Shaving is a learned art that many men figure out when they are teenagers. When those first few wispy hairs come through on their faces, they start to understand what it means to shave the hair on their face. There are two groups of men in this world when it comes to shaving: those who do it with precision and those who don’t do it at all. Shaving may look like a straightforward process, with a wet face you bring a razor and then you rinse off the hair but it’s not as simple as that – not if you don’t want any skin problems at least.
You have to consider everything from the exfoliation you do before you shave to the after shave moisturiser used to seal the skin afterward. If you’re not a fan of shaving your own face, you can indulge yourself every week by getting a wet shave done at the salon. Either way, you need to consider the steps that you need for the perfect shave and we have them for you below.
- Get prepared. The best time for anyone to shave is directly after they get out of the shower. The warm water of the shower will open up your pores, and from here you need to wash your face with a very gentle cleanser to get rid of all of the dead skin cells and get the surface prepared for a product. Pat your skin dry and apply a few drops of pre-shave oil. If you have finer hair you can opt out of this one, but if you have a full beard you will benefit from the properties that soften your hair.
- Give the product a chance. Once you have covered the area with a sufficient amount of gel or cream, step away from the sink and do something else for just a minute. The products will have time to soften your hair properly. Once you have done this, work up a rich lather and make sure that you use a cruelty-free shaving brush along the way.
- Have some patience. Razors nowadays are not the same as a cutthroat razor of the 1960s, but you still need to take your time so that you don’t get cut. It’s very possible to snag your skin if you’re not careful, so take your time and slow right down. Once the cream has had time to settle in, shave in the direction of the grain not against it. If you press too hard against your skin you’re going to cause irritation, and your blade should glide over the skin. Rinse the razor after every stroke so that the blades are cleared of any hair.
- Follow up. We already talked about the need for a good aftershave moisturizer, so once you have rinsed your face and pat it dry, you should make sure that you protect, moisturize and nourish your skin. Don’t forget the step if you don’t want your skin to feel dry or coarse.