Nicks and cuts

Even veteran shavers can’t avoid the odd nick or cut. The best way to stop looking like you’ve come off second best in a run in with the lawnmower, is simply to anticipate them.

The number one cause of nicks and cuts is a lack of attention. Maybe you’ve just woken up or the phone starts ringing or you’re at a friend’s house that does not have a mirror. Whatever the case is, a slight lapse of attention can lead to your razor slipping, you applying too much pressure or you miscalculating the curves of your face. You might also accidentally shave over a pimple or an ingrown hair and suddenly you have the Battle of Blood River on your face.

• Allow yourself twenty minutes to shower and wake up properly before shaving, so that you don’t approach your face with a sharp blade while half asleep.
• Make sure your face is properly lubricated before and during the shaving process.
• Make sure that you are using a sharp, fresh blade.
• Use razors with swivel heads and a well-balanced handle that will follow the contours of your face. It is hard to monitor the pressure that you’re applying to razors with stiff heads.
• If you do cut yourself, moisten the tip of a styptic pencil or an alum block with cold water and apply it to the wound for about five seconds or until the bleeding stops. Both these products are antiseptic and they will disinfect the cut and speed up the healing process by constricting blood vessels and closing up the cut.