Shaving is an important part of grooming for many men, but improper technique and inappropriate products can cause irritation, cuts and dry skin. In this article, we will look at the secrets of proper shaving to avoid unpleasant consequences, as well as discuss the choice of products and tips for skin care before and after shaving.
1- Proper shaving technique
Proper shaving technique is the foundation for smooth, irritation-free skin. One of the main questions is whether to shave in the direction of hair growth or against it. Many people prefer to shave against the growth for the smoothest results, but this can cause irritation and ingrown hairs.
How to shave a beard without irritation
To avoid irritation, you should shave your beard in the direction of hair growth. This may not give you perfect smoothness the first time, but it will reduce the risk of irritation and cuts.
- Shaving in the direction of hair growth to prevent irritation: this is one of the most important techniques for maintaining healthy skin.
- How to shave a beard without cuts: to do this, it is important to take your time, use a sharp blade and apply smooth movements.
Shaving against hair growth and in the direction of growth
Shaving against hair growth provides smoother skin, but may cause irritation. The best option is to shave in the direction of growth first and then gently go against to achieve smoothness.
- Shaving technique for sensitive skin: it is recommended to avoid shaving too often against hair growth to prevent irritation and inflammation.
2. Skin care before and after shaving
In order for shaving to go smoothly and without negative consequences, it is important to properly prepare the skin before the procedure and provide proper care afterwards.
Moisturizing your skin before shaving
Moisturizing the skin before shaving plays a key role in preventing irritation and cuts. A good technique is to use warm water or a damp towel to soften the skin and hair before shaving.
- How to properly moisturize your skin before shaving: it is best to use warm water or special shaving gels to open your pores and soften the hair.
Aftershave irritation remedies
After shaving, the skin needs soothing and moisturizing care. Aftershave products help to close pores, soothe irritated skin and prevent inflammation.
- Aftershave lotion to relieve irritation: choose products with antibacterial and moisturizing ingredients to minimize redness and heal microcuts.
- Natural aftershave skin care products: you can use products with aloe vera, tea tree oil or other natural extracts to gently care for sensitive skin.
Why use aftershave lotions
Aftershave lotions not only soothe the skin, but also help prevent pimples and irritations. It is important to choose a product that does not contain alcohol to avoid additional dryness and irritation.
- Antibacterial action of aftershave lotions: these products prevent inflammation and irritation after shaving by closing the pores and protecting the skin from bacteria.
3. Shaving products and their selection
Shaving products play as much of a role in the process as the technique. The right choice of blades, gel or lather will determine the smoothness of the result and the condition of your skin.
Choosing shaving blades
A sharp blade is the key to a smooth, cut-free shave. Using a blunt blade can cause skin irritation and even cuts.
- How to choose shaving blades for smooth results: it is better to prefer reusable machines with quality replaceable blades.
Shaving gel, lather or cream - which to choose
The choice between shaving gel, foam or cream depends on your skin type. Shaving gel is ideal for sensitive and dry skin as it moisturizes and softens better. Foam and cream are suitable for normal to oily skin.
- How to choose a shaving gel for sensitive skin: gel helps ensure a smooth shave and protects the skin from irritation by creating a protective layer between the blade and the skin.
- Shaving cream with natural ingredients: if you are looking for more natural products, choose products with aloe vera, shea butter and without harsh chemical additives.
Natural shaving products
Natural shaving products help minimize the risk of irritation and allergic reactions. They contain mild ingredients that moisturize and protect the skin.
- Natural ingredients in shaving products: choose products with oils (such as coconut or argan), aloe vera and chamomile extracts to moisturize and protect your skin.
Proper shaving requires adherence to technique, selection of quality products and skin care before and after the procedure. To avoid irritation, cuts and dry skin, follow the recommendations, choose the right products for your skin type and don't forget the importance of moisturizing.
Here we recommend several steps
Step 1: Moisten the vegetation on your face
This is important because wetting softens the hair and makes it easier to cut off the hair. Easier cutting means that the blade grips the hair more easily and pulls the skin around it less. By using hot water, you will be able to wet the vegetation on your face much better. Naturally, the best way to do this wetting is in the shower, but if you're inexperienced, spritz your face properly with hot water from the sink. Apply some pre-shave oil (a cosmetic product that is applied before shaving). Finally, cover your face with shaving cream by rubbing it on (it's best to just apply it to the surface of your skin). Or simply rub in jojoba oil before you start shaving.
Step 2: Use the right razor
As noted above, if you are prone to ingrown hairs, use a razor that has a single shaving blade. If you don't have an ingrown hair problem, you can use a machine with two or three blades. Either way, make sure the blades are sharp. Dull blades pull hair and skin and thus increase the chances of cuts and scratches.
