So I have done it. After a year of being too scared of attempting to shave with a Safety Razor I have just shaved my legs.
The verdict? Sweet as. (For you non-New Zealanders that means 'all good'. Hang on, is 'all good' a kiwi phrase too?!? OK, it went WELL..
(To find out more about what a Safety Razor is and why I wanted to use one but was too scared, check out the previous blog post.)
Before I started I watched a few 'how to' videos on Youtube. This is the one that I found most useful... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlQaf6Uho7c She actually shaves her legs in the video. It's a bit weird watching a video of someone shaving their legs but it's probably also the best way to learn.
The main pieces of advice that I took were:
-Handle the razor and blades carefully by holding it by the two ends of the blades.
-How to actually put the blades in the razor. I couldn't believe how simple this was. With mine I just twist the bottom of the handle so the 'wings' on top open up, pop the blade in, and twist it closed. Voila!
-Get a good soapy lather - I just used my regular bar of soap
-Shave on a 30 degree angle... this was probably the bit I was most apprehensive about, like, did I need to take a protractor?!? As it turns out, I think I have always shaved on a 30degree angle, it feels like the natural angle to shave!
-You don't need to apply much pressure - the weight of the razor does the work, so just glide it up.
-Go slow. I definitely did this. I've probably never shaved so slowly. I definitely picked up speed as I went though, and I am happy to report NO CUTS! I even got uber-confident at the end and shaved my knees.
-Clean and dry razor afterwards and store in a dry place. Done.
I can very honestly say that it was NO BIG DEAL at all shaving with a Safety Razor! I really didn't have anything to be scared of. And the best bit? My legs have never ever felt so smooth. A truly CLEAN SHAVE, in all senses of the words.
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