The major regret of being a man, to every man, is his stubble. And the trouble he has to go through shaving it. It has all the potential to give you the rightly called ‘Morning Blues’. Here are some simple shaving tips that will help make your shaving experience a pleasurable one: • Firstly, select your razor wisely. There are different types of razors available. Select one that best suits your needs and type of hair growth.
• Keep your face clean and dirt free. Cleanse it before shaving. This helps open the pores before the shave and provides a much closer shave.
• Don’t forget to wet your beard thoroughly. It helps by softening the hair and making for the razor to cut it easily. If you are using mechanical razors, prefer shaving after the shower.
• Use warm water if possible. It is much more soothing and helps to open up the pores. You may also get a quick face massage which will help in softening the beard.
• Selecting the right type of shaving cream is also a very important step. There are various types of creams and gels also available in the market. There are also foams that help a lot. Depending on what suits your skin the best, make your choice.
• Apply a generous amount of cream. Use a foaming brush. It helps the cream to go between the hairs and soothe the skin. Also, it facilitates even application of the cream.
• When shaving, prefer to use short strokes with the grain (with the grain means in the direction of the hair growth).
• Also, don’t keep on shaving over a part that has already been shaven. It will rub your skin and cause skin irritation. It may also cause redness or rashes. Worse, you may get cut.
• After you are done shaving, wash your face off any excess cream. It will clear your face of soap.
• Use a good moisturizer after shaving.
• Avoid an after-shave with alcohol content. Alcohol causes skin to loose moisture.
• If possible, use Aloe-Vera over the skin. It is an excellent skin revitaliser.
Tips for better shaving:
1. For a smooth, close shave it's important that you wait for about half an hour after getting out of bed. This allows for the puffiness in your face to subside so your whiskers protrude from your face more.
2. Always wash your face with warm water and a facial cleanser first. This swells and softens each hair so your razor can cut through without pulling. Shave creams and foams work better when applied to moist skin.
3. For men who frequently get ingrown hairs or razor nicks, use a facial scrub immediately after cleansing but before shaving. This helps raise the stubble more. In addition to prepping the shaving area, a scrub gently buffs away dead skin cells and removes beard grime and pore clogging debris.
4. Select a shave cream with a high glycerin content. This lubricating ingredient is a potent, water soluble moisturizer that quickly softens beard stubble, eliminating razor drag. Shaving foams contain up to 50% air and don't have the same ability to soften beard hair that concentrated creams do.
5. Apply shave cream to clean, moist skin and massage it in.
6. Never use a dull blade. Even the most lubricating shave creams won't prepare your beard for the ravages of a dull blade.
7. Don't use your disposable razor more than three times and never share your razor.
8. Most skin care specialists advise shaving with the beard’s natural grain. If the hair grows in a downward direction, shave in the same direction. It feels like you're getting a closer shave when you go against the grain but you're only pulling the whiskers out beyond the surface of the skin. When the hair snaps back, it goes below the skin's surface which can cause painful ingrown hairs. Shaving against the grain is asking for trouble.
9. If you're stuck on the old habit of shaving against the grain like a lot of men are, never use a single blade razor or an aerosol foam. A thick rich cream will give you the lubrication that you need.
10. Rinse your razor under warm water frequently. If you're using a twin blade disposable razor, buy the kind that has the push button cleaning feature.
11. Pull the skin taut and use short strokes, and by all means, take your time.
12. Apply moisturizer to your beard area at night. This will help keep your beard soft and conditioned and will make your shave cream work even better in the morning.
