Shaving is an important component of male grooming. There are two different types of razors available in the market that can be used for shaving. The most commonly available is the cartridge razor while the best available razor is the safety razor. Both these razors can do the job of providing you with a good shave. However, the safety razor is the better option between them. That being said, the cartridge razors aren’t all bad. When you are on the road and don’t have your safety razor with you, the cartridge razors can bail you out. These razors are easily available from any drugstore. However, if you don’t use them correctly, you can harm your skin. In this post, we will discuss the things that you should remember when shaving with a cartridge razor.
Choose the Right Cartridge Razor
There are various brands of cartridge razors available in the market. However, they are not all the same. Some of them are better than the others and can provide a better shaving quality to you. You should try to look for a cartridge razor that has stainless steel blades. Moreover, the distance between the blades on the cartridge should be enough so that water can easily pass through them. This is important for cleaning the razor while shaving. Also, take a look at the angle and sharpness of the blades in the cartridge. If the blades appear too dull then they might not be a good fit for you. A cartridge razor with 3-4 blades is better than ones with 5-6 blades.
Don’t Forget the Pre-Shaving Routine
Whether you are shaving with a safety razor or a cartridge razor, your pre-shave routine shouldn’t change much. You will still have to wash your face with warm water first to soften the facial hair. The next step would be to apply a shaving gel or a cream. It is best to use a shaving brush for this purpose but if you don’t happen to have one on you then your fingers would do just fine. Make sure that you lather up the shaving cream and cover all the facial hair with it. The idea behind the use of the shaving cream is to both moisturize and hydrate your skin. Also, it will allow the cartridge razor you are using to glide on your skin instead of tugging at the hair.
Use the Right Technique for Shaving
Blades in a cartridge razor are not that sharp. This is why many people try to use force when shaving with them. However, this creates more issues. The pressure just makes the blades dig more into the skin, causing a cut. It won’t give you a close shave. Thus, it is best to hold the cartridge razor as loosely as possible. You have to let the razor do the work instead of your hands. Do keep in mind that shorter strokes won’t do you any good when using cartridge razors. So, your strokes should be longer and slower. This will allow the blades of the cartridge razor to do their work more easily. Moreover, you won’t see any bumps or redness on the skin afterwards.
Rinse the Razor after Each Stroke
As is the case with a safety razor, the cartridge razor would need to be rinsed after almost every stroke. The hair and debris will clog the blades pretty quickly if you don’t rinse the cartridge. Make sure that the cartridge is devoid of any hair or debris before putting it back to your skin. This is important because these hairs will cause skin irritation if they aren’t removed from the cartridge. Moreover, they will disrupt the flow of the blades too and make it difficult for them to properly slice through the hair still left on the face. Ingrown hair is a common issue that is caused due to bad cartridge hygiene. However, you can avoid it by rinsing your cartridge razor after every stroke.
Avoid Shaving against the Grain
The most common tip you will find about shaving is that you shouldn’t shave against the grain. What this means is that you should only shave with your cartridge razor in the direction of your hair growth. If you try to go in the opposite direction of the hair growth then you might increase your chances of getting a nick or a cut. Therefore, you should avoid shaving against the grain. However, if you do so then make sure that you are very careful. Don’t pass the cartridge razor against the grain twice on any area of your face. It will only cause more skin irritation and might remove further layers of the skin.
So, there you have it. If you keep in mind the above-mentioned things when using a cartridge razor then you will get a satisfactory shave.
