Shaving for Men

Technorati Tags: RAZORS FOR MEN, shaving for men

Why buy your razors for men from the local drug store or your supermarket – when you can have them delivered. Revolt against the big brand named razors – and get the convenience of having your replacement blades delivered direct.

Is this the future – viva la revolution at RAZ WARS

More on this soon.

Technorati Tags: RAZORS FOR MEN, shaving for men

Picture the scene; you are on holiday by the pool or on the beach. It is a hot steamy day. Women barely wearing bikinis topping up their tans, some well defined guys playing beach volley ball. Into the scene walks a man wearing a T-shirt. He finds a place to settle down, and takes of his T-shirt to reveal a hot sweaty hairy back. What do think? Exactly, not a good look. Is that man you?  Most women find a hairy back a bit of a turn off to say the least. You may have all the moves, but when you rip off your shirt in the heat of passion, a hairy back can throw a little cold water on the situation. True, this may not be the case for every woman, but I think it is fair to say that the majority of women consider the hairy back a turn off. Some hair on the chest, fine, but a walking hairy carpet, not so. I bet if you took an anecdotal survey in with the women in your office now, the results would bare me out.

 So what are your options if you are of the hirsute type with a hairy back? The two main options are shaving for men, or wax for men. Shaving is the cheaper option, but can be fraught with difficulties and requires more regular maintenance to keep the back smooth, and to prevent itch. It can also make you look like you’ve just been given the cat ‘o nine tails on board The Bounty if you end up with too many cuts and nicks.

 If you really want that smooth feeling then wax for men is the best option. More and more waxing salons and beauty spas cater for men, although it is always worth checking with them. In fact places such as The Refinery in London are solely for men.

 This is going to hurt, but are you a man or a mouse. It shouldn’t be like the scene out of the “40 Year Old Virgin”, but the results far outweigh the pain. The pain is very much dependent on the length and strength of the hair, and the sensitivity of the skin. Some parts hardly hurt at all. Women have been waxing their legs for years, and they don’t put up a fuss. So bite down hard and take it like a man.

 Some wax is gentler than others, so see if the wax salon offers different types of wax, and you may find some specially formulated for men. Also,  the level of “discomfort” is very much dependent on the skill of the person doing the waxing. Some therapists do little strips at a time. Some layer the wax on large sections of the back before applying and removing the strips. Some therapists set to work at a fast rate, and before you know it it is all over and you are thinking was that it? After you have had the treatment a few times it gets easier and you’ll find a therapist that suits you. I would consider finding a place that offers the back wax for men as part of their menu of treatments. This mean they do lots of men, and have lots of experience dealing with waxing newbies. So lie there on your front, listen to the whale song and drop out in a zen like state while they get to work on some major waxing.

 After the treatment they will probably apply a tea-tree oil or something similar and this can have a cooling and relaxing effect. You’ll feel smooth and even a little tingly, but you will look great for it. Give yourself a (gentle) pat on you back. It would have been worth it. You shouldn’t have a hot shower or bath over the next 24 hours, and avoid going out in the sun immediately, as the back is very sensitive.

 You should maintain the treatment every 6-10 weeks depending on growth. If you are trying to save the pennies, then you could try some home treatments. There are plenty of home wax for men treatments to buy, and it is worth doing this when the hair is still fairly short, a few millimetres or enough for the hair to stick to the wax so it can be pulled out. It should be less painful. You will require a willing volunteer to do the waxing, and there are plenty of home waxing kits. You never know, your partner maybe more than willing to offer their services. On their part they get 2 advantages (1) they no longer have to go to bed with a yeti (2) they can inflict legitimate pain on you – which may be somewhat therapeutic for them. I would certainly visit the wax salon every few months to get it done really well.

 Revealing a smooth, hairless back to a partner can be a special surprise, and while they may “love you the way you are” (yeah!) they are gonna love you even more now oh hairless one.

 So go on, give it a go. No pain, no gain – and it will give you added confidence, especially I you have been self conscious about a hairy back, and leave you feeling smoother and happier.

