You missed the single best advice of all: Shave in the shower!
It’s so much faster and easier than standing at a sink it isn’t true. 30 seconds of hot steam and a really wet face before you start is infinitely better than any amount of beard massaging and special soaps.
When you finish just use your fingers to find any places you missed and give them a once-over (“Shaving by braille” as Robert Heinlein called it).
With a bit of practice you can be done in 30 seconds.
I just tried using my electric shaver with the grain and it seems very ineffective.
There’s no mirror in the shower. If I put a mirror on there it will steam up. I’m completely nak s in the shower and everything is wet and slippery. I’m not going to mess with blades in there.
I do always shower right before shaving though.
Links are appreciated.
Shaving seminar: (a) With the grain or against it? (b) Hot water or cold?
There are fog-free mirrors you can use in the shower. This is the one I use.
Shower shaving really does allow for a superior shaving experience, but it requires you to drag your kit in there, and adapt somewhat to the different conditions, at least if you’re using a brush/soap. Gel isn’t quite so finicky.
There are various razor holders, etc… that you can get to keep your razor out of the way.
Beards … what a man does …
I shave in the shower for the reasons you state, pretty much, but my beard hair is thin enough that missing a spot on one pass is usually no big deal.
It’s an efficiency thing for me; I’m sure I’d do a better job looking in the mirror, but not that much better.
I also don’t get ingrown hairs, so my program is: 1) with grain; 2) sideways; 3) diagonally (say 45 degrees) against grain for the upper lip and central chin area where growth is thickest. For the last stage, I use a lighter touch to avoid abrasion or cuts.
I liked how the SD column wasn’t totally prescriptive; shaving advice often is, but I think there are so many variables involved that it shouldn’t be.
I always shave in the shower. I have a mirror stuck on the shower door with a suction cup. It isn’t a fog-free mirror, but if you rub a little soap on it and then rinse it off, it won’t fog up for the duration of a shave. Although, in a hotel I’ll settle for the braille method. It’s not like my face is terra incognita.
I agree with you about the naked and slippery thing, but only if you are using a straight razor! Any double or multiple-bladed disposal razor is pretty darned safe.
I always shave in the shower. I don’t use a mirror. I go by feel. I shave with, against, and across the grain until everything is smooth. I’ve even tried shaving in the mirror, but while I can do it, I still have to feel and be sure it is smooth, so I find it so much easier to just go by feel in the shower. However, I use a trimmer and the bathroom mirror to thin and edge the beard and mustache.
My fog-free shower mirror is no longer fog-free, and hasn’t been in a long time. Fortunately, my face has been with me an even longer time and I can shave without looking at my ugly mug.
I’ve never had an issue with ingrowns (in-laws, yeah, but not ingrowns). I shave against the grain with hot shower water.
Who needs a mirror?
Simply not necessary.
This. It only takes one attempt to figure out where your face is.
Same here.
I recently grew a beard, but still shave my throat. Easiest to do in the shower.
I shave in the shower 99.9% of the time. I don’t need a mirror. It works great. The hot water gets my face ready for shaving and then when I’m done it’s much easier to rinse my face without leaving a mess in the bathroom sink (or on the floor).
How do you line it up properly?
I’ve recently started growing a beard myself. Getting the damn thing even on both sides is a challenge for me even with a mirror. I’m hoping it gets easier with practice.
I either use a straight razor or a double-edge safety razor.
I am not bringing either of those into a shower.