How to Groom a Patchy Beard

Men with clean shaves are often regarded as neat and formal but this doesn’t mean beards make you unkempt – especially in this age. In today’s men fashion world, sporting a beard is one of the must-do for many men. In the past when men longed to shave off their beards,many wish and hope to for it to grow out. This brings us to that percentage of men who struggle with patchy beards. It’s hard to tell if the beards are shy or just too stubborn to grow out. If you fall into this category, then you may want to consider these two tips.

Leave it Alone to Grow

Many people are of the opinion that cut hair grows back faster and thicker. No one really knows where or when this fallacy began but it’s sad to say it made it to the mainstream. If you want your patchy beards to grow some self-esteem and look like what it is supposed to be, then you need to leave it alone to grow. Just keep the edges all neat and trim and leave the rest to grow.

Brush It Regularly

This may seem strange to someone with very patchy beards but it surely would help the beards grow better. Yes your pessimism is understandable but you have to consider the entire brushing process as a morale booster for the beards. With proper practice, you can brush the areas with hair to partially cover the “plain lands” and give the entire beards a full look.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Shaving Blade

Human hair is different and varies sometimes from one individual to the other. Facial hair varied from soft to coarse and should be treated as such. If you are looking for a good blade for your razor, you should consider some of these factors.

Hair Type

This is the first factor you would need to consider. In other words, you would have to know the texture of your hair. Hairs are either soft or coarse. If you have coarse hair, you would need a blade with greater aggressiveness than if you have soft hairs.

Hair Length

If you shave daily or more than once in a week, you would always have to deal with short hairs. If you allow your hair to grow for a while before shaving, you will be dealing with long hairs. The longer the length of your hair, the more aggressive your blades should be.

Skin Type

There are men with sensitive skins and as such cannot use any available blades. Men with sensitive skin would have to avoid blades that are aggressive. Depending on the level of sensitivity, you can start with mild to moderate aggressive blades.

Experience Level

One of the things you need to know when using DE razors is the angles. Without this, you may end up cutting yourself. So for beginners, it is always advisable to start with mild aggressive blades. As your experience increases, you can move over to aggressive blades.

Cleaning Your Shaving Brush

Now you may be wondering if cleaning a shaving brush is anything close to rocket science. Like honestly, it’s just a brush and anyone can clean it without reading up a post about it. So since you are so skilled in cleaning brushes, would you be kind enough to look at the area where the hairs attach to the handle? What do you see? If you are sincere, you would probably see some leftover lather scum. To get it out, you will need much more than water.

First, start by getting vinegar and detergent as they play a very key role in cleaning the shaving brush. Take the brush under a tap and wash it thoroughly to remove as much dirt as your eyes can notice. Then you would need to add a little detergent and lather it up. When you have formed a good enough lather, you should make a bath in a mug and allow the brush to soak in for a while.

Take the brush out and rinse again in clean water. This will help to remove the leftover dirt and reduce any odor in the brush. After this, make a solution of vinegar in a mug and place the washed shaving brush into it. Allow the brush to soak in it for a minute or two. Once this is achieved, the next step is to rinse and dry. Always remember, keeping the brush dry is as important as washing it properly.

Products to Use on a Sensitive Skin

While most men with regular skin types may go about shaving easily, those with sensitive skins would need more products for prepping the skin and for repairing skin after shaving. Some of these products to use on a sensitive skin include:

Cleanser

Usually warm water would be used in this part of the preparation but these cleansers are designed for men with sensitive skins. A good cleanser for sensitive skin will not contain irritants like alcohol and fragrance.

DE Razor

Most people will argue that a DE razor is too aggressive for sensitive skins but that's so not true. You just have to know how well to use it or use one with features designed to prevent cuts, like the Vikings Blade.

Pre-Shave Oil/Cream/Soap

It's all a matter of preference about which you would settle with. The most important thing is getting the hair to soften for easy shaving. You also have to remember that you should shower before shaving and not after.

Moisturizer

Shaving exposes the skin to the harsh elements which could cause irritations. So you will have to find a way to protect the exposed skin. This is what a moisturizer is designed to do. It keeps the skin nourished and well hydrated.

The Vikings Blade DE Razor - Combination of Beauty, Quality, and Affordability

I bought the Vikings Blade along with one of these other expensive razors. I like to have two of such tools to enable me make a good comparison. So much has been said about these expensive DE razors as well as how favorably the Vikings Blade compares well to it. Starting with the package, the Vikings Blade come packaged with an Italian leather material. This makes it look so exotic and expensive.

The blade has got a hefty feel to it with it 85g weight. If you have never used a heavyweight razor in the past, you may not fully understand what I am talking about. The blade is a great combination of beauty, quality, and affordability. I have had to use this razor as a beginner to see if it would leave me with nicks and cuts. So far, it hasn’t cut me, even by accident.

This butterfly razor is a true definition of a twist to open butterfly razor. The blades are exposed with just turning of the bottom of the handle. When this is done, it exposes the blade which allows for easy blade change. Trust me – you can change these blades in less than 10 seconds if you know what you are doing.

What Makes a Good Shave?

