Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with shaving

Polishing the dome

caveat — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:15:58 -0800

Calling all bald men (and women, I guess): what products do you use on your head? I need gift ideas for bald boyfriend who complains of peeling after shave, and oil day-to-day. He uses my face cream (Aveeno Positively Radiant) immediately after a shave, which helps with the initial dryness but makes his head overly oily. Even when it's oily, though, you can see flakes of white dry skin a few days after shaving. His hair grows back fairly quickly, which means he's shaving one a week or so. He uses normal shaving gel on his head, the same as what he uses for his face. He uses the same razor for both, a Mach 3

Are there any products specifically for bald men that will help with the initial dryness, or the daily oil, or both? Are there any products that can help with the stubble? Shaving creams specifically for a man's head? Razor recommendations?

He's been shaving it since August of 2008 if that matters at all.

Where can I go smell some shaving soap?

burnfirewalls — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:16:00 -0800

Where can I purchase shaving soaps in the Chicago metro area? I'm switching to shaving with a brush & safety razor and I have been eagerly reading the assorted AskMes and forums dedicated to the topic. I've got my razor, my brush and other accoutrement all picked out, but I'm not sure what shaving soap to select. I'm interested in the whole soap & mug bit, after remembering that I had a plastic set when I was a toddler. I'm ordering the rest of the equipment online but Mrs. Burnfirewalls is very sensitive to smells. I'd like to take her to a store and let her select some shaving soaps for me to use. Where can I do that in the Chicago metro area?

Bonus points for recommendations of soaps that don't smell like the Proraso that comes in the green metal tube, or sandalwood.

Did common people used to shave with fire?

penciltopper — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:11:25 -0800

Before the sharp steel razor became generally available, what did most people shave with? Fire seems the best choice. Right? So I'm living any time prior to the last 400 years or so.
I'm an everyday Joe/Jane, not rich enough for luxuries.
But whatever culture I'm living in mandates a shaved face/legs/head/whatever.

I've heard of bronze age razors and cutting hair with knapped volcanic glass, but it seems to me that it would be a lot easier to just take it off with a burning twig.

Not to mention less painful - I imagine a copper or obsidian razor would probably be like shaving with a carpenter's plane or a piece of broken glass.

And I suppose that the nobility got up to all kinds of fancy things; but I'm more interested in the common person than some kingling who had a team of slaves responsible for plucking each individual hair.

What does the hive mind know about popular deplilatory habits of the previous couple of millennia?

Help me de-hair down there

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:36:13 -0800

I need tips for how to shave (or otherwise make hairless) my male genital area? For a number of reasons (gray hair down there that makes me look prematurely old, many women seem to be more interested in performing fellatio without the hair, etc) I shave my pubic hair. But the problems I have with it are becoming almost not worth it...

First I get ingrown hairs regularly. You don't know worry until you have an infected ingrown hair on a testicle and have to lance it and consider going to the doctor to show him your shaved scrotum).

Second, the itch factor after a couple of days is ridiculous. As it is time consuming to shave I can't do it often enough to avoid all itch, but sometimes the itch is so bad it keeps me awake at night.

I have searched MeFi and seen that using Nair is not a good option. I'm considering the waxing strips but with the loose skin on a testicle I'm not sure if it even works nor how much it would hurt, and for the ingrown hairs I can't imagine using a luffa on my testicles.

Please help me MeFites! I have a date coming up where I need to take my pants down in front of a new woman coming up and I don't want sores or gray pubes!

How to be young again?

colgate — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:19:09 -0800

As an 18-year old male I received a free razor from Gillette. Internet digging tells me Gillette uses an outside source to determine men's birthdays, but no one actually knows. There are tons of blog comments, all of which can be summarized as either "Maybe it's Selective Service" or "Yeah, I got one too, X years ago!" How do I get myself back on the list of 18-year olds for the next razor shipment?

Shaving Advice Sought

®@ — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:43:40 -0800

Want to look my best for tomorrow, seeking shaving advice. Late twenties male, never really got the hang of shaving. Would like to look my best, could use the advice of people more used to shaving. My neck is easily irritated by shaving, and often has red bumps afterwards. I was thinking I could shave my neck tonight, then tomorrow shave my face but leave my neck alone. Will this leave my neck relatively clean-looking, or will it appear stubbly?

Can I use a depilatory cream on my male genitals?

