Thread: Dry Shaving

Originally Posted by GaiusValeriusPulcher

I fully agree with both of those statements

As do I.

I will also add nothing to the conversation by saying that dry-shaving makes my poor skin beg for mercy. I haven't tried out cold-water shaving yet, though my curiosity may get the better of me...

Originally Posted by Ryan82

No dry shaving for this guy, either. You should also keep in mind that shaving dry is extremely hard on a razor's edge.....

I'm with you on that Ryan82, excellent points!

good lather is half the shave. if you aren't getting much better shaves with lather than without, you either need to work on your shaving technique or you have an unusual beard and face

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

good lather is half the shave. if you aren't getting much better shaves with lather than without, you either need to work on your shaving technique or you have an unusual beard and face

I did a lot of reading up on creating a good lather. I take more time with it and it has made a positive difference to my shave to the point where I no longer need a pre-shave oil.

I find my oily skin is never really dry and I am more prone to slices and cuts. Dry spot shaving does work for me though, especially the upper lip.

Originally Posted by Firefighter2

My third touch-up pass is always without lather, but I do use water.

My third pass is done that way as well. Really allows me to find any spots that dont want to give up the ghost.

Originally Posted by GaiusValeriusPulcher

Sounds horrible, right? Actually, I've found out that it can work. A while ago I noticed a spot I had missed on my second pass when I was about to head out the door. Instead of lathering up again, I took the dry blade to my dry skin. Afterwards I put balm on and away I went. I expected some bumps, but none came. So, a while later (on a weekend so that if something went wrong I wouldn't have to be out and about), I tried shaving dry. Thing is, it actually worked really well. Probably among the closest shaves I've ever had and I didn't get any bumps or nicks. I also do this now on the back of my neck between haircuts and have yet to have any problems.

The trick is to make sure nothing's damp. If it's damp, it'll catch. But if everything's bone dry the blade should glide along fine. I'm saying I recommend it; shaving with lather is entirely preferable. I'm just saying it's apparently possible and the results are surprisingly good.

First I use a beard trimmer to get my facial hair down to stubble. Then I use a straight razor and dry shave. Not only is it a closer shave, but not covering my face with some product helps me see which exact hair I need to shave. It's amazing how accurate you can be when you dry shave. Sometimes I keep a goatee and it's super accurate in terms of helping with the lines. I think sometimes it even looks too perfect how straight you can make the lines. I don't recommend it for everyone, but if you are interested, I would give it a try. Once you enjoy it, it's hard to shave any other way. I also keep some lotion handy, especially if your skin gets irritated easily. Another pro for me is that I find that I cut myself less when I dry shave.

Again, YMMV - your mileage may vary (your experience my vary).

Good luck!

Dry shave with a straight might save some time in a short term, but might not be very beneficial on a longer timescale. My solution to this was to use the EZ-Blade gel by "Jay the barber". Works for touch-ups wonderfully!

Regards,
AG