Is there some way of telling your hairs are soft enough BEFORE you start lathering up?

Hi, I haven't been able to find this topic by searching on the thread.

Let's say that I am prepping by having a hot shower before I shave, rather than using the hot towel method. I am wondering if it is possible to identify the point that the hair is adequately soft enough, and, therefore, prepared enough, before you know that you can jump out of the shower and start lathering up? Does anyone here have some way of knowing that the hairs are soft enough BEFORE they start shaving?

The reason I ask is that I never know whether the hairs are soft enough until I've started shaving (i.e., because the blade either glides through the hairs easily or the hairs feel hard against the blade and it tugs on them), which I really don't like. If the hairs haven't softened, it is too late at this point of realization as I have obviously already finished my shower and done all the lathering and started shaving already.

Is there some way to tell IN THE SHOWER that you're hairs will be soft enough to start lathering up? I am getting inconsistent results when I prep by just having a hot shower beforehand.

 

You said there are times the blade glides through. Determine what you have done and the equipment you used, then repeat.

 

try a men's bodywash.

 

I find that a 5 minute warm shower usually does the trick.

 

There it is!

 

The Scientific Method applied. Reduce the variables by keeping as many things constant, then change ONE thing and evaluate the shave.
There's a self help group that does this on a daily basis. Check out The 30 Day Rule/Focus crew. It's a bunch of new shavers trying out vintage gear and vintage shavers learning to use new stuff. Plus there's shenanigans.

 

Not sure if this would even be of interest to you. There's another option and possible variable to consider;
The Fellowship of Cold Water Shavers. During warm weather I prefer a tap water cool shave. Can't say I do lots of prep because I found it unnecessary. No more hot towels, hot lather, or preshave oils used in my routine.

 

I am sorry, but I don't think anyone has really answered my question, except perhaps DaltonGang. (I have already discovered that the reason why the blades tug on the hair is because they haven't been made adequately soft enough).

My question was whether or not anyone has a way of telling that their hairs are soft enough when they are in the shower, so that they can tell before they get out and start lathering and shaving. I don't want to discover that my hairs are not soft enough in the middle of a shave, because it's too late by that point.

OK, but are you able to tell somehow that the hairs are soft before you get out of the shower? If so, what is your way of telling? Or do you just go by time alone.

 

This presumes you buy into the whole soft hair theory of shaving, which the cold water school, me among them, would take issue with. Skin conditioning and protection are important, but a sharp DE blade properly stabilized and at the proper angle is perfectly capable of cutting through an unsoftened human hair. If you are getting tugging on a WTG pass, I'd look elsewhere for your solution.





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I have tried cold water shaving and it results in a lot of tugging (and also gives me a lot of irritation) irrespective of what else I do, much more so than usual with hot-water shaving. Also, I have kept everything else the same and experience more tugging when I have brief showers.

I am sorry to keep asking, but can someone provide an answer to my question without going off topic? I just want an answer to my question from someone who preps by having a hot shower.

 

To answer your question, no. There is no way to tell prior to shaving if your prep has been performed sufficiently to soften your beard.

 

OK, thank you. So because there's no way of telling, should I just err on the side of having longer showers and hotter showers?

 

I'm thinking maybe there's a marketing opportunity in the question.
I need to invent some sort of device that measures pre-shave beard softness.

I generally take long hot showers and then rinse my face with hot water from the sink where my brush and bowl are soaking before applying pre-shave oil so my stubble is always adequately softened.

I suppose if I took short showers I might have a need to check for adequate softness but my present habits seem to eliminate any need.

Maybe try taking your razor into the shower and do a small test stroke before getting out. That, or just do a couple weeks of tests timing your showers, varying beard softness relative to time in the shower.

 

Sounds more like technique issues. Prep is not that big a deal at all. If your having that much tugging look at the technique. This is assuming a sharp blade and good razor. A lot of people do very little or no prep and get great irritation free shaves.

 

^ I know it's not what the OP wants to hear but THIS.

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Like I said in my first post - do what works for you. You've done it before, just repeat it.

 

I don't over think it. My razors are sharp, my water is warm, and my whiskers are ready for a whacking. So, I shave.

 

If hot water is the answer look into a towel warmer. I've read of folks using kitchen appliances like rice cookers to heat up a damp towel. Do be careful not to scald yourself.
Here's a link to three other methods, plus ideas about adding essential oils to the preshave prep.

Beyond a test pass with your razor, I don't think there's a quantifiable way to test the softness of a hair shaft that's just poking above the skin.

 

The pre shave oil is worth a shot. I don't believe it helps cut whiskers but it may help with post shave irritation.

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