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:40:26 -0800

Can I use a depilatory cream on my male genitals? or Non-sharp ball hair removal suggestions. My scrotum is very wrinkly and loose, and it grows long, straggly hairs that I'd like to remove. Similar stragglers also grow around the base of my penis and up a few inches. I use a trimmer to keep the above-the-genitals patch tidy, but even with the plastic guard on it's too sharp and poky to be effective any further down. I can't use scissors or a razor either, again due to the looseness of the skin in the region (and because I have shaky hands).

Will Nair leave me screaming and scarred forever? I imagine waxing would for sure. Searching online I can only find totally unhelpful fake 'answers page' ads for 'bodygroomer' electric razors and the like. Are there any other options for hair removal from delicate man parts?

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt

spamguy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:48:51 -0800

As a lifelong manual shaver, I'm giving electric shaving a try. What should I expect? When I shave, I am all about closeness. If I feel a hair on my face, there will be problems. I tend to switch back and forth between double-edged and safety razors, depending on my mood. Especially with the former, the aftershave hurts like a mofo, but I get the closeness I seek. I tend to tear up my lip.

My girlfriend insists on getting a respectable model of electric shaver as my anniversary present. She felt I was not being as kind to my face as I should be. I have a few reservations about making the switch. How does electric compare to manual? What can I do to maximise closeness? Screw safety. I mean, if it doesn't work out, it can be returned and replaced with a different model, but if electric cuts corners (heh) with shaving, no amount of trial and error will help.

Am I supposed to just avoid the beach in between waxes? That doesn't seem right.

metamush — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:25:57 -0800

It takes weeks for bikini line hair to grow long enough to wax, so what do you do if you frequently are going to the beach or pool during the summer? What do you do between waxes? Also, how do you manage unsightly bumps? I refuse to go to the beach with a hairy bikini line. But I am also just as self conscious if I shave and bumps and ingrown hairs appear.

I see many women on the beach who appear to not deal with this problem. How? I truly wonder.

My family has a beach house, and I love the beach, and I want to go as often as possible during the summer.

If I wax, in about 1.5 weeks, the hair is beginning to grow back. But it will take another two weeks for the hair to be long enough to successfully wax. So what, do I just not go back to the beach for that time?

If I shave, that delays the ability to wax. It is a quick fix, but often results in unsightly bumps and razor irritation. Plus, it makes the hair very course and who wants stubble? I don't want my inner thighs to double as sandpaper.

I welcome any and all knowledge on this subject.

It takes weeks for bikini line hair to grow long enough to wax, so what do you do if you frequently are going to the beach or pool during the summer? What do you do between waxes? Also, how do you manage unsightly bumps?

Repair and maintenance of facial furze.

BadMiker — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:44:10 -0800

How should I look after my beard, and, when it's under control, what can I train it to do? I've had a beard for, well, forever but I've never found any 'products' I like using on it. It gets well washed every day with hot water and seems to be in grand condition; it's sleek and glossy and certainly doesnt smell or appear dirty but I don't use any soap or shampoo. Any time I've used shampoo or soap it gets dry, brittle and rough, and it distinctly loses its condition.

However, my partner has started to question me about this. She is of the opinion that I should be washing it a bit more thoroughly. I can't argue with this; surely my beard is one place I really should be washing the day's detritus out of? I wash everywhere else with soap/shampoo without ill effects, why is my beard different?

I'd also like to take control of my beard/tache a little more. Regular combing has helped make it a little tidier, but how would I train my facial ornamentation into something a bit more impressive?

Give me tips/products to trim (not shave) Down There

Anonymous — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:35:33 -0800

I'm a guy, looking for recommendations for, er, personal grooming. So my past few sexual partners have expressed a distinct preference for their guys to be trimmed, rather than 'natural' or shaven. I'm happy to oblige, but using tiny scissors has gotten tedious, annoying, and the results are uneven. Any easy tricks to get things trimmed down, or product recommendations I could grab on Amazon? I've seen references to beard trimmers and the like, but I'm nervous about putting anything with zipping metal teeth near my junk without a thumbs-up from some internet strangers. In the event it matters, I'm anatomically quite ordinary, with no penis- or skin-related health issues. Thanks!

