How to Shave - 6 Tips on How to Get the Perfect Shave for Men

Razor burns, irritation, acne, bleeding. We’ve all experienced these horrible things from shaving. As men we need to understand how to shave properly in order to insure our skin stays healthy for life. Here are 6 Tips on How to Shave:

Prepare the Hair

If your hair is too long to shave directly with a razor, make sure you trim it down before you start shaving. To prepare your hair, wash your face and beard with warm water for a few minutes so the hair can become easier to work with and decrease tugging when shaving.

Tip: Exfoliate your face before you shave as well to get rid of the dirt, dead skin, and oils that are ruining your shave

Shaving Cream

The strategy to shaving cream is more important than you think. Make sure you are applying a THIN layer around your face. The extra shaving cream that is applied doesn’t help the shaving process at all so don’t over do it.

From my experience, there has not been a significant difference between cheaper and more expensive shaving creams either.

Tip: If there is an area on your face that is usually harder to shave, then shave that part last to let the shaving cream make the hair more manageable

Shaving the Hair

I recommend going with the grain of your hair on the first pass. The grain is the direction in which your hair grows.

You can figure this out by simply running your hand against the hair to see which direction is smoother and which direction is more resistant. The smoother direction is with the grain of your hair.

Every part of your face can have different directions so make sure you check everywhere.

Tip: If you want an even closer shave and your skin isn’t as sensitive, go for a second pass around against the grain this time

Strokes and Razors

The way to stroke the razor is different based on type. Any razors with blades that are not electric should be used in long strokes across the face. This will allow a cleaner and more efficient shave.

An electric shaver should be used in short circular strokes because that is how they are designed to be used. The build up of shaving cream in a long stroke will block of the blades in an electric shaver and that negatively affects the shave.

A foil shaver should be used in an “up and down” motion because it can not go in circles like a normal electric shaver, but can go in both directions compared to a bladed razor.

Tip: If you have sensitive skin or are more susceptible to acne, try switching to an electric shaver for a better shaving experience

Cold Water

Immediately after you are done shaving, wash your face with extremely cold water to shock the skin and close up the pores. This stops anything from the bleeding or irritating the skin and finished off the shave for the next step.

You shouldn’t be irritated or bleeding anyways after following these steps. If you are going to shower after, make sure you still wash your face with cold water before. Try using colder water in the shower when it’s on your face as well.

Tip: Wash your face with a gentle cleanser after the shave to get rid of the bacteria that might have been spread around from shaving

Apply Moisturizer

This step is so crucial to the process of shaving and most people miss this part. Apply a moisturizer after you wash your face or after the shower. This leaves a cool feeling on the face that will prevent irritation and redness. It will also prevent any dryness that is likely to occur after a shave.

DON’T USE AFTER SHAVE. Almost all after shaves are alcohol based and will ruin your skin every time. They can sting and make the irritation worse so just go for a normal moisturizer for the face.

Tip: When applying the moisturizer, rub some in your hand and pat it on your face instead of directly rubbing it in. You want to touch the face as least as possible after a shave.

Shaving should be a fun and healthy experience for men. Follow these steps and it will change how you shave for the rest of your life. Thanks for reading!

Have any good shaving tips that I missed? Leave them in the comments sections below!