Getting a good shave is a matter of following a few simple, practical steps. As a rule of thumb, never allow your beard or moustache to grow as thick as the bushes before you finally resort to shaving. In cases where you have allowed them to grow as a matter of personal style, prepare yourself for some hard time in the shower (if that is where you love to shave) or in front of the sink.
Still, you can get yourself out of that sticky situation by observing a few techniques. The first trick is to shower your face generously with warm water. You might enjoy it like I do-but really the whole idea behind this exercise is to soften your beard or moustache. The longer you stay in the shower for this task, the better. But make sure you have a good badger brush and a shaving soap that are both up to the task.
Of course, you have to be practical. After all, you won't always need a close shave every day of the week. That being said, reserve the long ceremony for special occasions--unless you really are a born bear!
As you shower that seemingly obstinate beard, brush vigorously against the grain, allowing the shaving soap's lather to grow rich with every stroke. By going against the grain, I mean brushing against the direction of the beard's or the whiskers' hair growth. You know you are finally getting to your hair follicles when they begin to feel soft against your touch. When you reach this point, it's time to start the shaving process.
Before we start, however, here's a few words about razor burn. Razor burn occurs when you shave against the grain, causing the razor to pull the skin and subsequently resulting in an almost microscopic cut that stings. Chances are, you are probably very familiar with how a razor burn feels!
Well, I am here to make sure this does not happen again-ever! But in order to make it happen, you have to heed my advice. The secret is to never, never shave against the grain of your beard or moustache, or more succinctly, against the direction of the hair's growth.
The key is to have the razor nip at the grain and not against it, by angling the razor at say, about 90 degrees. You know you are doing this right when you feel the razor cutting through hair in an effortless fashion. Never use force-unless you want some blood to start to show on your face.
Shave in the 90-degree fashion I have indicated very slowly until you have mastered the trick. If you do as I say the very first time, it won't be long before you start to do it effortlessly.
Now a word about the razor. I prefer to use the very best-Gillette's G3. This is the one with the three-blade system. Plus, I make it a point to replace the cartridge every month. However, the blessing about Gillette's G3 is also its curse! If you are already using it or used it before, you are aware that the G3's blades are suspended as you angle them on your face. That way, it's very easy to use it at any angle. Hence, doing your 90 degrees would be a breeze. You will notice one thing though as you get used to the instrument-some tiny leftover hairs on top of your upper lip!
This happens because the G3's suspended mechanism tends to shave very lightly even with its three-blade system. So how do you get yourself out of this dilemma? Keep Gillette Sensor handy like I do! Use Gillette Sensor only for that stubborn moustache area, but then again, don't make the mistake of shaving against the grain. Believe me, you have more chances of getting hurt from the Sensor brand than from the G3 brand if you shaved against the grain.
If, after you've done everything I'd told you to do and you can still touch some hair growth somewhere on your face-don't be tempted to re-shave, this time against the grain! The solution is really much simpler. Re-shave, yes, but only this time do it at a sharper angle-still on the grain, not against the grain!
Having finished the re-shave, it's time to rinse off completely. Let the brush help you with the clean up. Pat your face dry with towel. Then, as you apply your favorite after shave solution, don't forget to congratulate yourself in the mirror!
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