Shave Properly
Edited by Seighart, Charmed, Eng, Ephraim and 3 others
Unwanted facial and body hairs could be a real pain to remove. This is mainly because it grows back immediately after a few days. The mere fact that you would have to do it often is where the real problem comes in. Skin gets traumatized and other skin problems appear.
Hair Removal Options
- 1This is the most popular way to remove hair because it is so far the easiest and fastest. You just need a razor and just work your way through the direction of the hair.Shaving.
- 2Skin is applied with melted wax and this is given some time to harden. Once it has hardened on the skin, it is pulled towards the direction that is opposite to hair growth. This essentially uproots the hair that's why it's said to be a more long-term solution.Waxing (warm).
- 3This is almost the same as warm waxing except that there is no need to melt and then wait for the wax to harden. It works the same way in terms of uprooting the hair.Waxing (cold).
- 4This is somewhat identical to waxing, except that you are using a heated mixture of sugar instead of wax.Sugaring.
- 5This methodology dates back to ancient times in which a thread loop is repeatedly rotated against the direction of hair in order to pluck it out. Since hair is plucked out, the effect lasts as long as that of waxing.Threading.
- 6These are usually in the form of creams that is applied through skin and then rubbed off together with the hair. The process here is almost like shaving where the cream just targets the hair outside of the skin. It's not as directed to the roots as waxing and threading.Depilatories.
How to Shave Properly
- 1Shave after shower since it moisturizes your beard and it becomes softer.
- 2After shower apply a pre-shave oil since it will offer a glide and avoids pulling the hair when shaving.
- 3Put in your shave cream and do an initial shave with the grain since it will lessen the irritation.
- 4Put your cream again and this time shave it against the grain.
- 5Cool your face with a cold towel, this should close the pores and prevents bacteria from entering your skin.Do a post shave.
- 6If you have an oily skin you may want to use an astringent, if you have a dry or normal skin you may go with the shave butter or soother.Use an after shave that will work for your skin.
Preparation before you begin shaving
The most important part of shaving your face will be the preparation before you begin shaving you face for the preparation can help to protect you from having a dry face afterwards or reduce dry skin before shaving your face. Also when preparing to shave your face you will give your skin the room to soften itself up and open the pours in order to allow your skin to breathe before taking on the shaving adventure.
- 1If shaving your face before a shower be sure to wash your face with warm water in order to help open up your pours before you shave your face
Shaving process
When shaving your face only two things can happen to hurt your shaving process which can be either poor lubrication which will come from the shaving cream or a dull blade which you are currently using on your face. Ensure that you are using a new blade and also using a shaving cream that is high in nutrients.
- 1Use a blade that is new or at least like new in order to ensure that you are using a blade that is proper for your shaving venture that you are about to embark on at the time.
- 2Ensure also that you are using a razor that has at least three blades on it for your shave but understand that the more blades the closer and smoother the shave will be
- 3This will ensure that you are getting all the hairs off of your face and not leaving any stray hairs on your face.When shaving make sure that you are holding your skin with your free hand in order to keep it tight while you are shaving with your other hand.
- 4Avoid applying too much pressure on the blade while you are shaving for this can cause you to cut yourself with the blade, just gently shave your face with as little pressure as possible but this will only work if your blade is sharp enough to do this at the time.
- 5If you are looking for the closest shave possible you will need to apply more lather on your face and then shave again but against the grain in order to get the closest shave possible.
After you finished
after you have finished shaving there are procedures that you will need to follow in order to protect your skin for your pours will be open to air, dirt and sensitiveness on your face. these steps will help you to close your pours and prevent any type of irritation on your face.
- 1This will close your pours and reduce the chances of irritation and to allow dirt to dwell in your pours.Rinse your face with cold water after you have finished shaving in order to close the pours on your face.
- 2Gently dry your face with a towel but do not rub you would just gently tap the washcloth across your face in order to fry your face properly.
