Get The Cleanest, Closest Shave
What Is Wet Shaving
The Most Common Shaving Mistakes
MANSCAPING

 

MANSCAPING

Back Hair. Chest hair. Facial hair, Underarms, and Pubic hair. Boys have it all. However, how do you think ladies want their man to look?

Personal grooming is a must for every good looking man, ladies want their man sleek, smooth, and a bit rugged, but which hair is allowed and which is not. So what do ladies think about a man’s Manscaping routine?

What is Manscaping?

This is a word that has been making rounds in the grooming world, and ladies are paying close attention to it. The question though is how much Manscaping is too much and how to ladies feel about their man removing body hair, either partially or completely. So in this article, we will try to discuss what women think about the different regions of the body in relation to Manscaping.

While many women want their man to look smooth, a bit of rough is sexy, overall women want men to take care of their appearance and do it as often as possible. Well, we can’t all be the same, so this is meant to show you what should stay and what should go.

Facial hair – clean-shaven 40%, rough – 60%

If your idea doesn’t conform to this percentage, you might be among the women that want a smooth face that won't ruin their make up during a kiss.

While many ladies won’t necessarily agree with this, we do want the man to have a well-groomed beard, well-trimmed or well washed and clean for men that keep beards. However, it is an absolute no to nose hair and ear hair, please take it off.

Chest/stomach and back - Clean-shaven 17% Hairy 83%

Before you scream, we will break it down and while some women like a hairy chest and back, this statistic is way off.

Chest hair – chest hair is okay if it stays within your chest region. Guys if your chest hair is extending to your stomach, shoulder or back, please manscape it or at least remove the extra bits. Furthermore, if your chest hair is rough and spiky or pokes out of your shirt fabric, please manscape immediately. Women love a natural look, but it should be well-groomed. 

The back hair – hair on the back are not very appealing or sexy, please. We love to hug, and a hairy human teddy bear isn’t as comfy as the real thing. The hair on the back should be manscaped, maybe not completely, but the hair on your back should not increase your shirt size.

Stomach hair – a couple of hair around the navel is sexy, all around no. Stomach hair takes away from the sexiness of a man’s abdominal region. However, a well-chiseled stomach gets enhanced by the hair.

Overall, ladies prefer a man with moderate chest hair, few smooth stomach hairs, and definitely fewer back hair.

Underarm hair – unless you want to look like you have tentacles, then please take them off, they are not good looking, and it just tells how ungroomed you are even when they are clean.

Pubic Hair – Trimmed 88%, Natural looking 11% Smooth Shave 1 %

After asking about 1500 women how they prefer their men down under, this is the result, whether there is a change or not, women definitely know what they want. The pubic region should be clean, and even if you like it natural, it should be washed, clean, and void of any smell.

Women seem to think that a sexy looking and manscaped pubic region heighten the excitement and make intimacy more fun. For the women that love their man clean-shaven, I guess it gives you the opportunity to see and appreciate your man’s asset, not bad. 

In addition to the following, a man should also take care of their teeth and mouth –good oral hygiene will go a long way, as no women want to use to ladies during a conversation.

Finally, we may have different perspectives concerning our men and their Manscaping habits, we all agree that a well-groomed man is a good looking man any time of the day. And while totally smooth doesn’t cut it, ladies prefer their men to be comfortable and have a little more hair than them but in the right places and looking good too.

The Most Common Shaving Mistakes 

 

As shaving is that activity everyone literally cannot escape doing, chances are that you have been shaving for so many years now. However, the saying “Practice makes perfect” does not exactly ring true with shaving. You could have been shaving for as long as 20 years and yet, you still don’t do it right. From the constant cuts to the nicks, you don’t have to look too far to notice the signs that you’ve not been doing shaving right. All thanks to the many shaving mistakes that you have been making over the years. From the ones that you most definitely have made to those that you’re likely to make, check out this list of shaving mistakes and how to avoid them. 

   •   Dry Shaving

On days when you have to rush out of the house but you dare not do it without shaving, what do you? You quickly whip out your razor and get shaving over with under seconds. This shouldn’t be so as it would lead to burns and rashes. That aside, you are even likely to have to deal with redness and it sure would hurt a whole lot more.

To avoid: Lubricate the area where you want to shave so as to ensure a smooth and rash free shaving. Shaving gels and creams are perfect lubricants that you can use. They would make it easy for the razor to move across your skin without having to apply excess pressure. Even if you run out of a gel or cream, you shouldn’t still attempt to dry shave. Making use of water is actually better than not using anything at all.

