Catfood220 said:
mrvenom said:
Let us bask in the glory which is shaving..
Glory? As a 34 year old man who has been shaving since he was 14, shaving is a massive pain in the arse. I hate shaving with the passion of a million burning suns.
Other than that, I shave every 4 days, any more and it is sore and unpleasant and becomes more like self harm than personal hygiene despite using every balm and potion for pre-shaving and post shaving ever. So why don't I grow it out? Because well, its itchy and despite people telling me that it wears off, I tried growing my beard for a fortnight once and it drove me nuts. Plus I get this dry flaky skin on my chin if I leave it for too long.
As for shaving, I just use a Gillette safety razor thing. Its quick and easy and I'm not likely to slice my own throat open like I would if I tried shaving with a cutthroat razor when I'm hungover.
If wet-shaving is unpleasant to you, chances are you're doing it wrong. As for HOW you're doing it wrong - well, I can't really tell from the description, so I'll just throw you a few of my personal tips and see if any of them stick.
(Incidentally, the following also works as my answer to the original topic! Yay, I'm multitasking!)
I think the most important part of a wet shave is a good lather, made in the traditional soap-and-brush manner rather than squeezed out of a spray can or tube. You'll want a thick lather, like whipped cream. If the stuff sticks to your face without dripping or sliding off, you know you're on the right track! Remember to apply the lather in circular motions. This lifts the stubble and makes it more susceptible to the razor. Oh, and you should use really hot water. As in, a couple of degrees below scalding temperature. If this still doesn't soften your stubble, try leaving the foam on your face for about a minute.
Another thing to remember is that it's generally considered bad to shave 'against the grain'. The 'grain' in this sense refers to the direction in which your stubble leans. In most cases, stubble generally tends to lean slightly downwards, so shaving from bottom to top is more likely to cause razor burn, ingrown hair and other unpleasantness. Personally, I shave my face three times: Once from top to bottom, once from right to left, and once from left to right.
Finally, you need to replace your blade every so often. Possibly more often than you're doing now. A fresh blade is of the outmost importance, so it's better to throw it out too soon.
Oh, and you ARE using the classic, single-bladed type of safety razor, aren't you? Those multibladed 'mach' - abominations are best avoided. Thing is, while it IS a good idea to go over your face more than once, the manufacturers of multibladed disposables have failed to realize that the point is to shave in a DIFFERENT direction each time, as I have described above.
Also, even more importantly, the lather is not only there to soften up the stubble - it also serves the indispensable purpose of lubricating your skin to protect it from the razor. Therefore, you need to apply a fresh layer of lather BETWEEN each pass of the razor. Now, how the heck are you supposed to do that with a 'mach' - type?
Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
