Matthew Fitzsimmons

Shaving Breakthrough

I've written about my new shaving methods twice in the past, but have not been completely satisfied with the results. I've been modifying my technique here and there to try to achieve better results.

Yesterday I asked one of my Twitter friends what he used for a pre-shave technique, and he sent me this link. I gave it a try this morning, and the difference in shave experience is astounding!My previous method gave me a closer shave with less irritation than other methods I've tried. This method of preparation, however, gave me no irritation (except for opening a couple of wounds I created yesterday) and made my face feel like a baby's backside when I was done. A clean one, that is. The hairs were so softened that the razor glided across my face with a smoothness I wouldn't have thought possible.Since the forum post is a bit obtuse, I'll combine the salient steps from the initial post, as well as the steps for the morning routine that goes along with it. You can click through to read the rest of it and the science behind it if you want.

  1. Don't get in the shower yet.
  2. Apply lather to the face with a rotary motion of the brush. Notice there is no longer the step of applying pre-shave oil or cream.
  3. After you've completely lathered, work the lather in with the tips of your fingers in a rotary, massaging motion.
  4. Evenly wet a towel or large washcloth with hot water (make sure it's not so hot that you can't hold it on your face).
  5. Place the towel so that it completely covers the portion of your face and neck that is to be shaved. Leave it there for around 3 minutes (although I'm sure I didn't do it quite that long).
  6. Remove the towel from your face and use it to wipe off the remaining lather.
  7. Re-lather and proceed with the shaving process as I've outlined before.
  8. Take your shower.
  9. Apply after shave.

For those who have not yet made the jump due to the problems I've had in the past, I can definitely recommend classic shaving with no reservations now. It's an excellent experience.

March 3, 2007