What 70's or 80's serial killer movie is this?

whir — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:10:35 -0800

Help me identify this 70s / 80s serial killer movie featuring a scene where a barber gives the detective a shave. I saw this movie on TV when I was a kid, and I don't remember it terribly well, but the scene that sticks out in my mind is where the detective is getting a shave from a barber. The barber says something to the effect of, "they say this killer is a barber, but a barber would never hack them up like that. With a barber it would be nice long strokes. Yessiree, nice... long... strokes." As he says this he is shaving the detective's throat.

Also, I'm not sure if this is the same movie, but I vaguely remember the main plot being about a deaf or blind person who witnesses a crime, possibly a child. Beyond that, the movie is lost in the mist, I don't really remember an actor or anything else that would let me track it down on IMDB.

"Honey, I noticed a little fuzz this morning..."

Bakuun — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:27:08 -0800

Growing up with a mindset that bodyhair is icky and no one should see any of it ever ever ever, I now find myself questioning just how crazy most people get about removing it, or discovering it on their partners. I feel so naive about the whole thing, it's embarrassing. Are women expected to be silky-smooth every day? Is leg stubble horribly mortifying? Do men run away screaming when they find unsightly patches? (Well, probably not.) For example, shaving for me nearly always meant ingrown hair, no matter how I did it and no matter how religious I was about exfoliating, and I've never considered that a pretty sight. So, I've been extremely shy with partners if we were getting together during those in-between days when I didn't look my absolute best. Even if I've been dating the guy for a few months, seeing him every day, I just had this paranoia that I wasn't reaching some level of smoothiness perfection. But I never brought this up, because hey... embarrassing and whatnot.

I'm guessing most people don't quite get their knickers into knots over this, and most guys don't expect your average non-airbrushed-lasered-girl to retain that softness for every hour of her life. And yet, I'm still really weirded out over the whole thing.

What's normal? What's expected? How the heck does this work?

Taking it all off.

gursky — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:32:53 -0800

What should I know before and after I shave my head? I am a 22-year-old female who has always wanted to shave her head. I have incredibly thick, wavy, dry hair that takes a lot of time to maintain. My original plan was to shave my head after graduation, before embarking on a long backpacking trip. Recently, my aunt was diagnosed with cancer, and has lost her hair during chemotherapy. Instead of waiting until May to shave my head, I am going to do it next week. Friends and family are donating money to the cause (which is awesome!) so my only concern at the moment is what I should know before I do it, and what I'll need to know after it's done.

The plan right now is to have a friend cut off the bulk of my hair, shave my head with an electric razor, and then use a razor and shaving cream to get the rest. Is there anything she needs to know?

How do you maintain a bald scalp? Where can I get some good headscarves or simple hats? If I want to keep my head shaved for a while, how long before I can shave down the growth a bit?

Any tips and advice are appreciated.

Is there a word for when you look weird to yourself in the mirror after shaving?

tumbleweedjack — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 13:51:24 -0800

You know when you haven't shaved your face for about a week, and then when you do finally shave, you look weird to yourself in the mirror? Is there a word for that (in English or any language?)

Best course of action after cutting open ones eye.

demon666 — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:19:12 -0800

In the event that I cut my eye open while shaving with a straight razor, what steps can I take to improve the chances of keeping my eye. My current plan is to close my eyes, tilt my head back, then make my way to the phone to call 911. Any input would be appreciated.

Best Shaving Cream?

boombot — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:43:27 -0800

I love the moisturizing qualities and close shave I get from Kiehl’s White Eagle Shave Cream, but miss the lather of something more conventional (one slathers a thin layer of the Kiehl’s on like cold cream). What shaving cream puts it all together? Aside: I am not looking for a badger brush-based solution.

Help me shave without a sink!

indiebass — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:51:19 -0800

How do I shave without a sink? My bathroom sink won't drain at the moment. After a few seconds of water coming out of the faucet I have standing water that doesn't go down for a couple of hours. The landlord is coming out to fix this (supposedly) but it's been a couple weeks, and he told me he'd be here on Monday, but I don't think he was here Monday, and I need a shave today.

I use the badger brush and high quality soap as well as the double-edged single blade safety razor, so when I do shave I actually look forward to it and enjoy it a lot.

The other part of the problem is that I can't shave in the shower because there's barely enough hot water in this place to take a shower, much less shower + shave. (I live in a house that's been converted to two apartments, there's a family beneath me and basically a hot water heater big enough for one household, not two) So, overarching problems with the apartment aside, how can I shave without a sink?

