How-to: Pre-Shave Prep

[TENroaches]

Tried this technique for the first time this morning and WOW! - what a difference. Apart from the great feel of a hot towel, it provided the best shave yet. Normally after WTG and XTG there will be some spots that need to be redone. Not so this morning. I'll try and keep this going even on my working days. One issue was the towel started to go cold after about 30 seconds. Is this normal or should I try and get it hotter?
Thanks Kyle for putting me on to this one.

I got a super thick, super soft bath towel from Wally World and cut into fourths to make it about the same size as the towels I saw on ClassicShaving, and when they're that size, I have room to still fold it into fourths and cover my whole face. It stays hot/warm the whole time.

In other words, it's possible for it to stay hot the whole time...

 

[bluedog]

I had better success this morning in keeping the towel hot. Very luxurious feeling and will make it a regular thing.

 

[Kyle]

I'm glad that its working for you, Greg.

 

[Mr. Gillette]

Kyle:

I am a firm believer in your method. It's extremely close to the prep that I developed over the past 25-30 years of DE shaving, but you define things and quantify them simply and YOUR METHOD WORKS...for me, at least!

One small question, that continues to nag at me. It comes at the very beginning of the process, when I have my lather just right, warm and ready, a couple of towels ready to plunge into the hot water-- I'm ready to do what your method says and first apply the lather, then work it into my beard with my fingertips for several minutes...(and I agree...this is a GREAT step...always has been!)

The assumption I have to make with your method is that the lather is applied by the brush as indicated over a "dry unwashed face" and that the moisture and heat from the hot towel for 3 minutes, along with the moisture in the lather itself, having been rubbed into the beard, is all that is needed.

Not challenging you in the least, but I wanted to clarify this. Is that correct? Simply hop out of bed, whip up the lather, apply it and rub, then continue as prescribed? I have good results with this-- but there seem to be equally good results in applying only the moisture of one hot towel for a few minutes, then doing the lather-fingertip thing, and following by another 3 minute hot towel thing.

Your thoughts? Thanks!

Tom

 

[matt]

I get the best results when I put on some proraso pre in the shower, lather up some shaving soap massage for about 2 minutes rinse then relather and shave. it saves a little time and I think the results are worth it.

 

[Kyle]

Kyle:

I am a firm believer in your method. It's extremely close to the prep that I developed over the past 25-30 years of DE shaving, but you define things and quantify them simply and YOUR METHOD WORKS...for me, at least!

One small question, that continues to nag at me. It comes at the very beginning of the process, when I have my lather just right, warm and ready, a couple of towels ready to plunge into the hot water-- I'm ready to do what your method says and first apply the lather, then work it into my beard with my fingertips for several minutes...(and I agree...this is a GREAT step...always has been!)

The assumption I have to make with your method is that the lather is applied by the brush as indicated over a "dry unwashed face" and that the moisture and heat from the hot towel for 3 minutes, along with the moisture in the lather itself, having been rubbed into the beard, is all that is needed.

Not challenging you in the least, but I wanted to clarify this. Is that correct? Simply hop out of bed, whip up the lather, apply it and rub, then continue as prescribed? I have good results with this-- but there seem to be equally good results in applying only the moisture of one hot towel for a few minutes, then doing the lather-fingertip thing, and following by another 3 minute hot towel thing.

Your thoughts? Thanks!

Tom

Tom,

Great question/s.

In a nutshell, when I first settled on this pre-shave routine, I did as you stated:

Simply hop out of bed, whip up the lather, apply it and rub, then continue as prescribed?

As I've continued to tweak and experiment, I will now do one of the following:

1. Give my face several splashes of warm water prior to the first lathering
2. Begin with a 1-minute hot towel application prior to the first lathering
3. Apply Proraso Pre/Post and then do the 1-minute hot towel application prior to the first lathering

As of late I've become a bit of a soap zealot, only using creams 1-2 times a month, and moved toward a 1-minute hot towel application prior building the lather on my face. This method provides me with more consecutive A+ shaves than any other I've tried.

 

[randomtw]

i just skimmed the last part and it seem that you basically work the lather in, leave a hot towel on, and then wash it off and reapply the lather?

 

[Kyle]

i just skimmed the last part and it seem that you basically work the lather in, leave a hot towel on, and then wash it off and reapply the lather?

Kind of. After the hot towel, I don't "wash" the lather off but instead wipe off the excess. I will then splash my face with water (not removing the residue from the previous lather application) and proceed with relathering.

 

[randomtw]

do you wash your face in the morning? i'm not quite sure how well this prep will work since i perform a daily face wash every morning

wondering how soft it'll make my stubble though

 

[Kyle]

do you wash your face in the morning? i'm not quite sure how well this prep will work since i perform a daily face wash every morning

wondering how soft it'll make my stubble though

Nope. I figure that scrubbing a brush on my face for multiple latherings and then pulling a blade across it several times does an adequate job of cleansing and exfoliating.

 

[cubiculum]

Kyle,

Wow. I've been suffering from shaving irritation and overall "painful" shaves, no matter what my prep technique was. My face was looking pretty bad - broken out, irritated, and painful.

So, per the recommendations of some of the other guys' replies to one of my posts, I left out my normal pre-shave face wash and tried this prep technique for about a week. It's basically been a "miracle" for my face. My shaves are not only pain-free, but my face looks better than it probably has since I was a teenager.

Thanks again!

 

[Kyle]

Kyle,

Wow. I've been suffering from shaving irritation and overall "painful" shaves, no matter what my prep technique was. My face was looking pretty bad - broken out, irritated, and painful.

