However you like to style the hairs on your face, you'll want to devote regular time to keeping them in check. For those of us who like at least part of our faces clean-shaven, this matters — even a day's worth of stubble makes a difference.
Unfortunately, many of us repeat the same shaving mistakes over and over, and never quite get the shave we might. A few small tweaks fix most of them.
Ignoring the Grain
The hairs on your face don't grow in a consistent direction. When shaving, account for the angle at which each hair leaves the skin. Move the blade with the grain for minimum resistance. If each hair has to be folded back before it's cut, the skin around its base gets yanked, and irritation follows.
If one pass with the grain isn't close enough, re-lather and go across the grain, then against it. Straight razors have an advantage here — they slice through hair fairly well regardless of direction.
Excessive Pressure
Resting the razor lightly on the skin feels counter-intuitive. It is nonetheless correct.
Pressing the blade into your face creates a valley, which pushes the base of the hairs away from the razor. You get a worse shave and a sorer face. Modern razors guard against it with flat surfaces either side of the blade, but the simplest fix is to stop pressing.
The Wrong Lather
You need enough lather to lubricate the skin so the blade glides. You are not building a foam beard.
A little high-quality shaving soap, properly worked with a brush, beats a lot of a poor one. Aerosol foams carry propellant, which can dry the skin, and cheaper gels compensate with additional agents to make up for it. A lathering soap or cream applied with a brush avoids the whole problem.
And if you go back to catch a patch you've missed — along the jawline, usually — re-lather first. Dragging a blade over bare skin is the surest way to irritate or cut it.
Too Many Passes
Overlapping strokes expose the same skin to the blade repeatedly. Shave slowly and deliberately, keeping overlap to a minimum, the way you'd mow a lawn. Done properly it's also faster, because you don't go back over your own work.
Blunt Blades
Reusing an old blade is the most common mistake of all. A single session dulls a blade measurably; several render it useless. A blunt blade increases friction against the skin, and friction is what causes irritation.
Change the blade when it starts to tug rather than glide — for most men shaving daily, that's every five to seven shaves. We no longer stock razor blades, but the guidance on blade life and compatibility still stands whichever brand you buy.
Insufficient Preparation
The most neglected part of shaving is what happens before it.
Your skin should be clean and hydrated before the blade touches it, or you're pushing grime into the surface. This catches out men switching from an electric razor, which doesn't run as close to the skin.
Use warm water, not scalding. Use a soap made for your face — hand washes are more caustic and strip the oils out. Pat your face dry with a flannel rather than rubbing it. And if you're prone to razor burn, a pre-shave oil forms a protective layer before the blade arrives.
Shaving Mistakes FAQs
Should you shave with or against the grain?
With the grain first. If that isn't close enough, re-lather and go across the grain, then against it. Going against the grain on a first pass is the fastest route to razor burn.
How hard should you press when shaving?
Barely at all. Pressing the blade into the skin creates a valley that pushes the base of the hair away from the edge — a worse shave and more irritation.
How often should you change a razor blade?
When it tugs instead of gliding. For most men shaving daily, that's every five to seven shaves.
Is shaving soap better than canned foam?
A lathering soap or cream applied with a brush gives a denser, more cushioning lather. Aerosol foams contain propellant that can dry the skin.
Why do I get razor burn?
Usually a blunt blade, too much pressure, shaving against the grain on the first pass, or shaving dry skin. In that order.
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