How to shave properly

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The first experience of wet shaving with a machine. I remember him well, although many years have passed. No one is at home, a bathroom, a mirror, dad's razor, lukewarm water pouring from the tap, a bar of laundry soap, a brush. I thought everything would go smoothly. That day was remembered as “Bloody Sunday,” but it was definitely worth it. The surprised smile of my father, who saw the consequences of the first shave on my face … However, everything could have been done differently.

If you are still young, and you are just about to feel the sharp steel on your face for the first time, then read very carefully. The same applies to those who have preferred electric razors all their lives, but now decided to get acquainted with the razor.

Of course, technology has made great strides forward, and modern Gilet, Shiki and similar sophisticated ergonomic machines with n-th number of blades are not at all the same as the Soviet razor with replaceable double-sided blades "Sputnik".

But due to inexperience, you can do things with them. In addition, there are other aspects of shaving that are important to consider. Here are seven of the most common mistakes newbies make when wet shaving.

Scored on skin preparation

A very common mistake, especially for those who switch to wet shaving with an electric shaver. Do you think that once rinsing your face with water before soaping up is enough? Absolutely not.

Dry skin is the enemy of a comfortable shave. The pre-moisturizing procedure will take you about three minutes.

The water should be warm, but never hot. Take a moisturizing face soap, then treat the skin thoroughly and with arrangement. Gels and body soaps will not work - they dry out the skin. By the way, the preparation of the neck area is equally important. There, the skin is even softer.

Oh, phew, also buy a special face soap. Am I a girl? No, you are a conscientious man who uses specialized means to achieve the best results.

Saved on shaving foam

Buying the cheapest discounted shaving foam in a store is not the best solution. Do you really want to save on your face? By itself, such a foam in a pressurized bottle dries the skin very much. To smooth out the effect, the manufacturer adds substances that turn the foam into a kind of lubricant. To stabilize this entire chemical plant, a bunch of other ingredients are included that have nothing to do with shaving itself, but are aimed only at maintaining this mass in its original state. Coated with preservatives and stabilizers? Well, well, good luck. At best, nothing will happen. At worst, you will catch an allergic reaction.

If you are buying foam or gel in a bottle, then take hypoallergenic ones from more or less well-known manufacturers. The best choice is a special soap or gel, which is foamed and applied to the face with a brush.

Against the grain

Shaving immediately against the grain is almost guaranteed to have tiny, frequent white lesions on the skin that look like blisters, burns or pimples. Shaved-off growing hairs are looking for their way to freedom. Especially on delicate skin. As a bonus, there are redness, itching, burning and a terrible appearance. Do you need it?

Let's start with cartography. Yes, in essence, we need to make a mental map of the direction of growth of facial hair. It is easy to determine the direction of growth - we do not shave for several days so that the hairs grow back, then we stroke them in different directions. In which direction there is no resistance, the hair grows in that direction. The trick is that the direction of growth is different for different parts of the face. See for yourself. Down on the cheeks. The closer to the cheekbones, the more clearly the growth directions are "separated" to the base of the jaw and the chin. On the chin itself is generally horror. Growth under the chin towards the Adam's apple. All this must be taken into account and shaved correctly.

We begin to shave strictly according to hair growth. It is not clean enough? Come on, come on, by the end of the day you will already be able to notice the newly formed stubble.

Shaving is not about getting rid of facial hair, but about reducing its length.

Hair on the face grows very quickly. Okay, would you like it even cleaner anyway? Then shave perpendicular to your height. Still not enough? Then shave perpendicularly in the opposite direction. This is enough, believe me.

I pressed it so that I almost took off my skin

The Indians practiced scalping their enemies, and many inexperienced razor users try to strip themselves of their facial skin by applying great force to the razor while shaving. Why push so hard? Do you think it will be cleaner? But the head with blades in a modern machine is designed to glide along the natural contours of a person's face. By pressing the head into the skin of the face, you create a depression, the contact of the blades with the surface changes. The hairs remain longer, and the skin gets completely unnecessary unnecessary mechanical damage.

All these bells and whistles like a protective frame, rubber bands for pre-tensioning the skin in front of the blades, as well as the design of the n-number of blades partly compensate for the excessive zeal of the shaver, but the optimal result is achieved without any effort on the part of the person. Do not press the machine against the skin, it is better to change the blades more often.

Wrong angle

This error applies to both modern moving head machines and old-style monolithic T-machines. It is difficult to get used to the T-shaped razor, since it is necessary to maintain the correct position of the razor relative to the skin surface at all times. Initially, the cover of the T-shaped head of the machine (under which the blade is) should be in contact with the skin, but not press on it. Now we tilt the machine until the blade touches the skin. This is the correct position.

Learning to maintain and "feel" the correct angle takes practice and absolute concentration. Try to train in silence.

With modern machines, everything is both easier and more complex. The angle of the blades is fixed, which means you are either comfortable and comfortable, or you need to change the machine / blades. Engineers cannot take into account the characteristics of each person, and therefore design the machine so that it fits the majority. But you are not the majority. Try it, look for the manufacturer and model of the machine and blades with which there will be no discomfort and damage to the skin. A machine with a single blade is not that expensive.

Dry

There are such uncomfortable places on the face (for example, the chin and near the corners of the lips) that it is not so easy to shave with quality from one pass. Didn't it work the first time? Apply the lather to the area one more time before touching the blade again. Walking with a razor over a dry area is hell, a real tin, especially for skin unaccustomed to such procedures. Let it be too lazy to reapply foam or gel. Moisten with water at least.

Ten times in one place

Razor ads tell us, "Less movement means less annoyance." This is actually a fundamental truth. With sufficient dexterity, you can shave so that the machine will go through each separate point of the face no more than once. This is the height of skill. In the meantime, remember: crawling 10 times in one place is a sure way to irritate and damage the skin. Modern machines have 3-5 blades. In fact, in one pass, you already scrape the skin 3-5 times. This is more than enough.

Over time, some of the rules can be waived. The skin will get used to it and become less demanding for preparation and care. Experience will allow you to shave faster, literally automatically. But remember shaving your face is a ritual, our privilege … The ritual should not be performed in a hurry. Many people enjoy this process, and therefore making shaving as comfortable and pleasant as possible seems to be an absolutely normal idea. Stretch pleasure - shave properly.