Shaving

For the metalworking process, see Piercing (metalworking) § Shaving.

This article is about the use of a razor. For the thin strip removed from the surface of a piece of wood by planing, see Plane (tool).

A man shaving his undercheek using a straight razor.

Closeup of a disposable razor shaving stubble off the underside of a chin. Note the direction of razor travel is the same as the direction of the stubble hairs or 'grain'.

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair. A man is called clean-shaven if he has had his beard entirely removed. How to Shave Correctly varies from person to person. Some think it's with a straight razor, others agree with a safety razor.

Both men and women sometimes shave their undercheek hair, chest hair, abdominal hair, leg hair, underarm hair, pubic hair or any other bodily hair. Head shaving is much more common among men. It is often associated with religious practice, the armed forces and some competitive sports such as swimming, running and extreme sports. It has become common for men with partial baldness. Head shaving has also been used to humiliate, punish and show submission to an authority, and also as part of a fund-raising effort. The shaving of head hair is also sometimes done by cancer patients when their treatment may result in partial hair loss.

History

Alexander the Great's shaven image on the Alexander Mosaic, 2nd Century BC

Before the advent of razors, hair was sometimes removed using two shells to pull the hair out. Later, around 3,000 BC, when copper tools were developed, copper razors were invented. The idea of an aesthetic approach to personal hygiene may have begun at this time, though Egyptian priests may have practiced something similar to this earlier. Alexander the Great strongly promoted shaving during his reign in the 4th century BCE to avoid "dangerous beard-grabbing in combat", and because he believed it looked tidier.

Ninety percent, or 94,000,000, of American men over the age of 15 shave, with 75% shaving daily. The average fifteen-to -twenty year old shaves 275 times per year, while shaving frequency rises to almost daily for men aged twenty to sixty-five.

Shaving methods

Shaving can be done with a straight razor or safety razor (called 'manual shaving' or 'wet shaving') or an electric razor (called 'dry shaving').

The removal of a full beard often requires the use of scissors or an electric (or beard) trimmer to reduce the mass of hair, simplifying the process.

"Traditional" wet shaving

Safety razor, shaving brush and shaving soap. The brush is used to make lather from the soap.

There are two types of manual razors: straight razor and safety razors. Safety razors are further subdivided into double-edged razors, single edge, injector razors, cartridge razors and disposable razors.

Straight razors are still made today, notably by Dovo, Zowada Razors, Thiers Issard, and Feather. Once more commonplace, now they are used mostly in barber shops by a skilled barber. However, there is a growing movement of men finding simpler is better, and are returning to traditional double edge and straight razors with great success.

While straight razors give a good shave, the invention of the double-edged razor offered freedom from the task of sharpening and honing the razor. Double-edge razors are also readily available and are still made by Merkur in Germany, Kiwishaver in New Zealand, Parker in India, Feather in Japan, Hart Steel in the United States and Weishi in China. Double-edge razors are named so because the blade that they use has two sharp edges on opposite sides of the blade. Cartridge razors are the most expensive type as the blades are designed only to fit the razors of the manufacturer. Current multi-bladed cartridge manufacturers attempt to differentiate themselves by having more or fewer blades than their competitors, each arguing that their product gives a greater shave quality at a more affordable price.

Before wet shaving, a lathering or lubricating agent such as cream, soap, gel, foam or oil is normally applied. Lubricating and moisturizing the skin to be shaved helps to prevent a painful razor burn. It also lifts and softens the hairs, causing them to swell. This enhances the cutting action and sometimes permits cutting the hairs deeper slightly below the surface of the skin. Additionally, during shaving, the lather indicates areas that have not yet been addressed. When soap is used, it is generally applied with a shaving brush, which has long soft bristles. It is worked up into a usable lather by the brush, either against the face, in a shaving mug, bowl, scuttle, or palm of the hand.

Wet shaving may be done in one pass, shaving with the grain of the hair, or in two passes, one with and one against or across the grain. Shaving twice can give a closer shave for a tough beard, but it also increases the risk of cuts, soreness and ingrown hairs.

Aftershave

Main article: Aftershave

Men may use an aftershave lotion after they have finished shaving. It may contain an antiseptic agent such as isopropyl alcohol to prevent infection from cuts, a perfume, and a moisturizer to soften the facial skin.

