Shaving is a rite of passage for every young man, and you want to make sure your son acquires it at the right time. Men soon learn to take shaving for granted, but for a teenager, it’s all new and exciting. You will want to impress upon your son the importance of having just the right tools and knowing how to apply them.
You have probably been shaving for a long time, so you may not even think about the steps. You may even skip one or two of them if you’re in a hurry. When teaching your son to shave, however, you want to include every detail. Here are the five essential steps that will make it simple to teach your son to shave.
Choose the Right Time
The first key to giving your son shaving lessons is to pick the right time. Some teenagers are anxious to feel grown up, so they will want to start shaving before it’s necessary. Others, left to their own devices, will overlook the obvious signs that it’s time to start. When noticeable growth begins appearing on the young man’s face, it’s time to teach him the art of shaving.
Selecting the Right Shaving Tools
There are all kinds of tools made for shaving, from old fashioned straight razors to the latest electric razors. Regardless of what products you choose, you want to get your son into the habit of giving himself a nice close shave. For this, you definitely don’t want disposable razors from the dollar store.
A great way to start him off is to purchase a classic shaving kit that will include all of the essentials. This includes a quality razor, brush and a shaving stand to hold the other items. You could get him an electric razor, but this is really a lazy choice. It’s best to at least instruct a young man in the traditional, manly art of shaving the traditional way.
Wash and Lather That Face
A good shave should be preceded by a thorough washing of the face, with soap and hot water. Then comes the shaving cream or gel to ensure a smooth, comfortable shave. These steps are especially important for someone new to shaving. They make the shaving experience more pleasurable, not to mention safer.
Proper Shaving Technique
Now we come to the actual technique of shaving. This involves identifying the grain of the beard and carefully moving the razor with smooth strokes. Rinsing the blade several times will help to keep it sharp. Shaving should be done very slowly the first few times. This will help to avoid accidents and will allow him to perfect the motion.
After-Shaving Rituals
Following the shave, he should wash his face to remove any lingering shaving cream. Then he can apply some after-shave lotion to soothe the skin. You may as well get him into the good habit of cleaning up after himself. This includes rinsing off the equipment and the surrounding area of any stray whiskers or globs of shaving cream.
Teaching your son how to shave can be a great bonding experience between father and son. It’s a skill that’s not hard to teach, but practical and essential all the same.
Earnest Parenting: help for parents of teen boys who need to learn to shave.
Do you shave with or against the grain?
LOL. I’m a girl. I don’t know the answer to that question.
with the grain 🙂 otherwise u risk ingrown hair
Oh ouch. Point taken!
Do your son a favor and yourself and teach him how to shave w/ a traditional DE Razor!
1) You will get a closer shave.
2) You won’t have to worry about razor burn or bumps.(every time you drag a blade across your face you remove skin, now think about how much damage you do w/ a multi cartridge razor!).
3) 100 blades cost between 8-15 dollars, compare that to 20-25 dollars for 4 replacement cartridges!
4) It’s a Greener alternative. The razors will last several lifetimes and make great heirlooms to pass on to your son. Plus there is no plastic involved…Win!
5) You can buy a DE Safety Razor new or use a vintage one!
There are so many more reasons to get back to traditional wet shaving, I encourage all men to google it!
You and your son will save money, get a closer shave and learn to enjoy shaving…possibly for the first time!
(not sure if it is cool to leave this link, if not please delete it) If you would like to learn more about wet shaving please give a listen to the podcast Moustache & Blade: http://moustacheandbladeshow.com
There certainly is something special and a rite of passage is a really good description. Your explanation is really good and I agree 100% that the best way to start is by using some really good shaving products. Wet shaving is a great way to start any young man off in the right direction. I think it is especially good as it is the best type of shaving for soft or smooth skin. In many ways it is also a life lesson.
haha is this picture real? I never had to shave at this age…but its a great tutorial Amy! And its good to teach kids to use traditional shaving razors instead of the electrical ones…cant hurt to teach them some style 😉 I would make sure that you use shaving cream for sensitive skin though…just to make sure that it doesnt harm their skin.
LOL I think the little boy is just “practicing”, Logan. he older boys just started shaving because they needed to in the last year or so. I know that playing with shaving was fun for them when they were little. The shaving cream suggestion is a good one.
Hey Amy,
Great article. Well it’s all depends of the age specially with the picture posted above lol
I started with a straight razor when I was 17 then I got an electric shaver.
Personally, I don’t use After Shave because imagine you just get out and all the dust will get stuck on your face, of course you can’t see it nor feel it but it does and thats what creates bumps…etc
By the way my favorite gadget for my shaving is Braun CoolTec
http://bestelectricshaver.ca/
Cheers
Awesome post!
When it comes to that time, I can’t wait to pass on my shaving knowledge onto my mini me!
It’s something I never did with my dad, but I think it’s a very special moment on your journey into manhood
Thank you for sharing !
Your blog is very helpful for me. I enjoy the valuable data you deliver to your posts. Thanks…
Nice article! I think shaving should be treated like meditation. It’s your time, breathe, relax and enjoy the process.