Usually I run hot water, lather up the face, and after each pass of the blade, clean it with running water and put blade to face again. I tried keeping a mug of hot water next to the sink and rinsing the blade in it, but all the soap and hairs would float on the top after a couple passes, so I wasn't really cleaning my blade and everything was getting kind of gross.

So what's the solution? I know gentlemen have shaved for centuries without the benefit of running water, but how can *I* do it today? My google-fu has failed me spectacularly in this area. Thanks, as always, in advance! MeFi is the best.

Clearly, this is why Texas produced ZZ Top.

AngerBoy — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:07:47 -0800

Why do I get a closer shave in some cities than in others? I live in north Texas, and I shave just about every other day during the work week. I follow the same routine with my showering and shaving regimen every time, and I generally get away with a pretty close shave and only nick myself once in a while.

I travel regularly to Albuquerque, though, and every time I'm there, I am blown away by how much closer, smoother, and more comfortable my shaves are. I never cut myself when I shave in New Mexico, and I always notice how much smoother my skin is after shaving there.

So what's the deal? Is it the altitude? Something funny in the water? Or is this just a classic case of confirmation bias?

Merkur Safety Razor in DC?

phrontist — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:33:50 -0800

Can I buy a Merkur Safety Razor anywhere in (metro-accessible) DC?

Skin care advice for guys

A Kingdom for a Donkey — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:49:20 -0800

Help me improve my skin care routine. I'm a guy in my mid-twenties and here's what I currently do: shave, then use a tea tree oil-based facial wash and finish up with a moisturising lotion. I do this once or twice a day. The moisturising lotion fixed my somewhat dry and flaking skin but I still have some issues with acne, especially in the area where I shave. I use a Gillette Fusion with new blades and Gillette Fusion shaving gel. Getting rid of the acne (which isn't too serious but still annoying) is priority number one but if there are other things I could improve then please let me know.

Why all the shaving cream?

archaic — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:07:11 -0800

I was standing behind a young mother at the supermarket. Among her items I noticed about eight cans of Barbasol shaving cream. Any idea why someone would need that much shaving cream? Is there another use I don't know about?

How to shave when "closeness" isn't an issue?

TSGlenn — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:50:08 -0800

I don't care how "close" my shave is, I just want to save my skin. What should be my approach? I have sensitive skin. When I shave my face with a conventional razor (e.g. Mach 3, etc.), it is painfully irritated for days after.

The thing is, I don't care how close my shave is or how smooth it leaves my face. As long as I get rid of the vast majority of the hair, a tiny amount of stubble isn't a problem for me. I don't want to have any visible length of hair on my face, but some roughness is okay. Lets say < 1 mm.

Is an electric my best bet? I've never used one before, so I don't even know how they work (do you need to use any cream/gel?) If so, recommend me one. A brand, a model, whatever advice you feel like imparting. I don't really want to spend more than $40 or so.

Ease of use is another big plus. It would be perfect if I could just buzz off my long stubble from the weekend in 2 minutes on monday morning.

If it makes a difference, my facial hair is not incredibly thick or dense. Fairly average I guess.

Electric shaver?

simplethings — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:26:03 -0800

Can you recommend a specific electric shaver? I've been using my trusty Norelco shaver for the past 6 years and would like to upgrade.
I've read this, this, and this thread and they all have good answers but they're all pretty outdated.

I'm looking for a shaver under $250 that preferably comes with a cleaning/docking station.
I have really thick, straight facial hair and my Norelco has the 3 circle style--this has worked fine. If someone highly recommends a 2 bar model I'd be willing to switch.
While I love a good close shave, an even shave is more important to me (sadly, my Norelco no longer can provide this).

I've noticed that many shavers with docking/cleaning stations run between $100 - $200 but I've also seen shavers sans docking station that are over $100. Are these worth the money?

If you can, please provide a specific model. Thank you!

I want to be smooth.

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:32:49 -0800

Question about best practices for hair removal in intimate areas. What is the best way to get rid of the coarse hair leading from belly button to parts south? Shaving there leaves ugly stubble--is wax worth it? If so, what kind would you recommend? If it matters, I'm a lady. As for my actual pubic area, it is already neat and trim. My question for that area is how to eliminate razor burn/bumps on my actual bikini line. I'd rather not wax there since I don't have a huge amount or anything particularly thick to shave--I'm not extremely hairy, just need to do some light but regular maintenance. Any tips, techniques, products, aftercare ideas are welcome. Thank you.