Military Health, military health and wellness, military physical fitness - Military Times

Take it all off

First of all, you’re doing it all wrong. That cheap, disposable razor and the shaving cream you bought at the exchange is leaving your face battered and bruised and full of ingrown hairs. You roll into the shop every morning with blood-specked toilet paper all over your face like you just went hunting with Dick Cheney.

It’s time to turn over a new leaf. With a little planning and practice, you can get a close shave every time you put blade to skin, whether you’re in the comfort of your own home or the discomfort of a forward operating base.

You’ll shave at least 300 times this year — and about 20,000 times in your lifetime — so it’s mission-critical that you get this right. Succeed, and you’ll stay in the good graces of your commanding officer. Fail, and you’ll end up with a five-o’clock shadow before 0900 hours.

“We hear from a lot of deployed doctors who are getting guys coming about razor burns and ingrown-hair problems,” said Eric Malka, founder of The Art of Shaving stores and products, and author of a guidebook of the same name. “They want a shaving waiver, but the doctors refer the guys to our stores and say, ‘That’s the solution; no waiver for you.’”

Getting the best shave of your life, with no bleeding or razor burn, is as simple as 1-2-3-4:

1. Prepare

Use a pre-shave oil. This will act as a barrier against the sharp blade, Malka said, and make the razor glide smoothly over your face and dome. You’ll also want to warm your stubble with hot water to open your pores for a few minutes before the shave.

In the good old days, barbers used to cover the shave area with a hot towel before whipping out a straight razor. Your method? Just shave in the shower; if you cut yourself, the hot water will stanch the blood.

“My shaving gel canister says it is a proven fact that hair is 40 percent easier to cut when it has been soaked in water for two minutes,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 George Wallace. “I get a closer shave in the shower.”

Pre-shave oil is even more critical out in the field, where warm water might not be available. Washing your face beforehand is also critical; shaving a dirty face can lead to ingrown hairs and pimples.

2. Lather

If you were born after Woodstock, you’ve probably never seen a shaving brush. The best ones are made out of badger hair, which will gently stand your whiskers upright for a closer shave and also exfoliate your skin. This is essential.

“Badger hair is unique,” Malka said. “It’s the only hair that has the right properties for shaving. It retains water; it’s also very strong and very soft at the same time. It will lift the hair and generate a rich, warm lather.”

It’s small, so you can throw it in your rucksack, and badger hair is so durable, it’ll last you well beyond a yearlong deployment.

Plus, Malka said, “Using a shaving brush always made me feel like Clint Eastwood.”

The cream you use is also key. “I try to use quality products throughout, which pays off in the long run,” advises Army Lt. Col. Edward Nickerson, stationed in Miami. “There’s a noticeable difference between the cheaper razors and creams and the quality stuff.”

When selecting a lather, you have plenty of options: shaving creams, lotions, gels. Each one has its advantages, but, just like your cocktails, choose the one that works for you — and use it a lot. Dip the brush into the cream and rub it onto your face, working up a lather. The goal, Malka said, is “to get a rich, humid lather that protects the skin but also keeps the skin moist and supple.”

Your best bet, experts say, is to choose natural ingredients like glycerin and essential oils because they’ll be gentler on your skin. Aerosols don’t provide a thick enough lather so you’ll end up using more. HeadBlade’s HeadSlick shave cream has the right consistency, we’ve found, and a $9 bottle will last months, even if you’re scraping your dome, too.

3. Shave

If you’re using a disposable, single-blade razor, we can’t help you. You must invest in a decent razor. We recommend the Gillette Fusion, Gillette Mach 3 or the Schick Quattro because they’ve got multiple blades and they’re affordable — about 10 bucks each; replacement cartridges average about three bucks each. They’ll give you the closest shave possible, Malka said, so leave straight razors to the experts and barbers.

Change the blade every five shaves. You’ll also want to keep the blades clean and dry them off after each use to prevent dulling.

Some blades — the Fusion Power, for example — vibrate, giving users a closer shave, manufacturers say. “I never thought a razor that vibrated would give a great shave until I tried it,” said Army Lt. Col. Timothy S. Damico. “I have found that the blades last a lot longer and provide a closer shave than other razors I’ve used.”

If you’re shaving your head, try the HeadBlade Sport. It’s built like a little Matchbox car, and military users swear by it.

“When you shave your head with a conventional razor, you use your dominant hand,” said HeadBlade’s founder, Todd Greene. “You’re not shaving by feel.”

With the HeadBlade, you can switch hands and use your other hand to feel your progress.

“It’s a different way of thinking about shaving your head,” Greene said, “and for some guys, there’s a learning curve. The key is to use no pressure on the blade and to just drive it like a little car.”

Same is true for regular razors.

“A lot of guys push too hard,” Malka said. “The assumption is the more pressure you put, the closer your shave. But it’s better to go over an area 10 times lightly then one time heavily.”

The most important thing, he said, is to shave first with the grain, then shave against it.

“The goal is to get a close and comfortable shave,” he said. “Usually what we find is that guys go with one or the other.”

If you shave with the grain, relather and shave against it, you’ll get both, he said, and help prevent ingrown hairs.

4. Moisturize

“The most important part after you’ve completed your shave is to immediately close those pores,” said Marine Staff Sgt. Benjamin Claytor. “To do this, simply run cold, cold water over all areas you have just shaved.”

A cold-water rinse can reduce pimples and ingrown hairs.

“The whole concept is, hot before and during, and cold after,” Malka said about your water temperature. “When you come out of the shower, splash your face with cold water, then apply after-shave balm.”

The balm acts like cold water, closing up your pores and keeping your skin clean. Lotions, products with alcohol and colognes can irritate the skin and increase ingrown hairs, especially when applied right after shaving. So can rubbing your face dry with a towel.

“Always pat your face dry,” Malka said.

You might be asking yourself: Why bother with all of this?

“Shaving your face is something that is unique to manhood,” Malka said. “When we grow up, we see our fathers shaving, and it’s a common memory we all have.”

Through the ages, he said, shaving has represented the passage to adulthood. It’s also a necessity, especially in the military, and doing it well reflects a high level of attention to detail.

“Shaving allows you a few minutes to take care of yourself,” Malka said. “Guys don’t do a million things to get ready every morning; we’re not like women. We basically brush our teeth, comb our hair and shave our face.”

Besides staying within your grooming standards, keeping a close shave will make you look younger and feel better.

“Shaving is a huge part of our grooming,” he said, “so you should do it well. We only have one face.”

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