1. Don't tease
him about "not yet" or "let's wait until there
is something to shave!". It is a rite of passage
to manhood and suggestions that he is not a man
[ yet ] have a significance beyond the
presence or absence of whiskers on his chin.
Don't do it. Rejoice in acknowledging his
maleness and accept it is a mark of the end of
childhood. Don't let any sadness on your behalf
that childhood is ending delay the welcoming of
your son into adulthood. If you are a single
mother, the task is harder, but initiating your
son into the mysteries of maleness is part of
your role. Please reject any temptation to tease
him about his maleness. Create an atmosphere
which makes your son feel valued, without too
much fuss, focusing on the mechanics of shaving.
But make him feel special, unhurried, and the
centre of attention [ if he will let you!
]
2. Wet shaving is a
very sensuous experience, but requires time,
patience and care- three things that adolescents
may not have! So it is up to you whether to
choos electric or wet shaving. given a choice, I
would suggest wet shaving as it connects you
with your skin and exfoliation is good for his
skin. Electric shavers are gadgets, yes, but he
may choose to do this for himself
later.
3. Whatever you decide,
don't buy the tools for him! Give him the money.
Let him buy the shaver or the razor blades. Most
modern disposables are safe, and it is [
relatively ] hard to cut yourself. But they
are not cheap! If he is shy, accompany him, but
make sure he knows what to do, where to go, and
has a choice in the product selection. If you
both decide upon wet shaving, gels are better
than foams, and dont get fragranced product. The
smell is usually awful, and better to get
sensitive skin variants with no scent so he can
choose any aftershave he wants. Don't get Brut
or any cheap and nasty stuff.
4. Stand him in front
of the bathroom mirror. Make sure the atmosphere
is fun, unhurried and experimental. Put some
warm water in the sink. Let him rinse his face
with a wet flannel, so that the warm water
softens any hairs on his face. Maybe leave the
flannel on his face to open the pores. Apply a
TINY squirt of gel - the size of a strawberry-
into his palm [ not yours ] and ask him
to apply it carefully to his chin, cheeks and
neck, up to where his hair meets his "beard".
Remember to apply it under his nose! This bit
should be fun. The flannel will help wipe away
any stray gel that gets on clothes, the mirror,
light fittings etc.
5. Rinse the blade in
the water in the sink, making sure that there is
an inch or two of hot water in the basin. Drag
the blade IN THE DIRECTION OF HAIR GROWTH, ie
"down" the cheek, not against the grain. Where
to start doesn't matter, but I would suggest on
the cheek, ie not near the nose or lips. Adopt
slow sweeps, making sure the blades are at a
constant angle to the face.
6. Rinse the blade
regularly. The face should be revealed under the
gel, showing what has been done and what hasn't.
Don't be afraid to encourage him to redo bits
that he has missed. Don't criticise his
technique. Encourage him.
7. The hardest bits are
around the lips, and the nose. Suggest he purses
his lips and is very careful here, and ask him
to use shorter strokes near his nose with great
care near his nostrils. He may have to shave
"up" here, so be careful he doesn't nick his
nose.
8. Best to decide how
long are his "sideburns" first, then shave down
to get them even, this may take a few goes.
Positioning the blade parallel to the ground and
level may get a straight edge. But hey! Why be
straight? Try a diagonal line, like the artist
formerly known as.
9 If you have selected
electric shaving [ yawn] just mow the
lawn of his face. I shaved off part of my
eyebrow by mistake recently, so tell him to be
careful!
10 Ask him to run his
hand across his cheek to "feel' for missed
stubble, and pay particular attention to the jaw
line, and directly under his bottom lip, as it
it is easy to "miss" these bits. I usually shave
along the jawline towards my chin, just to make
sure.
Finished? Another rinse
of warm water for the blade, then the face [
in fresh water! ] , add after shave balm,
like a oil-free cream, so that his face is
protected from the elements. I use a pH balanced
cream, and certainly an unperfumed one. If he is
interested, apply an aftershave, but it may
sting! No jokes about the interval until his
next shave, instead ask him if feels OK about
shaving by himself, now. Then leave him to the
bathroom mirror, and the reflection of a boy
initiated into the ways of men.
— by Paul
Reprinted with
permission.