- 3Also aftershave will in turn help you to moisturize your skin after you have finished shaving. Depending on the aftershave that you are using you will be able to help heal your skin quicker after you have shaven your face.Apply aftershave in order to help clean your face and also prevent dirt from being able to get into your pours after you have finished shaving.
- 4Continue to follow these steps above in order to help maintain a great looking skin and reducing the chances of bumps or irritation on your face.
Prevent Shaving Discomfort
- 1If you do this, this will make your skin more irritated because of higher levels of friction of the blade against your skin.Never shave when your skin is very dry.
- 2This will ensure that your pores are clean enough and that things that might hinder from making the shaving process smooth enough are removed. For example, when you scrub your skin, small ingrown hairs may come out on its own and so you are not hurting the skin covering it when you shave.Scrub your skin using a body scrub together with a moisturizing soap prior to shaving.
- 3Sometimes, it may be good to leave a bit of water on your skin before doing the next step so that that moisture is locked to your skin.Dry your skin after cleaning and scrubbing.
- 4Olive oil is very ideal to use because it is not known to clog pores and it does not contain cholesterol.Apply a small amount of oil to the area to be shaved.
- 5If you rub too much and too many times, that will start to irritate your skin. Make sure you use a sharp razor to ensure that one swipe would be enough to remove the hair.Shave in one direction only and one swipe at a time only.
- 6This will make sure the removed hairs won't rub against your skin. These shaved hairs are normally sharp and that's enough to begin any irritation already.Wash off your razor in between one or two swipes.
- 7Wash off your skin with a bit of warm water after shaving to relax your pores.Clean the area with cleansing soap with moisturizer.
- 8Once done, you may apply any of the following to soothe your skin and prevent any discomfort:
- Lotion, with very light formulation. After shaving, some of your pores are irritated and you don't want to add up to this by using a heavy moisturizer that may clog your pores.
- Olive oil. Applying a thin layer of olive oil after shaving will soothe your skin and help the irritated skin to recover. In case there is any infection, the antioxidants in olive oil will help it recover fast.
- Aloe vera gel. Applying the gel from fresh Aloe Vera stem can be very soothing to the skin after shaving. This is so far the cheapest option to prevent any shaving discomfort. Just cut off a stem into half and liberally tap it onto the skin, leaving some of the gel for a few minutes before washing it off. If you feel comfortable, you may even leave the Aloe Vera gel on your skin overnight and you will notice immediate effect on irritated skin the next morning.
Extra tips
Before beginning the journey of shaving you will need to pick exactly which tool you would like to use in order to shave your face whether it is by razor (blades) or a straight razor(single razor) when it comes to these two different types of razors understand that there will be two different ways for you to shave your face.
- 1Hold the straight razor at an angle and gently shave your face, with this type of razor you will need to take your complete time when performing this for one wrong move can land you in a world of hurt while shaving.If using a straight razor you will need to shave your face on an angle rather than pressing the straight razor directly on your face in order to shave.
- 2Also you will need to take your time but not as much time as you would with a straight razor for there are less chances of cutting yourself with this razor.When using a standard razor (Gillete or Mach) then you can simply shave whichever way you want ranging from on an angle to straight and level on your face.
- 3Aside from the tips above another tip to give will be on which direction you will like to shave your face for there are many directions you can shave your face according to the kind of shave that you are wishing to produce.
- 4By going against the grain you will get a closer and cleaner shave which will not leave room for any stray hairs to remain on your face at the time.For a close shave you will need to shave against the grain which form most people will be from bottom to top while shaving your face.
- 5For a standard shave you can simply go with the grain which will be from top to bottom, this shave will possibly leave strays of hair on your face but will get the bigger hairs off your face for your shave.
This type of shave also leave a five o'clock shadow on your face which is a style that most men prefer to display on their face after their shave rather than having a clean shave like a baby at the end of their shave.
If you do not like to use aftershave for the reason of it smelling a certain way or because you do not want to use aftershave because it is not reachable at the time there is an alternative. Alcohol will be allowed for you to simply apply to your face to also cleanse your face after your completed shave. This solution may burn more than the aftershave but it will surely be able to do the same job as aftershave.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
