If you’re like a lot of men, shaving is an essential part of your daily routine. A few things that shouldn’t be a regular part of your morning are irritation, red skin and discomfort. Unfortunately, issues like these are a feature of trimming for many men as the skin on your face and neck can be highly sensitive and repeated passes over tricky areas can leave your face feeling sore.
Here at Braun, we know that shaving doesn’t have to come at the expense of your comfort so we’ve put together a guide to the most important tips to keep in mind while shaving at home.
For whatever grooming method you choose, making sure your razor or trimmer doesn’t drag on your skin is a simple matter of following some prep basics and finding the best tools for the job.
Shaving Tips for Men
What’s the first thing you do when you go into the bathroom in the morning? Splashing water on your face and tidying up your facial hair may be second nature but your skin tends to be dehydrated and slightly swollen on waking up.
So before you follow any of our shaving tips let your skin wake up. The steam from a warm shower can be a great way to help beard hair soften so try this out before learning how to shave your face with an electric shaver.
1. Wash your face
Whether you like to shower before a shave or just splash some warm water, this is a great first step to let your razor glide more smoothly over a lubricated surface.
With the Braun Series 3 Wet and Dry you can also shave in the shower so why not try it out next time you need to shave.
2. Lather up
For the ideal experience shaving at home, a moisturizing gel is your best friend. Lathering up your face has the effect of lifting hairs off the skin’s surface. This makes it easier for your shaver to catch hairs and reduces your chances of razor burn and cuts.
3. Shave gently to protect your skin
Watch any experienced barber at work with a straight razor and you’ll see a light touch is all that’s needed to give a clean shave or trim.
In the same way, you should never apply heavy pressure to your face with your shaver. The best way to shave is with light strokes that follow the grain your hair grows in. Going against the direction your facial hair grows irritates it by disrupting its natural pattern.
With a high-quality cutting tool like the Braun Series 9, your shaver will be making 40,000 cutting actions every minute and producing sonic vibrations to glide over your skin. This means there’s no need to push down on your skin’s surface, just switch on and your shaver do the hard work.
4. Remember to rinse
Another way that your razor can catch on the skin is through becoming clogged with hairs as it cuts. That’s why you should always rinse your shaver after each pass over your skin.
Many Braun models also come with a Clean & Charge station to look after your shaver. After your shave, these will clean, dry and recharge your shaver automatically with a dedicated cleaning solution.
5. Get precise with your shaver attachments
Some areas of the face are trickier to shave than others. That’s why Braun devices like the Series 5 are equipped with a precision trimmer to tidy up those hard to reach areas like your sideburns.
With this attachment, you can get the details right and also edge around other areas such as your upper lip if you’re growing out a style like a handlebar moustache.
6. Store your shaver the right way
Over time, bathrooms and wet areas like your shower can become home to lots of germs so it’s worth thinking about where you’ll store your shaver.
As your skin may be coming into contact with your device on a daily basis, it should be carefully looked after. We suggest keeping it in a dry area like a cupboard; the travel case that comes with your Braun shaver can also help to stop it from being exposed to unwanted bacteria.
7. What to avoid if you have acne
If your skin is prone to red and painful acne, shaving can be a daunting task. It doesn’t need to be as following a few tips can make looking after facial hair with acne a lot easier.
Before applying your shaver, take careful attention to spot any raised red areas. You should avoid directly touching any spots with your shaver as this can inflame sore areas.
Using an electric shaver for acne-prone skin can also be better suited than a traditional multi-blade manual razor. Reducing the number of blades pulling on your skin means less friction and a lower chance of aggravating sensitive areas like your neck.
Post Shaving Care
Once you’ve got the groomed look that you desire, the only thing left is aftercare. Washing your face with cool water and gently patting your skin’s surface will leave it primed for your next shave.
We’d also suggest using a gentle cleanser and moisturizer to keep your face healthy and nourished. Avoiding skin irritation is a great way to keep that shaver gliding as smoothly as possible.
If you’ve found the best electric shaver for your needs then following these shaving tips will let your Braun device read your face and cut as efficiently as possible. With the range of attachments available for the latest Braun devices, tackling tricky areas is simpler than ever and razor burns can be a thing of the past.
