Expert tips for the Perfect Shave

If you’re shaving with a razor then there are some things that are known to cause stress for blokes when it comes to personal appearance – razor burn, rashes and cuts being top of the list.  So we asked Gillette’s experts to give us some top tips on the perfect shave.

Did you know – a man’s beard has on average 6,000-25,000 hairs!  And each hair is 10,000 times stiffer than skin!

What you probably don’t realise is that your dry beard hair can be as strong as a copper wire – so there’s some serious force required to cut it – if you’re not doing it right that can result in any of those above issues.

Gillette R&D expert Kristina Vanoosthuyze has given EFTM her top tips for the perfect shave:

Have a Shower or bath before you shave

Here’s the thing – warm water makes hair expand, thus it is softer and easier to cut! Who knew!

Apply plenty of shave gel

Equal parts important to keep the beard hair soft and lubricates the blades of your razor.

Make sure your blade is fresh and not dull

Of course Gillette would say that right? But it is common sense, a $40 razor is going to do things that disposables can’t do – even on the first shave.  So – maybe don’t be a cheapskate?

Use light, gentle strokes when shaving

Patience is a virtue, one you probably don’t have.  But give it a try, you might find out it makes a big difference.

Shave hard-to-reach spots last

Focus on the easy bits, spend the time on those annoying bits and you’ll be free to do them faster because you’ve done the bits around them.

After shaving, rinse your face and neck with cool water and pat dry.

Cold water – that’s the tip folks, and don’t be rubbing your face with a towel, just pat it down, and to keep the blade lasting longer rinse well and shake off the excess water before you put it away.

So there you go – I wonder what a difference that will make to your shave?