sides of my head. I can't do very well around my ears or on the back of my head though, so I still use a regular double-bladed razor for those areas and my face.