For those of you who utilize a hot towel for your preshave regimen, could you explain how its properly done? I ask because it doesnt seem to be working well for me.
I tried it when I first started and found it to be a whole lot of hassle when just washing your face with water that is on the hotter side of warm does the same thing.
The easiest way is just to watch Mantic's youtube video on it, he shows the simple effective way. Many guys including myself just use a face towel or any terry cloth towel to cover the face. Hot hot water in the towel is essential, if your water is not hot enough from the tap just take a damp towel, put it in a freezer bag and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to heat it up. Soap or cream lather, Proraso Pre-Aftershave cream, or massage cream can be used underneath the hot towel. Soap lather is traditional, barbers did this , using Proraso is what some wetshavers do and massage cream is what I do sometimes. Hot towels work because the moist heat softens the beard for shaving . I suspect its not working for you because you are not holding the hot towel to your face for a long enough time or the towel isn't hot enough. Hold it there 3-5 minutes and personally I repeat the process to really make sure its working. The towel has to be really hot and you must do a hyper fast wring so it doesn't sting your hand. If you are like me and you have a coarse beard then the hot towel is going to be key to a comfortable shave, without it I get irritation. It does add a few minutes to the shave but for me its essential and without it , its not worth shaving . Like anything , do it long enough and it becomes quick and part of the shave routine.
Since my first wet shaving episode using the D/E razor, I have now incorporated the hot towel in my shaving routine. I apply Proraso Pre Shave cream and massage it into my beard, then place the hot towel on my face for 2-3 minutes. I repeat this process twice, and then begin my shave. I believe it has helped me in getting a closer shave (I don't shave ATG as yet) as well as prevent any irritation. My two cents.
I am curious as to how well the hot towel treatment works? I'm sure for some it does a great job but if shaving AFTER a shower, I don't believe it does anything. Obviously, at the barber shop, it has to be done since they need something to soften up the beard. But as part of a daily routine, after a shower, it still feels nice.
For me, the problems seem to be that I cant get the towel around my face so that it will STAY for 3-5 minutes (are you supposed to wrap it around your face a certain way?), and that the towel quickly, -quickly- loses its heat no matter how hot it seems to be. On average, I usually lose all of the heat from my hot towel in 20-30 seconds, and have to take the towel off my face and heat it again. This also means id have to reinstate any prep I'd done before the towel, as the towel had surely wiped or washed that prep off.
My method is a little different from the others here, but it seems to work for me I generally heat a kettle and fill the basin with really hot water. I put a folded towel in to soak while I work a dab of olive oil into my face and make some lather . When that's done, I lift my towel out with an old butter knife and wring it gently against the inside of the basin. I put the towel to my face,and as the surface cools I unfold to expose the hotter inner surface and use that. This takes about a minute. After that I lather up and make my first pass, wiping the blade on the towel. When the pass is complete, the towel is refolded with the lather inside and reheated in the basin to be used before pass # 2, and again before pass #3. Best Regards goshawk
But how hot must the towel be? Surely not enough to burn the skin, right? But otherwise, it seems to lose its heat quickly.
Fold a terry cloth hand towel in half (long ways) and start to roll each end to the center. Now holding it rolled tight, put one end under the hot water and get it as hot as you can stand. Wring it quick, and place the center of the towel under your chin and unroll it upwards over your cheeks, and crossing each other over your nose and mouth. Leave just the nose out so you can breath yet making sure you cover the mouth. Either hold it to your face and massage, or tilt your head back and massage. (At the barber school before we place the towel over a customer we use the hot lather as a softening agent, and place the hot towel over the lather. At home I skip the lather before the towel and it seems to soften my beard right up.) Wait your 3-5 min, and lather as your norm. Do not wait so long the towel begins to lose the heat as this would be counterproductive for you. This takes a few extra steps in your routine, but I think your face will thank you.
When we put it on the face our hands are stinging from the heat, and it will be very warm to hot to your face. Watching using the microwave for heating as it might get hot quicker than you would think and you'd stand a chance to scald your face. At home and in barber school I use just the hot water from the tap. At times if your beard is coarse enough you may want to repeat the hot towel if you don't feel your beard is soft enough. Or you may wish to try lathering up before the towel to aid in the process.
This also means id have to reinstate any prep I'd done before the towel, as the towel had surely wiped or washed that prep off.[/quote] Doing this, you'd have to re-lather. Your first lather acts as a softening agent in conjunction with the how towel. It takes a bit longer this way, but not only does the heat soften your beard, but opens your pours for when you use your brush and helps you exfoliate any dead skin. By this method you improve your shaving experience and get less irration in the process.
