Shaving is an art that requires patience to achieve its maximum effects. However, sometimes you’re running late for work, or need a quick shave before heading out to a date, or are just sick of chopping off your facial hair every day and want to make it easy on yourself.
First of all, grab a new razor — it’ll lessen the chance you’ll nick yourself or end up with razor burn. Second, you’ll want to shave in the shower, assuming that showering’s already part of your grooming plan. Multitasking will allow the hot water to soften your bristles, which will make a fast shave easier and less painful. If you have time, give your skin a quick exfoliation, too — it’ll help clean the dirt and dead skin cells that can cause your blade to trip up.
You’ll want to skip the shaving cream this time in favor of something a little less foamy — Shave Butter, for example — according to Amanda Hughes, manager of L.A.’s Dr. Beard barbershop, who explains that products like this “stick to the hair better as opposed to shaving cream, which gets watered down.”
Perhaps the biggest thing you can do, though, is accept that a quick shave is just not going to be as close as a careful one. But if you just need to whack the weeds enough to be passable, a speedy shower shave might be just what you need.