Electric shaving

A rotary design electric razor

The electric razor consists of a set of oscillating or rotating blades, which are held behind a perforated metal foil that prevents them coming into contact with the skin and behaves much like the second blade in a pair of scissors. When the razor is held against the skin, whiskers poke through holes in the foil and are sliced by the moving blades. In some designs the blades are a rotating cylinder, in others they are one or more rotating disks, and in others a set of oscillating blades. Each design has an optimum motion over the skin for the best shave and manufacturers provide guidance on this. Generally for circular blades it is a circular motion and for cylindrical or oscillating blades it is up and down. The first electric razor was built by Jacob Schick in 1928.

The main disadvantages of electric shaving are that some people feel that it is not as close as wet shaving and it requires a source of electricity. The advantages are fewer cuts in the skin, quicker shaving and no need for a water supply. Some people also find they do not experience ingrown hairs (pseudofolliculitis barbae, also called razor bumps), when using an electric shaver.

Many pre- and post-electric lotions are sold but electric shaving does not usually require the application of any lubrication to be effective and can be done dry.

There are special electric razors available for use by women, but these are essentially no different from those made for men.

Shaving products

The shaving products that are marketed nowadays can be broken into three categories, pre, during and after-shave. For the sake of the skin, it is recommended that shaving is always accompanied by the pre-shaving and after-shaving processes.

Pre-shaving mainly consists of getting the skin and hairs ready for the blade. The shaving products that one can find for this particular action are oils, creams and shaving soaps. These products come in various designs and are designed accordingly for the specific type of skin or beard or they may be also chosen according to the instrument that is going to be used for shaving. The market provides different pre-shaving products intended to be used by individuals who shave with razors or for those who prefer using an electric razor. Although pre-shave oils bring a great benefit to the skin by opening the pores which results in a smoother shave, these products are not so popular. Most individuals tend to skip this step because the cream or soap used while shaving has quite the same purpose.

Shaving requires the instrument which is used to cut off the hairs and a foam, cream or soap. Generally, shaving creams and foams are used with razors, straight or disposable, and soap is more commonly used with straight razors. These shaving products are intended to smooth the face by lubricating the skin which allows a gentler shave. It seems that individuals who use these products are less likely to cut their skin and the shaved area is smoother by comparison with people who use only water before shaving. Moreover, the shaving products also help in preventing and reducing skin irritation. When shaving with a straight razor, the soap is applied onto the face with the help of a mug and a brush. The use of soap with a brush is thought to result in a superior quality shave as the brush may unclog the hairs that are stuck together.

Shaving with an electric razor is usually done without applying any creams before starting shaving. Most of these razors come with features that help raising the hairs, allowing the machine to cut them. They prevent the skin getting irritated as well. However, many individuals apply pre-shaving oils onto their skin prior to shaving with such an instrument as these oils lubricate the skin and hairs, make them easy to cut off leaving a smoother skin.

There are mainly three types of razors that can be found on the market. One of the oldest types is the straight razor. These razors have two parts, the blade and the handle. The blade has different sizes and it may be folded into the handle. They can be made of different materials, but the best quality ones are made from steel. One of the most popular types of straight razors is those manufactured by Sheffield, Eng. . The price of these razors depends on the quality of the material they are made of and it may get as low as a little over $10 to more than $100. The brand may also influence the price of the razor.

Double-edge safety razors are not as popular as disposable razors or straight razors but they are still an option for those who feel comfortable using them. Although their name suggests that these razors are very safe, in reality these razors do not provide as much safety as needed because the edges of the razor are not covered at all which makes their use difficult and cautious. They are however considered safer than straight razors because there is no actual risk of serious injury unlike in the case of the latter.

The most common type of razors is by far the disposable ones. These are completely safe for every novice and they are commonly used by both men and women. The disadvantage that comes with disposable razors is the low quality of shaving and the skin irritation that may result afterwards. These razors come with one, two or three blades and the latter are considered of best quality.

Electric razors however increase in popularity among men. They are efficient, provide smooth shaving and are easy to use with no potential for injury. However, they tend to be quite pricy and come with the disadvantage of being useless in areas where there is no electricity, unless they are powered by batteries.

Aftershaves and colognes are the main products used after shaving, to smoothen the shaved area and for preventing skin irritation.

Side effects of shaving

Shaving can have numerous side effects, including cuts, abrasions, and irritation. Many side effects can be minimized by using a fresh blade, applying plenty of lubrication, and avoiding pressing down with the razor. A shaving brush can also help. The cosmetic market in most developed consumer economies offers many products to reduce these effects; they commonly dry the affected area, and some also help to lift out the trapped hair(s). Some shavers choose to use only single-blade or wire-wrapped blades that shave farther away from the skin. Others have skin that cannot tolerate razor shaving at all; they use depilatory shaving powders to dissolve hair above the skin's surface, or grow a beard.

