Thread: Traditional Hot Prep vs. Cold Shaving?

As I shave in the morning before work I don't have much time for fancy lathering and heating. I usually just drop my brush and cloth into the sink fill it with hot water and take my shower. I then get out grab brush and either work the soap in my mug slop it on and then take a raor to it. It works very well for me. In the past on a weekend I would put very hot water in my scuttle and soak the brush in there and get very hot soap lather on my face ok but not worth the trouble on a daily basis.

I tried the cold shave today and had a close irritation free shave. To each his own and maybe it's my newbieness, but I'll continue using cold H2O for a while. Thanks!

I tried it this morning and noticed no difference - perhaps a slight bit more irritation. So this lil'shaver will stick with hot.

Very interesting. I am in the sensitive skin category and do agree that too hot prep (towel, etc.) may have an adverse effect on the skin - making it too gentle. However, warm lather seems to soften beard more. So it's a balance thing.

Anyway - I will be trying the cold prep. I can see how the closed pores and tighter (vs. relaxed warm) skin may feel more comfortable, given that the beard is soaked well and the blade is sharp enough

Thanks for sharing
Ivo

EDIT: Just remembered: from B&B - it seems that hot water is one of the factors in breaking down hair folicule structure, adverse effect on hair, good for shaving. It's easy to accept that the same effect holds for skin - heat bad for skin; however now this is aslo bad for the shaver as irritation may be easier to cause in this state

Hot water that is too hot can end with a case of redness and irritation. Your face can tolerate a hotter temperature than your hands. IMO, if the water is too hot to splash on with your hands, then it is too hot to shave with. If the cold water works for you, great. I'll stick with my hot water, Moss Scuttle warmed lather and a shave that works for me. And that is really what it is all about. Do what works for you.

RT

I use cold water, but i like to lather up and leave it on for a few minutes before shaving to hydrate the whiskers. Works well for me.

Well I did things a little different today and not for the sake of experimenting. I soaked my brush (boar) in hot water while I had a shower but then I didn't feel like shaving right at that moment so left it. When I decided I would shave, the water had gone cold and when mixed with lather was just like whisking egg whites for a meringue, beautiful and best lather I have made yet. Not sure if it was coz of the cold water or I am just improving my technique but either way it was a great lather.

I still did the hot towel method coz its autumn now so I am too chicken to do a cold shave. Plus to me if you have a cold shave right and the pores are closed, won't that make the hairs retract in a little, thus making you get a BBS shave but then when your face warms up and relaxed a bit the hairs will pop out a again making you look like you shaved with a cartridge?
Thats just my theory anyways.

I gave this a try at it appears that there is something to this cold shave thing.
Sure hot lather may feel more luxurious, but for a week now I've been using cold lather and my shaves are much nicer. They're smoother with less irritation.
And I've grown to really like the feel of a cold brush on my face.

I think as far as pre-shave prep goes, hot water is the way to go (for all the reasons stated by others above), but for the actual shave, I don't think I'll go back to hot brush and hot lather.

Thanks jpritch for sharing your observation.