Thread: Should whiskers really be soft?

For me, shaving is a daily activity with opportunity to try new techniques and products in pursuit of a great, repeatable shave. Reading of new techniques here broadness my horizons. Thanks!

After Ryan's post on pores not being able to either close or open having no muscles I wondered about hot water softening hair in prep for shaving. Dang, seems another myth bites the dust Describe How Water Temperature Affects the Hair Structure - Ask.com . Apparently hot water makes the hair brittle not soft and is not that great on the skin either. I wonder how many other myths are hiding out there surrounding wet shaving?

Bob

Pores don't open or close…but the interesting thing to do with regards to using hot or cold water has to do with the oils in the skin…warm or hot water helps to remove them and cold water does not. Kind of why all the laundry detergent companies try and push or come up with a solution that works better with cold water…but in the end the warmer water loosens the oils.

Yeah, been 15 years since barber college so cant vouch for what they teach nowadays. Plus my instructor was probably pushing 70 yrs old. I tend to feel that its all about the experience at the shop as far as sr shaves are concerned, at home its trial and error till you decide what works best for your skin. Some people have far more active sebaceous glands and therefor can probably handle more heat to remove the oil, vs a dry skinned person like me who would most likely be better off with cold water as to not strip all the natural oils from my skin, as well as taking seasons into account, hot and cold weather would also play a role.

Originally Posted by BobH

After Ryan's post on pores not being able to either close or open having no muscles I wondered about hot water softening hair in prep for shaving. Dang, seems another myth bites the dust Describe How Water Temperature Affects the Hair Structure - Ask.com . Apparently hot water makes the hair brittle not soft and is not that great on the skin either. I wonder how many other myths are hiding out there surrounding wet shaving?

Bob

Wow....this is a good thread...turned my entire shaving world upside down!!! Like I've said many times, this is a tough place....

In the end I think it all boils down to what works for the individual. It takes some experimenting, within reason, to find out what works. There just are no one size fits all solutions to most things. Been an interesting thread all the same.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

In the end I think it all boils down to what works for the individual. It takes some experimenting, within reason, to find out what works. There just are no one size fits all solutions to most things. Been an interesting thread all the same.

Bob

Frankly, I found this thread devastating....

Originally Posted by Phrank

Frankly, I found this thread devastating....

But of course you are phrank. Some dogmas just die hard is all.

Bob

For me it all goes back to what they new at the height of straight razor shaving laid out in the 1905 book "Shaving made easy". Shave with cold water, generously work the lather into the whiskers thereby neutralizing the oils in the whiskers making them brittle and easy to cut, then shave.

If hot towels and hot water are stripping the protective oils off of the skin, then it's no wonder some people are having to lube themselves up with pre-shave oils just to try an offset any irritation