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| Grey Fox tries a shaving brush - and hasn't stopped since - image Grey Fox |
Through the good offices of Twitter I approached Shane O'Shaughnessy of The Dandy Gent for advice. He kindly agreed to answer questions about the manly art of shaving.
Q. What are the relative advantages/disadvantages of the different types of razor and shaving products as there now seems to be a bewildering choice?
Cut throat razor
Well, if I start with razors: there is the straight or cut throat razor whose first advantage is cost - buy a good quality one and it will almost certainly last you a lifetime and no new blades to buy. They give a very close shave and a big boost of manliness at the same time. There is an almost primeval satisfaction to be gained by shaving with a straight razor.
The disadvantages are getting used to using it and keeping it sharp. You will need to buy a strop to keep the razor sharp (there are some good videos on YouTube to show you how it's done). Using the razor takes some time to develop a good technique, but persevere and you will have the ultimate shaving experience.
Then comes the safety. or double edged razor. These are the ones that are ‘T’ shaped and take disposable blades. The advantage again is low cost, with just a pack of razor blades to buy every few months. No sharpening is needed and they are easier to use than a straight razor. The double edge allows you to turn the razor after the first stroke and use the other side, meaning you get to do two strokes before rinsing your razor (with a straight razor it would be rinsed after every stroke).
Probably the main advantage over a straight razor is that it won't nick your skin as easily as a straight razor can, allowing you to be a bit more carefree in the speed and angles you use while shaving. Ideal for the busy gentleman, who only seems to get five minutes to shave. The only disadvantage I can think of really is that you have to buy blades.
The modern razor
And lastly, the modern head razor, like the ‘Mach 3’ type. The advantage of these razors is ease of use, ideal for beginners as you can whip around the face pretty quickly and safely. Some have very flexible blades allowing the razor to follow the contours of the face. There are usually more than one blade on the heads, giving a cleaner shave with the first stroke.
One disadvantage is expense; replacement blades can cost in excess of fifteen pounds a time. Having more than one blade can be a disadvantage in two ways, firstly the head will get clogged more, meaning you have to rinse the razor often whilst shaving. Secondly the facial hair can be cut too close, resulting in in-growing hairs. Another disadvantage is you usually have to buy a certain type of head to fit your handle and many are not interchangeable between models.
Onto the products, this can be a minefield and basically comes down to what works best for you. The basic principle of a shaving soap/cream or gel is to help soften the facial hair, hold the hair proud of the skin and to provide a cushion for the razor to glide on. Various things can be added to the shaving product, like essential oils, clays and various chemicals that claim to do different things.
The main thing to remember is everybody has a different need out of a shaving product, and it is just about researching and trying different brands until you get a good match for your skin type.
Q. How should a man prepare for a shave?
The shaving brush
Presuming you have now got a good razor and settled on what products you are using my advice would be to invest in a good brush. There are generally three types synthetic, bristle and badger. These can range from a few pounds to hundreds for a top quality badger brush. I recommend using brushes as this helps to exfoliate around the base of the hair and helps lift the hair for the lather to hold.
Preparing
The first thing I would recommend would be to use a facial scrub, this will help remove dirt and dead skin cells from the face, this will leave the hair shaft more exposed for cutting. I would then recommend applying some heat to the facial hair to help soften it, this can be done by soaking a small towel or flannel in hot water and then holding onto the beard area until the towel starts to cool, this can be repeated if needed.
Next I like to apply a small amount of shave oil, this help to eliminate nicks and blood spots and gives the skin a little bit of protection from the razor.
This would be followed by a healthy amount of thick creamy lather, preferably applied with a brush. You are now ready for the shave.
Q. Do you have any tips for the shaving process itself?
Your facial hair pattern
My first tip would be to get to know your facial hair growth pattern. Most of us men were not taught how to shave by our fathers, at best we might have been thrown a Bic disposable razor and told to “go and shave that bum fluff off your face”. The golden rule is follow the hair growth and shave with it, not against it! If you need a real close shave you can shave against the growth on a second pass.
Shaving
Leave the chin and moustache area until last as this is usually the toughest hair and will benefit by being left until last to give the shave products more time to soften the hair.
Skin tension is important, try to keep the skin as taught as possible by stretching it with your free hand. This will help reduce the risk of nicks. Always make sure your razor is sharp, using dull blades will cause razor rash. Use the razor in long flowing movements; try not to use little hacking motions. Keep the skin lubricated with lather, never shave over the skin if it has no lather on it.
Q. What about after-shave care?
Traditionally a man would have used an aftershave, basically alcohol with essential oils in it - the alcohol would have acted as a disinfection and sterilising agent. Nowadays things are a bit more advanced, there are various different aftershave products that can be used.
In general, alcohol-based products have fallen out of favour as they can dry out the skin. A good gel or lotion should be applied after the shave; these will help cool and soothe the skin and usually contain an oil that will benefit the skin and might contain a natural antiseptic like aloa vera or witch hazel. Don’t totally rule out the aftershave though, this can still be added after the lotion to make you smell nice.
Q. What sorts of products do you recommend?
I would have to be a little biased and say The Dandy Gent range of products will give you exceptional quality. The rule of thumb is buy the best you can afford and what suits your skin, hair type and shaving style.
Get yourself a good exfoliating facial scrub, shave oil, shaving soap/cream and an aftershave gel or lotion.
A shaving soap will usually last a little longer than a cream, but it can take a little while to get used to producing a good lather. Most people will usually stick to a soap once they have got the hang of it.
Q. Anything else to add?
The main thing is to start enjoying your shave regime, stop seeing it as a chore. See it as a bit of time-out in your day to relax and focus on nothing but the shave. It will soon become a time you look forward too, developing your shaving technique, perfecting the lather, choosing the right products and capping it all off with your favourite cologne.
Be warned, you will become a shave addict. You will find yourself telling friends and work colleagues about your shaving habits, informing them how they are not shaving properly, how they should be shaving with the grain to avoid those razor rashes under the chin and how they should stop using aftershave as it dries out the skin.
Happy Shaving!
With thanks to Shane O'Shaughnessy of The Dandy Gent.
Taut.
ReplyDeleteVery useful and informative article. I feared that I had over romanticised a good old fashioned shaving technique until I tried some of the dandy gent products. Now I shave every day and actually look forward to getting into the bathroom in the mornings.
ReplyDelete