So, per the recommendations of some of the other guys' replies to one of my posts, I left out my normal pre-shave face wash and tried this prep technique for about a week. It's basically been a "miracle" for my face. My shaves are not only pain-free, but my face looks better than it probably has since I was a teenager.

Thanks again!

I'm glad that things are improving and that this technique had helped.

 

[jojo]

This is great advice. Since I've yet to convince my wife to install a reclining barbers chair in our bathroom, I have trouble finding a comfortable way to keep a warm, wet towel on my face for three minutes without developing a nasty crick in my neck. What do you guys do? Is there a comfortable way to do this?

 

[Kyle]

This is great advice. Since I've yet to convince my wife to install a reclining barbers chair in our bathroom, I have trouble finding a comfortable way to keep a warm, wet towel on my face for three minutes without developing a nasty crick in my neck. What do you guys do? Is there a comfortable way to do this?

Go lay on her pillow and let the towel drain onto it. This may help her realize the necessity of the barber's chair.

I don't have much to offer here. I just fight through what I'm going through.

 

[TOB9595]

I'll add to keeping this post up and about.
I read and took to heart the basis of warmhydrolizing of the beard and skin.
I heated my towel in a shower, Lathered my face, Castle Forbes Lime, Lathered with Chubby2 and massaged in
Put the HOT towel on and sat in a saunsa for 4 minutes.
Got out all my shave stuff was ready for me. Rinsed then applied copious lather..Shaved 3 passes. It was a wonderful shave.

So just cause it's old skool, or you don't want to take more time by doing this..
Do it anyway and your shave experience will make you blush

Tom

 

[Chipwhitley]

I am curious…
Humectants are beneficial to the pre shave because it allows quick absorption of water. Now if I understand you correctly the point of doing so is because it makes it easier to cut.

My first question is does the hydration also make the hair weaker and/or more damaged? Or is it only beneficial because it is easier to cut and the alkaline is the sole cause of any actual damage (before the actual shave)?

The reason I ask is if it is not healthy for the hair to absorb too much water then I would think that having humectants in a conditioner is a bad idea. Which raises another question. Does the absorption of the water which is assisted by humectants only occur if the cuticles had previously been damaged by an alkaline (making humectants harmless without alkaline involved)?

If humectants can be counter productive then is there any type of ingredients that are not humectants that would simply moisturize (with oils or the like) without actually drawing water from the air (or anywhere) and forcing it into the hair itself.

 

[Chipwhitley]

I was doing some other reading on other properties. I would like to not that you stated: “Acidifiers – They keep the pH around 2.5-3.5 which causes the somewhat scaly cuticle to tighten up.”

One of the few common sources of Acidifiers are of the citric type. I was reading info on the affects of citric acid on hair and it does keep the pH at that level and actually helps repair damage done by alkaline. However ironically it actually raises up the cuticle allowing saturation similarly to alkaline. I am not sure if that is countered by the pH level or not but it may be something to avoid in a conditioner. I also wouldn’t necessarily want it in a preshave as it may need significantly high amounts of citrus to effectively open the cuticles to counter the effects of the pH level.

I don’t know if it is accurate information but Wiki states “When applied to hair, citric acid opens up the outer layer, also known as the cuticle. While the cuticle is open, it allows for a deeper penetration into the hair shaft. It can be used in shampoo to wash out wax and coloring from the hair. It is notably used in the product "Sun-in" for bleaching, but is generally not recommended due to the amount of damage it causes.”

The Wiki info is not where I derived my initial info but it is interesting. I am not sure whether or not the last part about the damage it causes is referring to the acid or the product “Sun-In”.

Also Acetic acid (another common Acidifier) seems disconcerting in some of its descriptions.

The last Acidifier I looked at is the Lactic Acid and it actually seems to do the job that is required keeping the proper pH Level and seems safe and non damaging to hair. So if you have a choice on what you have as an acidifier in your conditioner I would recommend this. As far as preshave I would just not use any as it would be difficult to determine if it is properly doing the job of opening the cuticles which you really don’t have to worry about anyway if you have a proper alkaline.

 

[Kyle]

Chip,

As I understand it, hydration does not damage hair or make it weaker. The best immediate comparison that I can think of would be: when you take a sausage off of the grill and it is sizzling and full of juice, a sharp knife will slice through it almost effortlessly. If you put that sausage in the refrigerator for a couple of days and then attempt to cut through that withered up thing, you have to saw on it a bit to cut it. Ultimately, when the solid internal particles are hydrated, they are less densely packed and more easily cut.

One of the properties of the cuticle (outer layer) is resistance to water. Heat and alkaline solutions are two things that will damage the cuticle, allowing water through. The water itself doesn’t damage the hair but again, just make it easier to cut.

My understanding of acidifiers is that they cause the cuticle to tighten and lay smoothly down, also increasing the cuticle’s ability to reject water absorption. Further, this gives the hair a shiny appearance.

Certainly, I could have misunderstood some of these facts. What I do know for sure is that heat and alkaline solutions are critical for damaging the cuticle and allowing faster absorption of water when preparing facial hairs for cutting.

Now, if you are looking for information on conditioners for improving the health of your hair, you’ll have to find another source. I’ve been a head shaver for about 10 years now.

 

[2bits]

Thanks for this.

For me, the prep info Kyle has offer here has made the biggest difference in the end result of all ideas I've read so far.

The basic steps and ideas should be a "must read" as so many "problem" type posts are solved with a good pre-shave routine as explained here.

Thanks again.

 

[roughneck]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question or if its been asked before but do you use the same lather for the shave as you do for the prep. If so do you use anything to keep the heat in the lather.