   •   Shaving in the wrong direction

Safe to say just about everybody is guilty of this one. This is barely taught in schools and the many razor ads hardly show it too. It is, however, one of the leading cause of bumps and burns. Shaving in the wrong direction makes you more likely to irritate your skin and cut yourself. It gets even worse if you already have sensitive skin.

To avoid: You have to shave in the direction in which your hair grows. This means if you are shaving your leg, you should be shaving down your legs and not up.

   •   Using soap to shave

On days when you run out of shaving cream or gel, it could be tempting to want to lubricate with your soap. Using soap sets you up for lots of cuts as it is not a very good lubricant to help the razor move across your skin smoothly.

To avoid: Stick to gels and creams alone or water in the worst case scenario.

   •   Not exfoliating before shaving

Even if you’ve been able to escape exfoliating your face regularly, you shouldn’t do so when it comes to shaving. If you already exfoliate your face, then you should extend that act to your shaving routine. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells and not doing it before shaving negatively affects the shaving process as you’re more likely to get razor bumps.

To avoid: Be sure to exfoliate right before you put the razor to work. Do it once or twice a week and make it in-between shaves.

   •   Making use of dull razors

Not replacing your razor as soon as you notice its blades have become dull is a common mistake everyone makes. Why this is a mistake is because bluntness makes blades more habitable for bacteria. It won’t be long before infection sets in when this happens. Also, you’re more likely to get irritated, cuts, and nicks from dull blades.

To avoid this: Change your razor once you notice it is blunt. One sign of a blunt razor is that it constantly tugs at your skin. You could also keep track of the number of times you use it and then, replace it not more than after 10 uses if it’s a disposable razor.

   •   Rushing through the shaving process

Shaving is a very delicate procedure and so, you shouldn’t rush through it. You should put in total concentration while you’re at it. Yes, taking phone calls while shaving isn’t a good idea. You would most likely cut and irritate your skin plus you would even miss out spots that you ought to have shaved.

To avoid this: Take your time and make use of smooth, gentle strokes.

   •   Applying too much pressure

It is fair to assume that shaving hard would result in a cleaner shave but actually, the reverse is the case. When you apply too much pressure while shaving, you make your skin uneven and chances that you would cut yourself are high. 

To avoid: First, make sure that the reason why you apply lots of pressure isn’t that you’re using a dull razor. Also, make use of very slow strokes while shaving and don’t tug at your skin too much.

   •   Not having a post-shave routine

Many people are guilty of this but then not everyone knows that what you do after you’re done shaving is just as important as what you did before and during the process. What shaving does apart from removing hair, of course, is that it exfoliates the skin. You normally wouldn’t exfoliate without moisturizing now, would you? Failing to moisturize after shaving causes that area to be very dry and from there, there’s redness, bumps, and so on.

To avoid: Apply moisturizer all over the shaved area while your skin is still damp as soon as you are done shaving to have a comfortable post-shave skin.

   •   Failing to rinse the razor mid strokes

As you’re shaving, hair gets into the blade and clogs it up. This would reduce the sharpness of the blade and make you more susceptible to all the dangers of dull razors already discussed above.

To avoid: After a few strokes, rinse the razor with water to remove the already shaved hair.

   •   Over-shaving

No matter how quickly your hair grows, chances that you have to shave every other day are pretty slim. That aside, you ought to keep the strokes minimal as over-shaving would leave your skin dry. Also, shaving a spot repeatedly leads to irritation.

To avoid: Shave only when it is necessary and keep the strokes minimal at a spot 

Avoiding shaving mistakes is actually easier than you think. Make sure to keep the tips above in mind during your next shave and do away with all the effects of a mistake-filled shaving.

What Is Wet Shaving?

 

 

It will surprise you to know that the average man will eventually spend approximately 3,000 hours of his life shaving, while women will spend that same time waxing instead. So, what is wet shaving? You can guess at the answer just from the name, but to clear all doubts, wet shaving simply means razor shaving with a solvent; water, shaving soap, or shaving cream.

 

For wet shaving, it means you do not need an electrical razor. We wet shave areas like the face (duh!), armpit, down there, legs, and arms. Looking at it from the busy man’s perspective, wet shaving can seem like quite the chore, especially when you cannot afford to lose a whole 3000 hours of your life to something a mundane as that. After all, an electric razor will do the job faster.

Why Should You Wet Shave Instead?