Step 3: Shave in the direction of hair growth
You can easily feel the direction in which hair (hair follicles) grow by running your hand over the facial hair. In most men, hair growth is downward, especially in the mustache area, but it can grow in different directions on the cheeks and neck area.
Once you have determined which direction your hair grows, always shave in the direction of hair growth. Compare how it feels to shave in the direction of hair growth and against it ("against the hair"). You will notice that shaving in the direction of hair growth is lighter and softer. This way, you are not pulling on the facial skin by the hairs, so the skin does not scrape during the shaving process. The result of shaving in the direction of hair growth, will be that the shave will be a little less thorough, but still, as we said, quite satisfactory. The skin will look quite thoroughly shaved and there will be no nicks or scratches.
Step 4: Follow your skin's natural contours
Your razor is designed so that the strip in front of the blade smooths the skin, allowing the blade to cut the hair to the desired length. If you pull on the skin to smooth it out, the strip on the razor stretches it even more and you increase the chance of damaging the surface of the skin or cutting the hair too short. So just let the razor glide easily along the contour of your face. Use only one hand for shaving. The hand that is not holding the razor should be free!{/slider}
Step 5: Clean your razor
After you have shaved, remove the hair particles mixed with shaving cream from the razor head. If you don't wash them off, they will eventually get between your skin and the cutting edge of the blade. This means that instead of a flat cutting surface designed to cut hair evenly, some parts of the blade will be further away from your skin than others. The result will be an uneven shave and the need to shave the same spot several times. This increases both the chance of skin irritation and the chance of cutting some hairs too hard, which in turn increases the chance of ingrown hairs.
Step 6: Applying aftershave cream
At the very end of the process, apply an aftershave moisturizer (one that does not contain alcohol, which dries the skin). If you don't like the scents of many men's perfume products, use a regular unscented moisturizer with UV protection.
Little tricks
It takes three to five minutes of water treatment for facial hair to fully soak in water and become soft. Based on this, you can use the following shaving method (for skin without inflammation): soak the skin with warm water, then wipe it off and rub in jojoba base oil. After that, slightly heat the razor (you can use tap water) and shave. The next step is to wipe your face with an astringent and apply moisturizer. Moisturizing is the most important step in men's skin care. The most optimal is cosmetic products in the form of gels. It is desirable to moisturize the skin both before and after shaving.
Warning. Men should avoid using alcohol lotions, as they dry the skin, cause irritation, dehydration and sensitivity. In addition, the compositions of such products are far from ideal. The art of perfume formulation from natural ingredients has long been lost. For example, cologne. If a hundred years ago our ancestors enjoyed the aromas of colognes, which included only natural essential oils, nowadays perfume composition consists mainly of substances synthesized in chemical laboratories, and can be toxic to the body. In other words, these are the very fragrances that are added to cosmetics.
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That's basically what I used to do. Shaving foam softens the hair, it becomes easier to shave, plus good blades on the razor are very important)))) But only recently I started using a universal shaving machine with a special attachment for beards, very well and evenly shaves under 0.5, leaving a small even stubble, without causing irritation and damage to the skin.
Very interesting and useful article, after reading it I learned a lot of new things. Thank you very much!!!
The article is good, reveals the whole theory of shaving, if I may say so. Almost all of what is written, tried it on my own experience. When I started shaving many years ago, I did not even think about the fact that you can do it better and more beneficial to the skin, if you know some of the features of shaving. It is good that now there are such sites and articles that give practical advice. It is correctly written that it is necessary to wet with water, and the hotter the better, you can wet a towel with water and put it on your face to steam the skin, I sometimes do this. On well steamed skin razor goes like butter, I sometimes even not on the growth of hair shave, and against, the special discomfort is not experienced. Absolutely agree that it is undesirable to use colognes, although here of course on the amateur. I when I used cologne, constantly irritation on the skin and redness appeared, and also burned the skin strongly. When I started using cream or just cold water wetting - it became much better. It's also a good idea to read articles that describe how to shave your skin with an electric razor.
After shaving, it is imperative that you disinfect your skin. The same as after any scratch or cut. Cologne, alas, contains very harmful and toxic chemicals that are bound to penetrate the body. Therefore, it is still a good idea to use natural remedies. For example, mix salicylic acid with an infusion of witch hazel or witch hazel. Not only that this composition will kill all bacteria, it will also narrow the pores. This way you can avoid hair ingrowth.
Thanks for the good article. Already tired of experiencing discomfort after every shave. And this irritation.... just horror! And sometimes you are in a hurry to go somewhere, put on a new shirt and suddenly - a bloody stain on the collar. Good tips!
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