Let’s face it gents, regardless of your age or how much fur you have on your face, you’ve considered the idea of shaving at some point in your life. Unless you want to look like some kind of Sasquatch with hair irregularly growing out of every nook and cranny, cleaning up your face is arguably the most important region of your body to keep clean. Don’t get me wrong, you definitely should be grooming all areas of your body, but that’s for another time.
Your face is the usually the first thing people see about you and is subconsciously used to make immediate first impressions about how you are as a person. A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveal that “all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face”, so make it count! First impressions are everything my friends. You don’t want to meet a potential employer, or lady, or anyone really and be thought of as a messy, untidy, unkempt creature who may not be capable of much. As long as you are a follower of this website, I refuse to let you be one of those people.
Shaving comes in all forms, shapes, sizes and methods. There really is an ever growing market of shaving products now from a host of grooming companies. The most common type is surely one you are familiar with and that is the cartridge method of shaving. The cartridge razor first made its appearance in the 1960s and has since become the most popular tool of shaving due to its ease of use and replacability.
Straight razors are next on the list and have long been the gold standard of sorts for shaving. Straight razors, also known as cut-throat razors, are essentially a single razor blade that folds into a handle. This single blade gives users the highest degree of flexibility and can last a lifetime if you maintain it right. There is one caveat however. It’s got a pretty steep learning curve. Since these razors have a single blade, you have to angle it just right – around 30 degrees to the vertical (of your face) – to get it to shave off your hairs properly. This takes a bit of practice and are more likely than not going to endure a couple battlescars along the way but it’s worth it.
So perhaps the next logical step is something in the middle! Introducing the safety razor! Woohoo! This bit of innovation was developed by Gillette in the early 1900s and is probably the method your grandpa used back in the day (or still does). The safety razor uses a thin disposable blade in between a safety guard which allows for that smooth shave while minimizing skin irritation due to the single blade as opposed to cartridge razors that possess 2, 3 or even 5 blades passing over your skin.
Why Shave With A Safety Razor ?
1. Skin Irritation:
I personally have been using cartridge razors for a little under 10 years. It simple to use and certainly very beginner-friendly. But for many years now, i’ve been having spots on my face. For years I thought it was just acne ! One day I thought to myself, “Is it razor irritation ?”. I started getting all of those sensitive shaving creams and aftershave. Didn’t really change much. I then decided to buy a safety razor after hearing that it’s significantly better for skin irritation. Eventually I bought the King C. Gillette safety razor (call me Gillette…please) and lo and behold, I hardly get any bumps now! It’s crazy how much those multi-blade cartridge razors can affect some people. The single blade of the safety razor goes over your face a fraction of the number of times a multi-blade cartridge razor does, reducing the pull on your poor skin
2. Cost:
Wait wait Alpha, what the heck are you talking about ?! I’ve done some research and these safety razors can come with a significant price tag! Ah yes grasshoppa, safety razors can indeed come with a price tag, but over time, the initial investment of the heavy duty handle is balanced out by the price of the replacement blades. Cartridge razors can get pretty pricey, and if you’re somebody who shaves daily or multiple times a week even, you probably find yourself buying new cartridges quite often. You can get a small pack of 5 disposable blades for like a $1. Now that’s a good investment if you ask me. Add that on top of the skin irritation benefit…get outta here!
Now you might be saying to yourself, “The straight razor sounds pretty good, can’t I just go for that?”. You can! Knock yourself out. This being a rather beginner-friendly guide to open people’s minds to wet shaving, I am recommending the safety razor because it does have a safety guard to reduce the likelihood of nicks & cuts and does not require any blade sharpening which can be a bit much for some shavers.
How to Wet Shave ?
If you’ve got this far, I commend you. You are taking that big step to now learning how to wet shave with a safety/straight razor. You won’t regret it really. It takes a bit of time to master but it can become quite a calming ritual. There’s really only a few important steps that you need to do, but you can add a handful of extras as you like to improve your shave or just give you that pampering that you so well deserve.
STEP #1: Trim Away Excess Hair
If you’re going for that suave clean-shaven look, you can just skip to the next step.
If you are currently sporting a beard and are shaving to clean things up on the edges, neck etc. Use your beard trimmer (you should have one) to trim away any excess hair that may have grown. Alternatively, you can use a pair of scissors if you only need to cut away a little bit. The point here being that STAY, STRAGGLY hairs are what make you look messy. Clear that out and half the job is done.
STEP #2: Wash Your Face
Wash your face with some nice, warm water. Not only does it feel great, but it opens up your hair follicles, allowing for a smoother shave.
STEP #3: Prep Your Face
I suppose this one is optional, but I do thoroughly recommend it. Exfoliate your face and/or use a pre-shave oil. There are many facial exfoliators for men available now. They provide multiple benefits including clearing away dead skin cells on your face and softening your facial hair to allow for smoother shave. You don’t have to exfoliate every single time you shave, once a week is enough (maximum twice per week). The same benefits go for using a pre-shave oil. It works to smoothen things out so that your blades glides over your face quite effortlessly.
STEP #4: Lather Up
Get yourself a nice shaving cream or having soap. None of those pressurized can stuff. To keep things simple, those are a bit “lighter” and are not thick enough to produce a good lather. You could use a shaving brush if you want or take it direct to your face (the brush is better obviously) but whip up a good lather with a consistency similar to whipped cream. Your face is now ready.
STEP #4: Shave
It is time to shave. Take your beautiful weapon of choice and lay it vertically on your face where you want to shave. To get a nice, close shave, the blade should be positioned at about a 30 degree angle to your face. Do not apply any pressure. Safety razors are comparatively heavy. The weight with gravity will get the job done. You just have to guide it.
Start with simple downstrokes in each area. The best way to minimize irritation if that’s a problem you’re facing is to lather up, shave with a few downstrokes, reapply shaving cream, shave with a few downstrokes and you get the idea. If you need to get an even closer shave, you can shave with upstrokes, just make sure you don’t overdo it. Thats more or less all there is to it. Careful with your neck please.
Don’t worry if you can’t get it immediately. Give it some practice. I guarantee you, you will be loving it in no time.
STEP #6: Wash Up
Rinse off all the gunk and shaving cream with cold water. The cold water will help close those pores that you opened up earlier and minimize ingrown hairs and any such irritation.
STEP #7: Post-Shave Care
Using a quality aftershave will not only make your face smell great, but will help soothe all the cutting that you’ve done to your face. Aftershaves come in many forms as well. Commonly as a fluid or a balm. While balms tend to me more soothing and directed towards sensitive skin, it is essential that you use at least some form of aftershave as they help reduce post-shave itching, razor burn, irritation and prevent bacteria from getting in.
Conclusion
So there you have it gentlemen, that’s more or less all you need to know about wet shaving. It may take a bit of practice and getting used to, but boy is it worth it. As I mentioned, I’ve noticed a dramatic improvement in my skin from razor bumps after using a safety razor. Not to mention, I recently purchased a pack of 110 Gillette blades for just $10. Considering that I shave once a week, I’m sorted for years! To be honest, while it may sound tedious at first, it becomes a ritual. There are so many people who just love the process (there’s even a reddit group for it). So give it a try my brothers. Let me know how you find it.
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