Anti Aging Skin Care » Man Skin Care » Man Skin Care - Shaving

Man Skin Care - Shaving

A Close Shave
A few words now about shaving which is an activity most men have to do every single day, although it's chore they would be delighted to do without.

The beard area of adult males contains between 6,000 and 25,000 coarse circular or oval fibers. Growth rate of beard hair varies from person to person, but is in the order of 0.4 mm over a twenty-four-hour period. Growth rate varies from place to place on the face. Distribution too is not homogeneous over the beard area - it tends to be lowest over the lower cheek and highest over the upper lip. Generally, hair emerges from the skin surface at an angle 30-60 degrees.

Tips for achieving a close, comfortable shave:

• Wash the beard with soap and hot water to remove the oil and let water into the hair.
• Shower before shaving, to give the beard a few minutes to soak up water and humidity.
• Try to shave only in the direction of hair growth - usually down for men. Shaving against the grain increases the risk of ingrown hair. However, a lot of men do need to shave against the grain in order to achieve a clean shave.
• Use a shaving cream, gel or soap. These products surround the hair with moisture. They also reduce friction and show the areas that have already been shaved.
• Use a sharp, clean blade. A fresh blade requires less force for cutting hair. Less force means less chance of cutting the skin.
• Complete your shaving regimen with an aftershave product to soothe sensitive areas. Skin can be irritated by the alcohol found in many aftershaves, so use a cream or gel aftershave if you have sensitive skin. If you have dry skin, you might just need to use a moisturizer after shaving.

Razors
You have the choice of shaving with an electric razor or the more traditional blade razor. With an electric razor, the cut hair ends might be ragged and split after shaving. The blade razor cuts hair closer to the surface and leaves stubble of more uniform length, producing a smoother, closer shave. However, whether you use a blade razor or an electric one will be determined by factors such as hair and skin type, frequency of shaving, the presence of skin problems, manual dexterity, cost and convenience. Experiments with both methods of shaving can help you determine which one to use. Many men end up using both methods.

There are several types of blade razors to choose from:

• Straight edge blade razor: This is used primarily by barbers.
• Safety razors: There are traditional loose, doubled-edged razors and single- and twin-blade cartridge razors, some of which are adjustable for lighter or closer shaves.
• Disposable razors: Most blades will provide eight to ten shaves, depending on the thickness of the beard. The inexpensive disposable razors generally provide as good a shave as the expensive ones although they may be effective for fewer shaves.

• Foil head razor: A foil head razor has a thin flexible screen over the cutting head, which moves back and forth.
• Rotary blade razor: This is less common and has spring-mounted guards over the cutters.

The choice of razor is ultimately a matter of personal preference, with cost and convenience the main considerations.

Shaving Preparations
A shaving preparation performs the important function of wetting and softening the beard hair to make shaving easier. Dry hair requires more pressure to be cut and can cause irritation and even nicks and cuts. A shaving preparation should soften the hair quickly and hold them erect so that they can be cut easily. The lather shouldn't dry out during shaving, nor cause skin irritation. There are different kinds of shaving preparations available in the market today.

• Soap gives dense and long-lasting lather, but it has to be lathered in a mug and applied with a brush to produce lather in sufficient quantity.
• Lather shaving creams contain soap or synthetic detergent plus humectants (moisture-attracting agents), lubricating agents and foam stabilizers to increase their efficiency. These can be brushless or the kind that needs to be applied with a brush.
• Aerosol foam shaving creams and gels are by far the most popular shaving preparations. These are basically lather cream in liquid form with propellants and other ingredients added to permit dispensing as foam.

Aftershave Preparations
Aftershave preparations are generally applied only to face. They feel refreshing and soothe razor discomfort. A skin bracer or refresher has a higher alcohol content than an aftershave lotion and may be used either as an aftershave preparation on the face or as a body refresher after a bath or shower. Aftershaves or skin bracers are beneficial for those with oily skin as these products are drying. Individuals with dry skin should avoid aftershave products and instead apply an emollient cream or lotion after shaving and washing the face.

Shaving Problems
Ingrown hair is one of the most common complaints as a result of shaving. Shaving too close or against the grain can result in clipping off whiskers beneath the skin surface. Another factor is the thickness as well as roughness of the hair's surface where it has been cut; the rougher and thicker the hair, the more likely it is to become ingrown. Using a dull blade can aggravate the problem. A sharply angled hair and curly hair are more likely to become ingrown as well. To do away with ingrown beard hair:

• Don't shave against the grain.
• Don't shave too closely (especially in the neck area).
• Use a sharp blade.
• Shave more often, but not as closely.