I've yet to understand the importance of opening the pores before shaving and closing the pores after shaving.
I'm doing it, though
Compaq
I'm doing it, though
Compaq
opening/closing pores
- Thread starter Compaq
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I've yet to understand the importance of opening the pores before shaving and closing the pores after shaving.
I'm doing it, though
Compaq
You dont need to open pores to shave. You need to open pores to wash your face to remove the dirt below the surface.
Pre-shave rituals that soften the skin and beard open the pores as a byproduct.
Closing pores minimizes the dirt re-entering the pores and the chance of ingrown hairs.
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Ahh, thanks a lot
Sort of an anti-climax, I thought the answer would be more, erhm, dramatic
Sort of an anti-climax, I thought the answer would be more, erhm, dramatic
Technically, pores do not open or close as there is no musculature to support this function. This is a longstanding "myth" in the skin world. What you want to do is cleanse the area, before you shave, of any contaminants and then wash out any residual product that is used during the shaving process.
Ahh, thanks a lot
Sort of an anti-climax, I thought the answer would be more, erhm, dramatic
We could make it more dramatic if you like.
We could include the invocation of Crowley-esque ritual majick...
+1
I would go as far as saying it's the number 1 of the top ten myths in wetshaving.
Perhaps a to ten myths thread is in order?
Pores do not open and close. What does happen is that with warm water and soap, one can clean out the oils that close up a pore and which coats hairs. That allows warm water and lather to be absorbed into the beard hair. To the extent that some of the hair is "below" the skin surface, that hair swells up a bit and after the hair dries after being shaved, it will "retract" back under the skin when it shrinks when it dries.
I have no reason to doubt the above statement made by many for most areas of my face. But, when shaving under my chin, some other factor seems to be involved...
- Prep with hot water.
- Shave under neck.
- Skin is BBS smooth and free of stubble.
Again, this doesn't happen on my face, but only under my chin and jaw. My theory is that my skin is getting warm and expands up and over the hair. Even if the hair is pushed up as in the above quote, possibly my skin expands more.
Just a conjecture...
Larry, you are probably right.
Hot water, especially, causes mild edema of the soft tissues of your neck. Hot water, essentially, causes swelling whereas cold water helps to decrease swelling. That's why you ice pack your forehead after you bump it into something really hard.
Hot water, especially, causes mild edema of the soft tissues of your neck. Hot water, essentially, causes swelling whereas cold water helps to decrease swelling. That's why you ice pack your forehead after you bump it into something really hard.
I believe you are right on the money. Skin can easily become waterlogged. Too much water and in particular hot water, and skin will swell rendering it delicate and prone to razor burn. What we all need to do is figure out the optimum amount of water to use to soften the hair but not swell the skin. If the skin swells up too much because it's too waterlogged, you won't get a close shave.
The other thing that cold water will do is reduce inflammation. If you've irritated your skin, it will trigger the body's inflammation response and that will result in swelling. Cold water can, I believe, stop the inflammation response and not permit the skin to swell.
Heat expands, cold contracts. There is no need for musculature to do the job.
If I want oil to penetrate my cast iron frying pan and "season" it, I heat the pan then lightly apply the oil.
So, I don't think it's a myth that human pores would expand and contract based upon the same principle.
If I want oil to penetrate my cast iron frying pan and "season" it, I heat the pan then lightly apply the oil.
So, I don't think it's a myth that human pores would expand and contract based upon the same principle.
Well the nature of any analogy is at some point it stops working. I can stand in my yard and watch a plane move through the sky,, which seems to be just what the sun is doing as well but more slowly. I too have read from medical types that the idea of opening and closing pores is simply a myth. Sounds terrific , but it appears to be false.
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