Thread: Heating "Steam" Towels

Occasionally newbies will be offered the advice to use a microwave oven to heat a steam towel.

I would encourage experienced members not to recommend this henceforward.
This is an extremely dangerous practice to recommend. The risks are as follows:

1. Fire. Microwave ovens can create heats much higher than 212 almost instantaneously. While we tend to think of heating water in a vessel, a towel is not a vessel and towel and water combined have much lower density than the water. If a part of the towel dries out it can easily burst in to flames. Microwave oven manufacturers ALL warn against heating anything but food in a microwave.

2. Serious Injury. Microwaves do not heat food evenly, let alone moist fabrics. It is extremely likely that hot spots can be created in a wet towel by a microwave. Such a hot spot, applied to the face, can cause immediate 2nd degree burns leading to blisters and scarring. It is not a practice ever to be recommended.

3. Damage to the skin. We tend to think that if a little heat softens the beard, then more will soften it even better. This is simply not true. Hot water from the tap is more than hot enough to soften whiskers. No more heat is necessary, and can actually be harmful to the skin, possibly even causing premature aging. Real steam cooks things. You don't need to cook your whiskers to get them soft enough to shave.

The instructions to barbers in all of the barbering texts are excellent instructions for us, too. The towel is soaked in hot water from the tap, and is never made hot enough to cause any discomfort to the patron. This is what you should strive for with your hot towel.

Let's relegate microwaving towels to the "Three Stooges School of Barbering."

Be careful out there.

I absolutely positively disagree...!!!!!
I have been doing this for awhile and love it!!!!!! Basically if you need to read the warning on a coffee cup that says "Caution Contents Hot" then I agree don't try this at home... But then again your probably to stupid to be playing with sharp blades by your throat... In fact your warning label that you just applied to Newbies, implies the same thing, that they are dumb enough to set the towels on fire, and dumb enough to apply a scalding towel to their face, but smart enough to wield 3 inches of some of the sharpest steel known to man next to their face and neck.....

"Common Sense" it's a wonderful thing!!!!!!!! To bad it the gene that supplies it is becoming more rare everyday.......

I have never heated a towel in the microwave to use on my face, but when I clean my kitchen I do it all the time. Throw one in and let it heat up and steam. Then wipe out the microwave with it. The steam loosens the junk in there and makes it much easier to clean.

I dont see why you couldn't do this to use on your face as well. The heat from the microwave should even sterilize the towel for you.

How did you come to your conclusion? Did you read something that cautioned against it?

I've been doing this for a couple of weeks after
reading about it here on the forum somewhere. My
concern has never been burning myself because
I always let the towel sit and check it before putting
it on my face. I never just take it out of the mic
and throw it on. However, if it is going to cause
premature aging I'm not sure I want to do it.
I have enough things going against me, I don't need
that.

John

I personally hate microwaves and when we built our home we specified no built in MW, we did however purchase a cheap one form Homedepot to place in the corner for special items.. That said, I don't see it so much as a danger as I see it as lacking in keeping with the tradition of old fashioned shave... I prefer to run a hot sink, and wet my towel, ring it out seaming hot, and place it on my face BOTH before and after my shave.

But then opinions are like you know what..

Just a quick follow-up. Health care providers are starting to recognize this and working to supply better warning messages.

That is what my posting is, a warning message.

From Archives of Internal Medicine, and article entitled:

"Dangers of Microwave Heated Compresses"

Microwave-heated cryogel hot/cold packs offer the convenience of deeper penetration and more prolonged retention of heat than warm soaks or towels. Unfortunately, this type of therapy has resulted in serious second- and third-degree burns. Well-documented reports of major injuries produced by cryogel packs and other forms of microwave-heated compresses have been published in peer review journals in recent years.1-3 Despite the clear cautions recommended in these articles, a major brand of commercially available cryogel pack contains directions that are entirely inadequate in identifying potential hazards associated with its use. A case of a third-degree burn following the use of a microwave heated cryogel pack was reported by Dave.1 He concluded that a "lack of sufficient warning on the pack itself is a potential hazard. Microwave ovens heat quickly, deeply and unevenly: Readings can be misleading, paving the way for serious injuries."

So, yes, I suppose it is possible to use a microwave towel safely if one is careful, but I do not recommend it and I believe a warning is necessary.

Consider this posting as trying to fill in the "lack of sufficient warning" Dave above was concerned with.

Regarding premature aging:

It used to be thought that aging was "programmed into our genes." But scientists now know that this is not true.

In fact, our tissues age because of repeated damage and repair. Over time, they are no longer able to completely repair themselves and so things like collogen, joint lubrication, etc., take their toll. Aging comes from wear and tear and use. The more damage and injury to facial tissues, the faster wrinkles and parchment skin appear.

Applying an overly hot towel to the skin every day or multiple times per week is definitely going to contribute to the aging process. How much? Not easy to measure since it is different with each person.

Again, my suggestion is the towel should be warm and comfortable, not boiling hot.

We are all grown-ups here. You can do whatever you want.
I'm just sharing this because I believe it can help make the experience better for shavers who are starting out.

I think like everything else common sense should prevail. I see nothing wrong with using MW as long as you don't overdo it. Our cars can travel in the 120mph range yet most do do that. And most don't start their barbeques by shooting a steady stream of lighter fluid into the open flame. You can't anti-dumb everything because there is always a dummy who will get around every safety device known to man. However for most of us common sense protects us.

Totally agree that common sense should prevail. I don't use the microwave for fear of either forgetting about the towel in there or burning my face. Personal preference. SRP doesn't have a position here. The positions reflected are totally the product of their authors.

Have fun,

Lynn

Originally Posted by toolarts

Occasionally newbies will be offered the advice to use a microwave oven to heat a steam towel.

I would encourage experienced members not to recommend this henceforward.
This is an extremely dangerous practice to recommend. The risks are as follows:


Let's relegate microwaving towels to the "Three Stooges School of Barbering."

Be careful out there.

I totally disagree. We are not kids or Stooges. I think I know if something is too hot. I can drive a car without crashing, use sharp motorized tools in my shop and use a dangerous Microwave in my kitchen. I want one in my bathroom.

bj

I think it's good to make people aware..
BUT..
This is common sense and we are using STRAiGHT razors...
That's much more dangerous than the towels..
I have yet to try the microwave...I may give it a whirl.