Technorati Tags: shaving for men, WAX FOR MEN

Shaving for men is under going a revolution. The Beard is the new fashion accessory of choice for the man about town. So I’m going to talk about beards, despite my blogs being all about shaving. Now, if you are on the subway or train, or next time you take a walk around take a look at the number of guys supporting beards, or that unshaven look, Have we all suddenly just become lazy and can’t be bothered? No, beards are back, big time – and more importantly the designer stubble look. This is not laziness, in fact far from it, as some designer beards require a lot of care and attention, even to give the impression of that rugged unkempt look. Shaving for men is an artisan skill.

There are plenty of male models, actors, sport stars sporting that designer stubble come beard look. Brad Pitt, or Hugh Laurie from House, David Beckham the list goes on. Take a quick dip into the world of RnB and Hip Hop, and there are some major “designage” going on. Pieces of art requiring precision shaving work. There is a poster for Flo Rider, and he has a beard that probably requires a professional to keep so exact.

 So how do you get that designer stubble look? It can be tricky to get right. It is not just a case of stopping shaving, no that would be too easy. It requires attention, and depending on the exactness may need daily attention or attention every few days. I am mainly going to concentrate on the stubble look, and leave the precision work to the fine barbers up and down the country.

 Designer Stubble Look

Now the stubble work does give that virile, rugged look which seems to be coming back in to fashion. Maybe it is a back lash against the whole metro sexual, yet ironically enough it is a very metro sexual thing to do. Even in my office I can’t but help notice in the last 2 months the designer stubble/beard look has been displayed by at least 2 work colleagues.

 It seems it is becoming acceptable in the workplace, even those places wear the suit is still the uniform of the work place. The designer stubble look can work with a suit, but get it wrong and you just look like a scruff. If you do dress in a formal or smart way, then your beard should reflect that and be kept more maintained than perhaps if you are just a jeans and sneakers guy.

 So where to start? My first tip is to go away, take a holiday. Eh? I hear you say. The thing is you need to grow the beard out a bit, stop shaving for a few days. This is the transitional in-between part. If you work in a smart environment you may just look like you have suddenly just become lazy, or have not being going home at nights! That is why using a holiday or a few days off work as a good excuse to start growing the foundations.

Clearly the length of time required will depend on the growth rate. Shaving for men is as individual as our faces.

 Get some clippers, ideally some beard trimmers. There are trimmers and shavers for men on the market targeted specifically at maintaining the stubble look. I picked up a pair for around £10 ($15), that are just small size clippers labelled at Stubble Controllers. They are just small clippers.

 Assuming you now have a few days growth you may begin to feel a bit itchy. It probably means it is at about the right length to shave down. You will also notice that you have a bit of a neck beard. The neck beard is the villain of the piece, and ultimately what gives the impression of scruffiness. We must eradicate the neck beard. You need to look under the jaw line. The main beard ideally should finish just under this. The Adams apple should not be covered by the main beard. Now it is ok to have some very short stubble here, just not the thicker main stubble of the beard section. It helps to have a little shadow or initial appearance of day old stubble here, so that the line of where the beard finishes does not look too perfect. (Unless of course you are going for a definite beard over just a designer stubble look.) If you look at the billboard posters, tv, or advertisements in magazines the men with designer stubble, it is always slightly more fuller on the face and chin section, and the neck beard is minimal to non-existent. It is personal choice and overall look you are going for, but if you have a hairy chest you DO NOT WANT the beard just to be a continuation of your hairy chest. That is a major turn off.

 Once you have established where you want the beard to finish just below the chin line, and the jaw bone at the sides, trim this down with the trimmer on zero setting. Now you should have a definite beard shape remaining, and not just a face full of unshaved hair.

 Now take a look at above the beard, does the current growth begin to infringe on the cheeks. You don’t want to look like wolfman. Depending on how precise you want to be you want a nice line down from the bit where the side burns finish to where it meets the moustache part of the beard. This maybe very minimal so trim down on a zero setting, or with a razor the stubble you don’t want.

 Now we have a nicely defined beard shape, but we want to give the impression of stubble. So now take the trimmer and set it for grade 1 or 1.5 – again this is very much personal choice. Just take the trimmer over the rest of the remaining beard, and you will have a nice uniform length, that at once looks rugged and stubbly, but at the same time not unkempt.

