Shaving
Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down—to the level of the skin or otherwise.
Historically, head shaving has also been used to humiliate, punish, for purification or to show submission to an authority.
The idea of an aesthetic approach to personal hygiene may have begun at this time, though Egyptian priests may have practiced something similar to this earlier.
Alexander the Great strongly promoted shaving the beard for Macedonian soldiers before battle because he feared the enemy would grab them.
[4] In some Native American tribes, at the time of contact with British colonists, it was customary for men and women to remove all body hair.
Before each shave the blade had to be attached to a special holder, stropped with a leather belt, and placed back into the razor.
[8] In 1895, King Camp Gillette invented the double-edged safety razor, with cheap disposable blades sharpened from two sides.
After the First World War, the company changed the pricing of its razor from a premium $5 to a more affordable $1 (equivalent to $85 and $17 in 2023, respectively), leading to another big surge in popularity.
Current multi-bladed cartridge manufacturers attempt to differentiate themselves by having more or fewer blades than their competitors, each arguing that their product gives a greater shave quality at a more affordable price.
[26] A lathering or lubricating agent such as cream, shaving soap, gel, foam or oil is normally applied after this.
Lubricating and moisturizing the skin to be shaved helps prevent irritation and damage known as razor burn.
Many razor cartridges include a lubricating strip, made of polyethylene glycol, to function instead of or in supplement to extrinsic agents.
It is worked up into a usable lather by the brush, either against the face, in a shaving mug, bowl, scuttle, or palm of the hand.
When the razor is held against the skin, the whiskers poke through the holes in the screen and are sliced by the moving blades.
Some people also find they do not experience ingrown hairs (pseudofolliculitis barbae, also called razor bumps), when using an electric shaver.
[30] Lotions are also sold to reduce skin irritation, but electric shaving does not usually require the application of any lubrication.
Mechanical shavers powered by a spring motor have been manufactured, although in the late 20th century they became rare.
Such shavers can operate for up to two minutes each time the spring is wound and do not require an electrical outlet or batteries.
Many side effects can be minimized by using a fresh blade, applying plenty of lubrication, shaving in the direction of hair growth, and avoiding pressing the razor into the skin.
The cosmetic market in some consumer economies offers many products to reduce these effects; they commonly dry the affected area, and some also help to lift out the trapped hair(s).
The use of a fresh, sharp blade as well as proper cleaning and lubrication of skin can help prevent cuts.
Some razor blade manufacturers include disposal containers or receptacles to avoid injuries to anyone handling the garbage.
Razor burn is an irritation of the skin caused by using a blunt blade or not using proper technique.
It appears as a mild rash 2–4 minutes after shaving (once hair starts to grow through sealed skin) and usually disappears after a few hours to a few days, depending on severity.
In Hinduism, in certain communities, a child's birth hair is shaved off as part of a set of religious rites (samskaras) Leading classical Islāmic jurist and theologian Abdullāh b. Abī Zayd says in his 'Risalah', "and the Prophet ordered that the beard be left alone and allowed to grow abundantly and that it not be trimmed.
[45] The Hebrew word used in this verse refers specifically to shaving with a blade against the skin[citation needed]; rabbis at different times and places have interpreted it in many ways.