It is common to see men who have been shaving for years but still don’t know how to get a perfect shave. For this category of men, it is more of trial and error to get a good shave. Understanding the shaving techniques is one great way to have a perfect shave consistently. Here are five things you should consider and practice to give you that perfect shave next time.

Timing is EveryThing

For most men, shaving is done in the morning when they are about to rush out for an appointment. Obviously, this would mean they would have to rush through the shaving. Most of these men will be plagued with skin irritations but may keep blaming it on the razors. Take time out to prep the face and hairs before shaving.

Never Underestimate the Power of a Good Shaving Cream

Wet shaving has become the best way to shave with razors – whether you agree to it or not. One of the most important tools in wet shaving is the shaving cream. A good shaving cream comes with all necessary ingredients and nutrients to help soften your hair. It does far more than just creating lubrication for the razor.

The Wonders of a Badger Shaving Brush

A shaving cream, especially the ones in a jar – can only be effectively applied with the aid of a shaving brush. The badger shaving brush is the best because of the intrinsic characteristics of the badger hair.

Using a Good Razor

The next thing you will need to get is a good DE razor. If all the previous factors are provided and an average razor is used, the shave will not be perfect. A good DE razor doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive. There are affordable razors in the market today like then Vikings Blade.

Get Quality Shaving Without Breaking Bank

There are so many shaving products out there right now that it becomes practically confusing to make a choice. The razor industry has improved greatly over the past decades. If there was one thing razors were known for back in the days, it was the fact that they were a bit expensive. When cartridge razors were the reigning king in the market, it costs quite a fortune to buy those multiple blades.

Double edge design sought to find a bridge between quality shaving and price. So the idea was to manufacture a blade that didn't really require multiple blades but was good enough to give great haircuts. With the advent of double edge razors, came new brands into the razor industry. While the DE razor was good for great shaves, at a time it was a bit expensive to use. Then brands like the Vikings Blade who not only sought to provide an affordable razor but were going to offer one with superior shaving quality.

Blade refills are affordable and would not cost users anything to change blades. Razors like Vikings Blade even offer 5 extra blades when their razor is purchased. If you are looking for a good quality, sharp razor, then the double edge safety razor should be your number one pick.

Shaving Creams vs Shaving Soaps

There has been lots of debate about which of these products is good in shaving and which forms more lather. While there may not be an end to this debate, it's best we understand what each has to offer.

Shaving soaps are kind of like the father of shaving creams. Shaving soaps have been around for a really long time. Usually men who are used to shaving soaps often find the creams too easy to form lather. You have to know and understand the techniques of forming lather with the soaps or you might find it extremely difficult to use. Unlike shaving creams, shaving soaps usually don't come scented. Although recent soaps are being scented, they usually don't have a variety of scents to choose from.

Shaving creams are an adaptation from the soaps. The shaving creams are designed to allow for easy lather formation. With just little moisture, the creams can form good lather with a good shaving brush. The creams usually have a wide variety of scents to choose from. The Vikings Blade shaving creams, for instance, comes with sandalwood and cedar as its main ingredients. This gives the cream a characteristic scent.

Three Ways to Apply Shaving Cream Lather

The major difference between wet and dry shaving is in the application of shaving creams or soaps. A good shaving cream helps to soften the stubble and make it much easier to shave. Too often there have been debates on how best to apply lather to the face. We have identified three ways - two of them would require a brush while the last is brush less.

Apply by Hand

There are two types of shaving creams - tubed and cupped shaving creams. Usually, these tube shaving creams are best applied using the hand. This is because they don't form much lather for a badger brush to pick up.

Directly on the Face

Since this will require a badger shaving brush, you would need to start off by soaking the brush. When this is properly achieved, shake off excess moisture by shaking the brush. Use the brush to pick up the needed quantity of shaving cream and apply it on your face. In a circular motion, form the lather on your face.

Using a Bowl

If you have a shaving mug or bowl, they have the same uses. If not available, you could use the sink basin in your bathroom. Just like the previous step but you'll apply the shaving cream first into the bowl. By swirling the brush in the cream and then unto the bowl, you form your lather. When formed, you take it up with the brush and apply to the area to be shaved. Use the same brush to make a good lather.

Shaving Your Neck the Right Way

While facial hair seems to take all of the recognition, the neck is still a fertile ground for holding hairs and beards. Just like in shaving the face, you should also familiarize yourself with the direction of the growing hair. The neck has different hair growth direction which may seem a bit confusing at first. With enough shaving experience, you would soon discover the right direction for shaving. If not properly shaved, there's a high risk of having ingrown hairs.

You have to make sure you lather up perfectly. The neck is not an easy area to access fully but with the aid of a mirror, you should be able to see what you're doing. The lather should be the same quality and thickness you use when shaving the face. This will ensure even softening of the neck hairs for shaving.

Use a sharp DE razor that can give clean shaves. A good DE razor will give you a clean shaves with short strokes. Short strokes are the best way to shave, especially the neck area. Keep the skin flattened and not over stretched while shaving. Instead of raising the head and pulling on the skin to make it taut, try pushing your head forward and slightly raising it up. This will give a flattened surface for you to shave with. Remember to be careful and take your time. The neck has many contours you will need patience to maneuver.