What's the secret for the best and fastest shave in the morning? Any special products? How long does it take you from the time you first wet your face till you're done?

I use cold water and any shave cream (I don’t like gel). It takes a solid ten minutes.

Cold? That’s something I never heard of (assuming hot is available).

cold water keeps you from getting razor bumps

I’ve never heard that and it may be true.. however, everything I’ve read recommends hot water for a good, close shave. Even if you put a washcloth under hot water and hold it against your face for a bit is helpful. The reason is the hot water causes the pores to open and the hairs to expand, giving you a closer shave (you can attack more of the individual hairs that way). Keeping the razor blade hot while shaving helps in this department, too.

When women are given advice about shaving their ladybits, they always say to sit in a hot bath, use a sharp, new-ish razor, keep the razor hot, and use some sort of skin lubricant (shaving cream or gel). Seems to work pretty well.

Whatever happened to hot lather? They used to sell dispensers that made your shave cream hot. I can even remember a shave cream that got hot in your hand. I know you can still get dispensers, but not all over the place like before. Maybe it’s because of the gels taking over the creams?

Funny you should say that.. I always wonder if cool shaving cream/gel (freshly dispensed) undoes the work of the heat on the skin.

I use electric. I don’t use any water and I shave outside while I’m taking the dog out. I rub my hand over my face and if I feel hairs, I go over it again. I do a quick mirror check when I get back inside and I’m off. My electric does a great job. It’s a Braun 8595 and I haven’t used lather or water in three years. I just keep buying the cleaning solution and I replace the shaving head about every year.

(It takes two minutes or less generally. My dog knows why we are out there.)

I’m curious about electric shavers.. do they generally give lasting shaves? It seems like the cutting area would be more shallow.

A straight edge guy gets a closer shave.

You get to be old as I and you pretty much master all the shaving techniques.

I shave in the shower. It is the absolute best time to shave. Think about it. I usually wait until the end of the shower. It gives your beard some time to soften up. Giving you a closer shave. Less mess, and less clean up. All the women I know, do it all the time for their legs. And women know a thing or two about shaving. I would never go back to shaving any other way.

@lukiarobecheck , supposedly that’s the best way. They even have anti-fog mirrors for that. Problem is, I wear glasses. Can’t use the shower head to shave when you wear glasses. And the light inside the shower curtain is poor (there’s only a wall – no window).

@Mr M. Never thought of that. That would make it tough. If you can find a way to make it work, I highly recommend it.

My boyfriend has the Schick Quattro – the one that vibrates, and he says it’s the smoothest, least-painful shave he’s ever had.

It’s kind of funny because someone gave me the razor for free as a promotion, and I thought the idea of a vibrating razor was dumb, and I didn’t bother to try it, so I gave it to him, and now he won’t give it back.

I have the Gillette (?) 5 blade vibrating razor. In fact, I probably have them ALL. To me it’s six of one…

butter

The trick I found was the know which way my beard grew. It changes direction half way up my neck. I always go with the hair growth so it cuts just above the surface of the skin. That way I get less ingrowing hairs which is a problem for me. I use gel, but I’ve also had good results with King of Shaves Oil which is good when travelling because it takes up less space than a can of gel.

I’ve never got on with electric razors.

Electric doesn’t shave quite as close but it’s good enough for me. You can get it smooth to the touch (at the time) but you will end up using it every single day.

That braun I use gives me the least painful shave I’ve ever gotten.

Grow a beard, fastest shave you’ll ever get.