The Art of Shaving

Shaving is as old as men. Before the first razor was invented, facial hair was removed by using two shells to pull the hair out. A most painful procedure.
Around 3000 BC the first copper razors were invented.
Although oftentimes in history men with facial hair had the attributes of wisdom, knowledge or sexual virility, already Alexander the Great asked his soldiers to be clean shaven. The reason was more practical than aesthetical. He feared that the beards might be used to grab and hold the soldier by the enemy.

In different religions there are different thoughts about hair and shaving. In some christian churches the tonsure is a kind of symbol for their turning away from everything wordly. Also in buddhist and hindu temples the hair is removed fromt he scalp of priests.
Amish men are just shaving their beard until they are getting married and let it grow afterwards.
Jewish men are not allowed to shave their facial hair with the use of a razor, while it is forbidden for Sikhs to remove any body hair.
For some sects in Islam it is at least most recommended to grow a full beard, but to trim the moustache.

There are actually two ways of wet shaving, the shaving once and the shaving twice method. Both are done the same way, except of when shaving twice, the shaving is done another time but against the grain.

1. Wet the part of the body which is to be shaved
2. Apply the shaving cream
3. Shave in the direction of the grain
4. Rinse the shaved part with cold water
5. Put Aftershave on the shaved part of the skin

In case of shaving twice, you omit the rinsing of the shaved part with cold water and you don't put the aftershave and repeat the steps 2 and three followed by step 4 and 5.

Tip: To get a better result and to prepare the skin for shaving it is good to do it straight away after taking a shower. The hot steam is opening the pores and it will result in less cuts of the skin.

The first electric shaver was build in 1928 by Jacob Schick. It consists of a set of rotating blades which are usually behind a perforated metal foil. The hair poke through the holes in the foil and is cut by the rotating blades. The perforated foil is used to prevent the skin to come in touch with the blades.
This is one of the main disadvantages of the electric shaving, as cause of the distance the result is not as clean-shaven as wet shaving. The advantage of electric shaving is less cuts of skin.

While men are usually shaving to remove the facial hair, women often use shaving to remove hair on legs, under arm pits and pubic hair. Other common, but more painful ways of hair removing for women are:

• Plucking
• Depilation
• Hot Waxing
• Laser Hair Removal