#hygiene #skills #skincare

## History
First recorded "shaving" - using two seashells to pluck whiskers.

Ancient Egyptians were known to prioritise hygiene and hairless (thus lice-free) bodies. It was thought that having facial hair was an indication of poor [[hygiene]].

Average man from India at 400 BCE shaved his chest and pubic area.
Roman legionnaires used pumice stones to sand off their beards c. 200 BCE
[[The Celts in Britain|Britons shaved every part]] of their bodies except their heads and upper lips (c. 50 BCE)
Alexander the Great popularized shaving in Greece by ordering his soldiers to shave so that the beard could not be gripped by enemy combatants.

C. 100 CE to the early 17th century, beards came back into fashion. Trend started by Emperor Hadrian, who grew one to hide his horrendous mien. Trend ended by Louis XIII of France, who had balding problems. 

First straight razor was made in Sheffield, England, in 1680. 
In the 19th century the "hoe" type razor was developed. FIrst safety razor developed by the Kampfe brothers in the 1870-1880s

In 1901 King Camp Gillette developed a razor with a disposable blade. His company was the main supplier of the U.S. Armed Forces' soldiers in Europe during World War I.

The first industrially produced electric razor was invented in 1927 by Jacob Schick (they look like trimmers)

Cartridge razors come in two types: swivel heads and fixed heads. Both have disposable blades.
Swivel-head razors were introduced by Gillette in 1971. Fixed heads are almost always disposable.

Safety razors require those fucking blades.

Electric razors come in two types: foil and rotary. Foil looks like the "trimmer", rotary is well rotary.
## Shaving products
### Preshave products
Preshave oils provide the maximum amount of protection: the blade glides on the surface of the skin to catch the hairs but not the skin itself. Preshave oils do not leave an oily residue on the skin after shaving and is wiped off clean during the shaving process.

Preshave gel is similar to oil, however, it doesn't provide adequate protection: gels are usually water-soluble, so they blend right into the shaving cream instead of resting on your skin's surface

### Shave products
Lather-up shaving creams, usually lathered with a brush, supposedly generate the richest possible lather, protecting and lubricating your skin.

Nonlathering shaving creams are not meant to lather up, and are applied directly to a wet or dry face with fingers. Usually considered to not be as effective as the lathering kind of cream.

Shaving soaps were extremely popular until around WWI, when shaving creams became widely available. These need to be lathered up with a shaving brush as well.

Shaving oils yield a close shave, but they are uncomfortable because the oil provides minimal protection for the skin.

Shaving gels and foams are extremly easy to use and to find in any store. However, they are not really good for the skin and don't prove nearly enough protection for the skin. Their use is not recommended.

Depilatory creams are applied directly to the face, left on for a few minutes, then wiped off with a spatula. They dissolve the hair with calcium thioglycolate, a powerful acidic chemical. They are effective at removing hair, but are very dangerous if used improperly.


### Aftershave products
Aftershave balms (creams) are mostly skin-care products though. Balms are recommended for men with sensitive or dry skin, and for use during dry winter months, when there is less moisture in the air and when the skin is prone to dryness.

Aftershave gels are also more about skin care. They are less moisturizing than balms. Gels are recommended to men with normal to oily skin, or for use in humid climates. Gels are refreshing and soothing, and they help protect and maintain healthy skin.

Alum blocks and styptic pencils are products containing aluminium mineral salts to stop bleeding from cuts and nicks. An alum block is a stone that is moistened with cold water and gently rubbed over the entire face. A styptic pencil, on the contrary, is used on specific areas to treat nicks and cuts. Do not use either of these before a wet shave - only after.


## Techniques
First, shave with the grain - it removes roughly 80% of the hair's length.
Then, if you want a closer shave, relather and shave against / across the grain. After the first shave, the hair shaft is shorter and the risk of the hair folding back onto itself and into the skin is greatly reduced.

## Injuries
Ingrown hairs are caused by a hair (or a piece of it) getting stuck in its follicle. This leads to the pore getting clogged with sebum and ends up like a pimple.

Razor burn is the result of removing too much skin while shaving. 

Nicks and cuts are treated by styptic pencils/alum blocks.