There are many of us that are still wondering how to get a close shave, still searching all over the world for that perfect BBS smooth cut that comes with an ethereal post-shave feeling.
There is no yellow brick road that will lead you to the perfect shave in all of its glory, however, I can supply you with some bricks so that you may build your own path to the best shave of your life.
Brick One: Know Thyself
First and foremost, you need to know thyself. Learn your skin sensitivity, which direction your facial hair grows, and thus which direction you should shave in the different areas of your facial hair map. This guide will help you with finding your beard map.
Once you have completed your own beard map and understand what your facial hair does, you may move on to learning how to take it down, safely.
Brick Two: Technique
You may believe that the solution to your razor woes is a new razor, but what good will a new razor do if you still don't know how you use it?
Here's the deal—the information that you gather will inform the way that you go about shaving your face. As stated in this guide, the method in which you shave your face can drastically impact the post-shave feeling.
Here's a brief rundown:
Shaving with the grain- you shave with the grain of your beard, cutting the hair right above the skin's surface. This will leave a light stubble but is the best option to prevent irritation and bumps.
Shaving against the grain- you shave against the grain of your beard, slightly pulling the hair up and thus cutting it below the skin's surface. This will leave the skin smooth but you run the highest risk of skin irritation and razor bumps.
Shaving across the grain- you shave perpendicular to the grain of your hair. This method cuts the hair right at the skin's surface, leaving it smooth, and has minimal risk for irritation.
The Multi-Pass Method- Great for all skin and hair types, you begin with the grain, reapply lather and then complete another pass or two across/against the grain. This will help achieve the baby butt smooth closeness that we're looking for and help prevent irritation.
Brick Three: Pick the Right Tool
Now we're at the fun part. Picking a good razor for you is important. As there are so many variances in razor aggressiveness, base plate shape and style, and weight of each razor, finding the right one for you can be difficult, at times.
Something like the Era, for example, has both safety bar and open comb baseplates, with five different levels of each baseplate style so you can tailor your shave to your needs.
However, each of our unbeatable safety razors has its purpose and fanbase, and you will achieve a fantastic shave with any of them.
