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Shaving for
most men is either a pleasure, a ritual or a chore, but did you
know that the "five o'clock shadow"," I've been
out clubbing all night" look is no longer in. Things have
shifted back to the clean fresh face. But, at the end of the day,
all we want is a shave that is as close a possible without cuts
or nicks. Everyone has their own techniques but here are a couple
of tips to remember:
- When you
get up, don't head straight to the bathroom, give it about 20
minutes before you shave. This gives the face time to pull itself
together, so tightening the muscles and making your whiskers
'pop out' for that really close shave.
- Use a hot
towel to soften the bristles before you begin. This feels great
too.
- If using
a "wet" razor (normally a common
cartridge type razor) with shaving cream always 'stretch' the
skin by tensing the muscles in your face and slightly puffing
up your cheeks to make your skin as tight as possible as the
blade passes over an area. In some areas gently stretch you
skin with your fingers.
- Don't shave against the direction
of your stubble on your face as this can give you a rash.
- However this is acceptable on
the neck area otherwise you can be left with stubble as the
skin is a lot softer here.
- Avoid nicks by easing up on the
pressure when going over high areas such as the jaw line.
- Always keep the angle of the blade
the same.
- Never shave above the natural
level of your beard (i.e. just below or on your cheekbones!)
unless you want to end up looking like King Kong when you get
older.
- Never reply to questions and nags
from your girlfriend, wife or mom whilst shaving, this will
guarantee that you don't remove half your face and end up in
accident and emergency. At the end of the day, shaving is "sacred
time" and tactfully let your partner know that you need to descend
into a "trance-like state" at this time.
- If you cut yourself, don't dab
at it with a tissue. This will only keep the blood vessels open
and not allow the blood to coagulate. Let it dry then apply
a small blob of Vaseline. Bits of toilet paper are not a good
look unless you fancy yourself as Mr. Bean.
- Some guys prefer electric razors
but they sometimes will not give you the feeling of a clean
shave that you want and can leave some people with spots.
- Keep your skin in great shape
between shaves using drops of oil in you bath water (olive or
baby will do the trick).
- Try an exfoliant, face wash with
little granules in to remove dead skin cells. You would use
one of these a couple of times a week and have baby soft skin,
all the better for....
Beards and Moustaches:
- Try using shampoo and conditioner
designed to promote hair growth of your beard if you suffer
from acne or spots in the beard area. These products are designed
to remove blockages from the hair follicle.
- It is normal that your skin will
itch during the first stages of growing a beard.
- When shaving it off it is best
to trim it down with a pair of scissors before taking a razor
to it.
- If you find your sideburns end
up all 'squif'f, its because you tip your head over to one side
on an angle as you shave. Simply face straight ahead and then
look over to the side.
Our team of guys at VirtualHairCare.com
have tried them all, but the razor that comes out best every time
is the Gillette Mach3. Very smooth shave and darn hard to nick
yourself with unless you've just downed a bottle of scotch! There
are many traditional barbers around, and if you fancy a bit of
a relax along with a professional shave, nothing beats the experience.
Makes an excellent gift
for your buddies, brother or dad too. Hopefully you won't have
to send your girlfriend.
Hair going grew? There
are a couple of easy, uncostly, yet very effective
ways of getting rid of grey's or changing the colour of your hair.
Click the link to find out how.
Electric Shavers
Properly used, most electric shavers
can offer a shave that is every bit as close as, if not closer
than a shave obtained from a blade razor. Why is this possible?
An electric shaver rolls up the skin ahead of the hair, forcing
it up above what would be considered the skin line where it is
then cut off. You could think of this as shaving your whisker
off below the skin line since the whiskers are forced up before
they are sheared off. Other benefits of electric shaving are its
ease of use and absence of cuts and scraping irritation. You can
even shave with your shirt and tie on with an electric shaver;
most men wouldn't attempt this with a blade razor. The time spent
shaving is so variable with the individual that it would be debatable
as to whether blade razor or electric shaving is the faster, but
many men would opt for the electric shaver as the quicker, less
messy, more convenient way to shave.
Try a couple of these tips with your razor:
Always clean your shavers screen
and cutter regularly. On most shavers you can lift off the head
frame which holds the screen, and gently brush out the stubble
dust from the underside with the cleaning brush all manufacturers
include. Do not touch the screen itself with the brush as it is
extremely fragile. Below the screen is the cutter and this needs
a thorough cleaning with the brush. Remove all the stubble dust
so that it can properly apply its metal surfaces to the task of
cutting off your stubble. This residue built up on the cutters
can seriously impair the effectiveness of your shaver so it is
best to clean your shaver after every third shave, and preferably
after every shave. The weekly use of a cleaning solution is recommended.
- The metal surfaces of your screen
and your cutter need lubrication. There are aerosol lubricants
that can be sparingly applied to the shaving screen while the
shaver is running. This makes sure there is no metal against
metal binding. There is no need to wipe it off after application
and you will notice a pick up in the sound level of your shavers
motor which tells you that it is then operating at its maximum
power level. Do this daily, while the shaver is running, just
before you shave.
- Use gentle pressure against your
beard and shave against the grain of your beard growth. Do not
press down hard, or move your shaver too rapidly over your face.
This will not get you a closer shave but will wear out your
shaver faster.
- Men who have sensitive skin report
that it helps them to shave the most tender areas of their face
(the neck area below the jawbone) first and then move up to
the tougher areas of their face. Some shavers generate heat
on their shaving surfaces and heat can cause irritation. So
shave the tender areas of your face first while the shaver head
is still cool.
- If you have been using a different
brand electric shaver to the one you are switching over to,
then allow some breaking in time. Although most shavers have
somewhat similar shaving principles, their "in use" applications
differ. Give yourself a week or two for your face to adjust
to your new shaver and if you have been using a blade razor,
then you will need about 2 to 3 weeks to adjust to electric
shaving. Why? Well, every time you shave with a razor you actually
take off a very thin layer of skin. With electric shaving, you
are shaving at or below the skin line. So, you need this 2-3
week period to get rid of the replacement scar tissue that the
body produces after every razor blade shave. This scar tissue
is not produced with electric shaving and for that reason you
should not fluctuate back and forth between blade shaving and
electric shaving if you want to achieve the maximum benefits
of electric shaving. Be determined, and stick with your decision
to use an electric shaver
Barber's itch.
This condition is when you develop
small pustules in the beard it is accompanied by itching and considerable
pain at times. It is actually a bacterial infection that you may
have caught from your razor, brushes or even towels. The inflammation
will be deep within the layers of your skin and can even lead
to the hairs in the area becoming loose. Treatment is definitely
necessary and amounts to the application of an antibiotic cream.
See your pharmacist or doctor.
We would like to acknowledge the help
of Shavers.com in researching this section.
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