At some point, all parents will need to teach their teenagers how to shave. Shaving is a rite of passage into adulthood and teens should be taught with the best tools available.
Contrary to popular belief, the best shaving tools aren’t those over-priced, plastic heated razors with pivoting heads. The best shaving tools are actually classic wet shaving tools that utilize a single blade with no bells and whistles.
If you’re going to teach your teen how to shave, here are several reasons to start them off with a classic double-edged safety razor.
1. They’ll develop a shaving ritual to be proud of
Teenagers love developing skills they can be proud of. Some pursue mastering a musical instrument while others are focused on debate skills. Learning to shave with a safety razor is one more achievement.
Teens who learn to shave with plastic razors don’t develop an authentic shaving ritual. The only ritual learned by shaving with cheap plastic razors is the ritual of tossing razors in the trash. On the other hand, teens who shave with a safety razor will have a shaving ritual to be proud of.
The classic wet shaving ritual
Shaving with a safety razor begins with preparing the skin by jumping in a hot shower or wrapping a hot towel around the area to be shaved. Once the skin is conditioned from heat, pre-shave oil is applied to increase the amount of glide when the lather is applied.
If you look at the pre-shave options from Shave.net, you’ll find they come in the form of oil and butter. Both forms are equally effective, and teens should get to try both options.
Once pre-shave oil is applied, the lather is created from scratch
Creating a lather is the best part of classic wet shaving. Instead of pressing a button to dispense canned shaving cream, creating lather requires skill. It’s not hard to create lather, but it takes practice to get the right consistency. Lather shouldn’t be too thin, but it shouldn’t be too thick, either. Teens who learn how to create perfect lather will be a pro by the time they’re an adult.
Once lather is created, it’s applied to the skin and shaved off using small, gentle strokes going with the grain. No additional pressure is required – the weight of the razor is sufficient to get a close shave.
After the hair is removed, aftershave can be applied if desired. Since classic wet shaving requires attention to detail, teens who use a safety razor will feel accomplished after every shave.
2. Shaving with a safety razor will strengthen fine motor skills
Fine motor skills involve moving small muscle groups like hands, fingers, and wrists. Younger kids usually develop fine motor skills through art projects or building with Legos and wooden blocks. As kids get older, it’s important for them to continue developing fine motor skills. Shaving with a safety razor is the perfect opportunity to further strengthen fine motor skills.
When shaving with a safety razor, fine motor skills are developed from being fully present with the pressure, blade angle, and stroke of the razor. Careless shaving is not an option with a safety razor.
Shaving with a safety razor isn’t hard, but it does require presence, patience, and small movements. Teens who learn to shave with a safety razor will learn how to be completely present with the task at hand and will develop fine motor skills in the process.
3. Their skin won’t get shredded
Those popular multi-blade razors shred skin faster than single-blade plastic razors. Each time a teenager makes a single pass with a five-blade razor, it’s the equivalent of making five passes. These razors also require intense pressure and many strokes to cut the hair.
The worst consequence of using multi-blade razors is they cut the hair below the skin line. Cutting hair that low makes it hard for the hair to find its way out of the skin as it grows back. This creates razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
If a teen continues to shave with multi-blade razors, they’ll start getting razor bumps and rashes. By the time they’re an adult, their skin will be in poor condition.
On the other hand, a safety razor won’t tear up the skin and won’t cause razor bumps and rashes.
4. Shaving with a safety razor develops confidence
A safety razor isn’t exactly safe, meaning, it’s possible to cut yourself. However, it’s safer than a straight razor. Teaching your teen how to shave with a safety razor will develop their confidence. While their peers shave aggressively with wire-wrapped blades that leave stubble, your teen will know how to angle a straight blade to get a super close shave without getting cut.
Although shaving with a single, sharp razor blade isn’t as dangerous as other skills, it’s a major confidence booster.
5. Teens who use safety razors won’t feel cheated when they realize plastic razors are inferior
At some point, teenagers will realize they’ve been lied to by the shaving industry. Teens with curly hair will get especially tired of multi-blade razors ripping their hair out. They’ll buy every new razor that promises a pain-free shave, only to discover broken promises. It will be years (and hundreds of dollars) before they realize plastic razors are the problem.
Teens who learn classic wet shaving from the start will be spared the unnecessary expenses, frustrations, and disappointment.
Teenagers deserve the best shaving tools
In today’s disposable society, it’s not always easy to shell out a chunk of cash for something you can get at the dollar store. However, when it comes to shaving, spare no expense. That doesn’t mean you need to buy your teenager a $200, top-of-the-line safety razor. A twenty-dollar safety razor will do the job. Once you buy the razor, replacement blades will cost between five and ten cents each and will last for about a week.
If you have a teenager, teach them how to shave with classic shaving tools and set them up for a lifetime of clean, close, pain-free shaves.
