For many men, going to the barbershop is an important ritual. Every few weeks, you sit down in that chair, get your hair trimmed, and get a really nice shave, the same way a woman might go for a manicure of a blowout. Now that we’re all living under social distancing precaautions, though, heading to the barbershop is forbidden – and while a few states are looking to reopen such services, the fact is, the crisis isn’t over. You may feel fine, but asymptomatic carriers can spread disease, which is why it’s better to bring the barbershop home. It’s not hard to do with things like quality razors from cut throat club.
The Basic Buzz
One of the advantages of going to the barbershop for a trim and shave is that they have all the right tools for the job. Before getting started, then, you need to assess your supplies. Are you going to trim your hair, or do you just want a luxurious shave? How long is your hair? These questions will determine what tools you need to get the best results.
Among the most common items you’ll need to take care of your hair at home are clippers, a vacuum, and a mirror – know going into this that tiny bits of hair will get everywhere. With clippers, anyone can give a basic buzz cut with clippers and the right guard setting. Longer hairstyles are harder, but can typically go longer without being cut and still look good; if you have a shaggier style, you might just want to grow it out.
Your Shaving Strategy
Between barbershop shaves, many men shave with a simple cartridge razor, and there are plenty of reasons this shave doesn’t look or feel as good as your barbershop shave. Cartridge razors are dull, pull at facial hair, and leave irritation in their wake. Straight razors use a single blade to shave the entire area in one pass and are sharpened manually or with a leather strop. This is why Shaving With A Straight Razor conveys that special ‘barbershop feel’ while providing an unparalleled level of precision that is essentially unmatched. Given that we’re likely to be stuck at home a while longer, now is a good time to invest in quality shaving products, including a safety razor and toiletries.
Using a safety razor to shave your beard will give you a much cleaner, less irritating shave, but it won’t do the job on its own. You need the supplies to pamper yourself. Steam up the place, and grab some hot towels. Wrapping your neck and face with hot towels softens the hair and makes it easier to shave. Using a pre-shave oil or butter will also help prepare your skin, moisturizing it and reducing post-shave rashes.
After you shave, make sure you rinse off all the soap and apply a gentle moisturizer or alcohol-free aftershave product to protect your skin. Shaving may make you look better, but it can be tough on your skin, so give it a little infusion of moisture.
Make It Personal
While there are some tried and true tricks that will help improve your home barbershop experience, if you really want to enjoy the process you have to figure out what makes getting a haircut or a professional shave special for you. Maybe there’s a special product that your barber uses that you love – go ahead and order it online. Or, maybe what you treasure is the “me time.” If so, set aside a longer period of time, take a shower, put on a playlist, and maybe take some time to read a book when you’re done. The idea is that, under these unusual circumstances, a normal activity like shaving might be part of your self-care routine, so take your time and let the experience be calming.
Though some parts of shaving or cutting your hair are technical, with the right tools it’s not hard. What’s more important is making the experience rewarding. Even if your kids are running around or there’s work to be done, you can carve out an hour to take care of your skin – and yourself.