 This is a great look, and if maintained, and kept smart works well for the smart set who like wearing suits etc. Depending on beard growth you can maintain this daily or every couple of days. Sometimes I just trim down the main beard daily, and the neck part every 2 days. The key is it should be longer than any shadow or stubble on the neck section.

 I find it ideal to do this the day or night before if you want the more natural look, as it gives it 12 or 24 hours to grow in, and therefore blends the line of where the beard starts and finishes under the jaw line. But if you want a more precise look here then that is fine.

 The overall impression you are trying to give is a bit of an oxymoron. When it comes to shaving for men, a well maintained designer stubble gives both the impression of rugged and at the same time, if done well, a man who takes a care in how it looks. It should look both casual, yet a conscious decision on your part to make a statement about your look. Hopefully those people we are trying to attract in life agree. Purely on anecdotal evidence, (i.e. a quick survey in my office), the women love the unshaven, stubbly look, while probably being totally unaware of the effort and attention we men have given this.

 A good analogy is women who wear the natural look when it comes to make up. They wear make-up that gives the impression of a “natural look”, yet it still required application and attention to detail. So to, the designer stubble look.

Technorati Tags: RAZORS FOR MEN, SHAVERS FOR MEN, shaving for men

There are lots of reasons you might want to shave your chest, better body definition, personal preference or a request of your partner, reducing the added heat chest hair can create, or just general comfort.

The old chest rug may not quite be assigned to the 70′s and the likes of hairy chest icons such as Burt Reynolds, Sean Connery and Tom “Magnum PI” Selleck, but nowadays it seems many prefer to go for the hairless chest look. So when it comes to shaving for men, where do we start? The various alternatives such as waxing, laser treatment etc, which can be expensive, shaving the chest is a cheaper option, but the draw back is it will require more regular maintenance.

So here are my tips on chest shaving for men. 

Before you start consider the existing length of your chest hair. If it is quite long, or this is the first time, it is worth trimming down with a trimmer, probably with a guard on it, or it set to grade 1 or 2 depending on the fitness. You want to reduce the thickness and length, so it is in a fit shape to take a razor to it. You would not chop down a forest with a pen knife after all.

It is worth having a shower before you start the shaving part, as this cleans the skins, and enlarges the hair ready for shaving. It is worth doing this in a shower or bath, or even putting down some newspaper, as basically there is going to be hair everywhere. If you do shave your chest in the bath keep an eye on the plug hole as it can get clogged up quickly, so keep the water running on a regular basis so it doesn’t clog up.

Use a brand new razor for men, and be prepared to use more than one, depending on the quality of the blade. After all, there is a lot more surface area to cover than when shaving your face. Keeping the blade sharp is key to avoiding those nasty nicks and cuts

With the chest wet, with warm water (it is ideal if you do this in a running shower), start applying a good quality shaving cream. The best method is to whip up some quality shaving cream in a bowl with a brush, and apply to your chest.

Start by doing small sections at a a time. Don’t try to do long strokes from the neck line to the pubic area. As with the face, do not apply too much pressure with the blade. You want the blade to glide gently over the chest. A clogged blade will drag, and potentially nick, so de-clog on a regular basis by placing under hot running water. This is easier if you are in the shower.

Be very aware of the sensitive bits, such as the nipples, and shave very carefully around them. Take your time and concentrate, not too much pressure remember.

Wash down with cold water, if you can bare it, and pat dry. Make sure you don’t rub. Apply a light body moisturiser, preferably with a tea tree oil element, as this has antibacterial qualities.

So there you go, a smooth chest. Bear in mind, it will need maintenance, so it is worth considering a good exfoliator daily as this will clear away dead skin cells, and keep smooth. Next time you come to shave, the hairs won’t be so long, so if you keep on top of it you will not need to use a trimmer.

Shaving for men can have great effects. So take it easy and enjoy a smooth feel, and that more chiseled appearance , although it helps if you have a six pack to start, but that is why most male builders and models are smooth.

Technorati Tags: RAZORS FOR MEN, shaving for men