Pros/Cons to hot and cold shaving

[patrickmjett]

Now of course, I love the feel of hot sexy lather on my face. That ability to slap it on and feel the stuff pore directly into my malhydrated skin (not sure thats a word but... whatever) however,I am stuck between two worlds. Although I love to have this amazing feeling upon my face and smile into the mirror with only a towel on and pop off like a god... put the towel around my neck like a cape and strut boldly into the living room as if I've just conquered a small Italian village and demand love from my woman while eating grapes from a vase... (this is an amazing feeling if you've never tried it) if it werent for the problems. I know for a fact that I get a better shave from cold shaving. It is less comfortable... less fun and less ritualistic. But there is no denying it. I do better with a cold lather and a hot razor. Very little prep work wearing whatever pair of jeans I was wearing when I got home or (in the case of a morning shave... god forbid) a pair of underarmours. Its so much less attractive. I want to look like Leonidas... not Hud. I think the reason this might be is that my fur is so thick that wetting with hot water causes it to cut prematurely or well above the skin line. I have the hair of well... a Greek... but the skin of a Norwegian. So even if I get my best black tie shave I look more more like most people do having shaved 10 hours earlier. The skin is so light and the hair so dark that it shows up even under the skin. Back to the shaving problem... It is so comfortable to shave with this hot soap and so unpleasant to slap wet cold stuff on your face. It is so incredible to drag a tight sharp new razor across waiting, supple, moistened skin... but it is not fun to feel the slight pull from a tight unstretched face. It is awesome to pull my razor off of my face for the last time, wipe the proraso or bond street or art of shaving etc. off and drag ice across my face to rinse allowing this final rinse to wash all that remained of my old self down the sink and get to the demanding love vs. taking off my dye soaked work jeans... getting in the shower, showering and washing, getting out having washed off all the smells of the previous shave. But conversely. It is amazing to get in 2 passes cold what I need 4 to get when the water is hot and I have showered. It is amazing for the oil to stay on the top of my skin in the cold lather rather than soak in and clog my pores later from heat. It is amazing to not nick myself AT ALL... EVER when my skin is cold vs. when it is hot and wet, easily penetrated by the sharp blade. In closing there are good things about both but I truly believe MY face is DESIGNED for cold shave. Its not as fun and its not nearly as comfortable... but I'll continue to do it until I find a better method.