It is very tempting to use an electric razor and get the shaving done within minutes, perhaps, we don’t have the time, or we just don’t like the hassle. But you have to realize something; wet shaving has more benefits.

First, it gives you the closest shave you can get; seeing as a razor cannot get to your ingrown hair. It gives a certain smoother and cleaner feel; like a newborn’s behind.

Secondly, the warm water, cream, or soap will open and relax the facial pores and muscles, thereby preventing discomfort from hair pulling.

Thirdly, well, it’s not rocket science, but it’s obvious that softened hair will be easier to shave than the dry one. Lubrication while shaving is definitely kinder on the skin, and it takes care of multiple after effects. Besides, wet shaving as seen by some individuals is a pleasurable activity.

Wet shaving is also cheaper than the dry one; just buy a safety razor, shaving soap or cream, and it’ll last you for a while. Unlike buying an expensive electric razor or going to the barber’s shop each time you need to trim.

Common Wet Shaving Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

Frequently, people complain about razor bumps, irritated skin, or cuts after shaving; especially for people with sensitive skin. But, one has to realize that wet shaving is not the problem; techniques and products are the culprits. These are some of the most common mistakes made while wet shaving:

Poor Preparation: Your skin will always get irritated when you’re shaving on dry skin and bristle subtle. To avoid this, exfoliate the skin with warm water till your pores are open and the stubbles have softened. Not using steam before wet shaving is a bad call.

Wrong Blades: Dull blades and poor quality razors is a recipe for disaster. Blunt blades will drag and skip, cut roughly, pull and damage the hair and skin. So, get a quality razor, and with one or two swipes, the skin will be smooth again.

 

Cheap Products: Using low-quality shaving foam, soap or cream can cause irritation, due to the amount of sulfate and alcohol in them. To avoid bumps or other irritations, buy a glycerin-based product.

Poor Technique: Shaving done hurriedly and haphazardly will cause rashes and ingrown hair. To avoid these, try shaving methodically with slow, straight and careful strokes. Shave in the direction of your grain and not against it to avoid hair pulling.

 

Wrong Aftercare: Don’t just leave your skin like that after shaving. Moisturize and rinse with cold water, pat your face with a soft towel, and hydrate your skin with lubricants.

 

How To Wet Shave Properly

Buy a good razor; preferably a safety double-edge razor, a shaving brush, and shaving lathers.

Soften your hair with warm water and apply pre-shave oil.

 

With shaving brush, apply your shaving cream all over the area. (In the absence of shaving soap)

Shave in the direction of the hair grain, i.e. North to South and don’t apply pressure.

- Rinse the razor after a few strokes to keep the hair out.

- When you’re done, rinse your face with cold water to close up your pores.

- Pat the skin with a soft towel to avoid irritation.

- Apply an after-shave or a moisturizer; avoid alcohol-based products.

- Rinse and put away the razor and brush.

 

It might take a bit of your time, but the result will be absolutely worth it. Forget a hasty job, unless you’re really in a hurry. Besides, a colorful shaving soap, scented shaving lather, and a nice razor will be aesthetically pleasing to the eye on a marble counter.

 

 

SHAVING TIPS AND HISTORY

"How can I get the cleanest, closest shave possible?"

At RazorsDirect.com, we get asked that question a lot. And since most people love a good top ten list, here are our Top 10 Tips to help you with your daily shaving routine.

#1 - There is no right or wrong way to shave. Some products like shaving creams, gels, aftershaves or even a specific type of razor blade may work well for one person, but not for another. Find a method that works for you and your face (or legs for the women) and stick with it.

#2 - Shower or bathe before you shave. This will remove dirt and oils from your skin and soften your hairs at the same time. If you don't have time for a shower, apply plenty of warm water several minutes prior to shaving.

#3 - Apply a shaving cream or gel. The preference is up to the individual, but you should put something on your skin prior to shaving. The cream or gel will act as a lubricant, allowing the blade to glide more easily over your skin. This will result in a smoother shave. The cream or gel will also moisturize your skin, reducing the risk of razor burn.

#7 - Don't press too hard. Shave gently in a smooth, gliding motion. At first, shave with the grain of your hairs. Then, wet the area again and shave lightly against the grain. Gillette's Mach3 Turbo razor is excellent for shaving against the grain.

#8 - Rinse your razor often. This will reduce the build-up of hairs and shaving cream on your razor.

#9 - Rinse your skin with cold water. Cool your skin and remove the excess shaving cream.

#10 - Apply an after shave product to soothe your skin. There are many different products on the market, so choose the one that works best for you.