The do's and don'ts of shaving for men

These time-tested shaving tips will surely help every man to ace their grooming sessions and look their clean-shaven best, at a moment's notice

While most men start shaving at a very young age, some of us still struggle with our early hour grooming sessions. Even though one may be armed with the latest top-end shaving paraphernalia comprising of the best razor and shaving gels, it still does not guarantee a perfect shaving experience. There might still be something that you are doing the wrong way.

Wash before you shave

People assume that shaving creams provide enough moisture to get a close shave, but wetting the skin before the shaving ritual actually warrants better results. Use a good face wash and clean the skin before applying the shaving cream. Shave after a hot bath or wash your face with warm water before shaving, this opens the pores of your skin and ensures maximum absorption of the shaving gel/cream, making your facial hair softer and easier to shave. This is vital as it removes all the oil and dirt particles, thereby improving the slicing and shaving ability of the razor-blade. Washing your face pre-shave not only ensures a better shave, but it may also be good enough to last the next day.

Do Not Rush It

A hasty shaving process may lead to cuts and skin irritation, more so than almost any other shaving practice. Even though you may be super-busy still take out the time and do not rush through your morning shave. Slow and steady, does it good.

Go easy with the pressure

While many may think that the more pressure one applies, closer the shave. It is actually untrue, as more aggressively one presses the razor, more the chances of incurring razor burns, nicks and cuts.

Do not skip the post-shave routine

The post-shaving ritual is an essential one and not just an exercise on the side. A post-shave skin is vulnerable to skin exfoliation which leaves it prone to post-shave dryness, redness, sensitivity and razor bumps. The best way is to use a soothing balm or a daily use moisturizer that softens the skin and lends comfort.

Do not use alcohol-based aftershaves

Using alcohol-based aftershave results in a dry burning and hardening sensation and may also darken your facial features. A more viable option would be using a lightly fragrant non-alcoholic aftershave balm for that optimum shave.

Never dry-shave with a razor

Razors were never meant to run on dry skin. Doing so is a clear invitation to razor burns and rashes. Razor blades were essentially designed for wet moist surfaces. Dry shaving is only advisable with electric shavers, and never the manual ones.

Different beards. Different strokes

As every beard grows differently in hair volume and texture, just running a blade across your visage without being aware of the right direction and the right stroke can cause a horde of problems. For starters, shaving against the grain of hair can lead to ingrown hairs below the skin line. A harder coarser beard calls for a shaver designed to keep the razor's point of impact slightly above the skin level.

These time-tested shaving tips will surely help every man of civilization to ace their grooming sessions and look their clean-shaven best, at a moment's notice. After all, it is not just the premium shaving gadgets or a visit to an expensive saloon that produce the best results. Technique is, and as always was, free.