Cuts

Cuts from shaving can bleed for about fifteen minutes (more if the person is haemophilic and/or clot-inhibited by medications such as aspirin). Shaving cuts can be caused by blade movement perpendicular to the blade's cutting axis or by regular / orthogonal shaving over prominent bumps on the skin (which the blade incises). Common methods used to stop shaving-induced bleeding include: (1) pressing any simple alcohol onto the cut until the bleeding stops (e.g. with a cotton swab); (2) placing a small piece of tissue or toilet paper onto the cut; (3) applying styptic pencils and styptic liquids; and (4) placing a small amount of petroleum jelly on the cut after most of the bleeding has ended (which can stop the bleeding without forming a scab). Shaving in or just after a cold shower can help prevent bleeding as well, because blood flow to the skin is reduced in these conditions due to vasoconstriction caused by the cold water. Shaving blade disposal in the era of safety razors and double-edged blades was a concern for a man's spouse and children who could easily take a blade casually cast into the garbage, and in the process of compressing or compacting the garbage, cut themselves seriously.

Razor burn

Razor burn is an irritation of the skin caused by using a blunt blade or not using proper technique. It appears as a mild rash 2–4 minutes after shaving (once hair starts to grow through sealed skin) and usually disappears after a few hours to a few days, depending on severity. In severe cases, razor burn can also be accompanied by razor bumps, where the area around shaved hairs get raised red welts or infected pustules. A rash at the time of shaving is usually a sign of lack of lubrication. Razor burn is a common problem, especially among those who shave coarse hairs on areas with sensitive skin like the bikini line, pubic hair, underarms, chest, and beard. The condition can be caused by shaving too closely, shaving with a blunt blade, dry shaving, applying too much pressure when shaving, shaving too quickly or roughly, or shaving against the grain.

Ways to prevent razor burn include keeping the skin moist, using a shaving brush and lather, using a moisturizing shaving gel, shaving in the direction of the hair growth, resisting the urge to shave too closely, applying minimal pressure, avoiding scratching or irritation after shaving, avoiding irritating products on the shaved area (colognes, perfumes, etc.) and using an aftershave cream with aloe vera or other emollients. Also, it is good to prepare the skin for shaving by cleansing the area to be shaved with a wash containing salicylic acid, to facilitate the removal of oils and dead skin. Putting a warm, wet cloth on one's skin helps as well, by softening hairs.

Razor bumps

Main article: pseudofolliculitis barbae

Pseudofolliculitis barbae is a medical term for persistent inflammation caused by shaving. It is also known by the initials PFB or colloquial terms such as "razor bumps."

Accelerated hair growth

Main article: Hirsutism

Shaving of the face and body has been known to cause Hirsutism,a medical term for excessive hairiness in humans, although this specific cause is an urban legend. Shaving of certain areas of the body has also been known to speed up the process of hair growth, and causing it to return with a greater density of hair, although this, too, is a widely held belief that is another urban legend.

Shaving in religion

Christianity, Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism

File:Tenzin Gyatzo foto 2.jpg

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama shows a shaved face and a shaved head.

Tonsure is the practice of some Christian churches and some Hindu, Jain and Buddhist (usually only monks or nuns) temples of shaving or plucking the hair from the scalp of priests and nuns as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem. Amish men shave their beard until they are married, after which they allow it to grow.

Among Hindus, a child's birth hair is shaved as practice in the religion. This is perceived, in their faith, to make it grow back thicker and "healthier."

Islam

In Islam it is habit or usual practice for one to grow a full beard and trim the mustache if genetically possible. Some Muslims also interpret this as habit, while classical scholars have viewed the matter as religious duty.

Judaism

Main article: Shaving in Judaism

Observant Jewish men are subject to restrictions on the shaving of their beards, as the book of Leviticus in the Bible appears to completely forbid the shaving of the corners of the head and prohibits the marring of the corners of the beard. The Hebrew word used in this verse refers specifically to shaving with a blade against the skin; rabbis at different times and places have interpreted this in many ways. Tools like scissors and electric razors, which cut the hair between two blades instead of between blade and skin, have often been considered more acceptable.

See also

• Androgenic hair
• Barber
• Beard
• Beard Liberation Front
• Burma-Shave
• Glabrousness
• Hair removal
• Head shaving
• Leg shaving
• Police v. City of Newark
• Pubic hair
• Razors
• Shaving Tips and Tricks
• Shaving cream
• Shaving oil