oudeis on 26/9/2006 at 07:47
I rarely shave anymore, except when I have a job interview or some such. I just use a beard/hair trimmer without the guide to keep things under control. As for the Mach
X or SR-71 or whatever fucking Fokker triplane-inspired grooming device it is we are talking about, for the most part I have to agree with Thulsa Doom on this one: It's not the steel, it's the hand that wields it. Swivelling heads absolutely rock, without doubt; I'm pretty skeptical about the rest, however. Even one of those much-maligned non-swivelling Bic disposables will service if you are careful. What's more important is prep and after care. Here are a few shaving tips I've gleaned from reading and experience:
* If shaving is part of your daily ritual, shave
after you take a shower, not before. Showering after just adds to the assault on your skin. Most of you probably know this but there always the random individual who does it the other way around.
* If you need to do an emergency shave and a shower isn't a possibility, try to wet the area to be shaved for at least a few minutes before starting. The water doesn't have to be hot- warm will do fine.
* After you get out of the shower, or however you prep your face, splash slightly lukewarm water on your face several times. It may sound wrong to you but I've found the razor glides more smoothly if you do this, perhaps because your skin will tighten slightly after your (presumably) hot shower. I take cool water showers, so for me this serves to further soften the beard.
* Water temperature is important when you rinse the razor, as well. Too warm and the razor will irritate the skin, too cool and the razor tends to drag more. You'll have to experiment to find your comfort zone. Again, this sounds weird but I've had to experiment a lot to get a comfortable shave and this is the procedure that causes the least grief.
* I've used both canned shaving creams/gels and shaving soaps and I've found that the last is by far the best for lubrication. I used to use a shaving soap from (
http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/product.asp?dept%5Fid=550&pf%5Fid=BW%2DNSC) Tom's of Maine which was amazing (they call it shaving cream now for marketing reasons, but the ingredients specify that it is a soap). I have a beard like a field of dried corntsalk stubble and my razor just laughed as it glided over it. I currently use a castile liquid soap I bought at a natural food store and it is absolutely awesome. It's a lot thinner than most liquid soaps, almost the consistency of grapeseed oil, and with just a little water it works about as well as Tom's shaving soap. It's also my hand-and-shower soap, so I simplify things and save money, too.
* Shave
with the direction of the hair, not against. You won't get as close a shave but you'll save yourself a lot of irritated follicles and shaving zits.
* Rinse off with cold water- as cold as your tap can give you. Your skin has just suffered an assault and needs a little soothing. In fact, I read a Playboy article that recommended icing your face as a final step and I can say from personal experience that this really works. You have to be careful about the nerve clusters down on the side of your throat (Think ice-cream headache on your neck) but it definitely cuts down on irritation. I'm usually in a hurry so I just jump back in the shower for a minute and turn the cold tap on full.
* Blot dry, don't wipe. Also, don't dry off completely: leave your skin a little damp so the moisturizer can seal it in.
* Use a lighter-weight emollient when moisturizing. It will be absorbed faster and be more effective than a heavy cream/lotion.
As you can tell, my advice is geared more towards surviving the experience than in maximizing the result. I shave because beards are itchy and I don't look good with one and can't grow a good one, but shaving is a fucking pain and I just try to get through it with as little harm to myself as possible. If someone invented a decent (read: non-agonizing) method of permanent depilitation I'd be one of the first in line.
