Protect Your Skin

Protection of your skin is the most important preparation you can take to make shaving comfortable. There are many things you can do to prevent skin discomfort/ damage. I highly recommend to wash your face/ soak face in hot water to open your pores before the shave starts. Use some kind of pre shave solution to aid in slickness. The next two most important things are your desired lather and a sharp razor. Without these things you will never get a good shave. Most of all these things can cause discomfort or even damage like nicks and bleeding. Try different lather thickness to see what works best with your razors. I tend to like a pretty thick lather. It gives the shave lots of cushion and keeps your face protected. With this in mind it is not required and may not be the best option for you. The best way to change the thickness of the lather is with the amount of water added to the soap/cream. I also tend to like a thinner(in my case) lather for hollow grind straight razors. I always benchmark a new razor with my usual thick lather to see how it will react. My biggest piece of advice is to not be afraid and to make clear and concise movements. If you are confident yet careful you will be more successful. Do not be scared of your razor, make it work for you! Keep that shave slick and keep your face safe!