Use a Quality Razor and Change the Blades


Always use a good quality sharp razor blade. Be sure the blade is sharp. You're not just cutting off
hair, you're also scraping off up to two layers of surface skin when you shave. A dull blade is more
traumatic to the skin, making your face feel scratchy and look blotchy - a dull razor is one of the
contributing factors to razor burn and shaving rash. Depending on the toughness of your beard, change
the blade somewhere between every three and every ten shaves, if you shave every day. Two weeks is
too long to go without changing blades. Regardless of the number of shaves, if the blade becomes dull,
ditch it.
Rinse your blade under hot water before you begin to shave and after every few swipes. This removes
the accumulated shaving cream, whiskers, and skin gunk. The use of hot water here is to help lubricate,
has nothing to do with "killing bacteria."

Use the Razor Properly


Ideally shave in the direction of the beard growth. Start with the sides, then the moustache area and
last the chin. The chin hairs are the toughest, so this allows them the most time to soften under the shave cream.Shaving against the direction of hair growth gives a closer shave, but has two drawbacks:

A. It's a good way to donate blood, and B. You run a high risk of cutting off a hair below skin level, causing an ingrown hair (razor bumps) - the whisker
grows into the surrounding tissue instead of out of the pore, resulting in inflammation and possible infection.
To avoid these shaving problems, again, shave "with the grain" (that is, in the direction your hair grows). Each
person's facial hair has its own growth pattern. If you are unsure of the direction of your beard, let it grow for
a day or two and you'll see it.



You also need to let the razor do the work - do not press too hard or it will cause razor bumps (ingrown hair)and
razor burn. By the way, you do NOT need special razor bump products - 99% of the razor bump problem will be solved
by not pressing too hard, shaving with the grain and using a good shaving cream.