NEW HYDRO SHAVE CARE RANGE

I believe in an inside-out approach to achieve great looking skin. A healthy diet and drinking lots of water are extremely important, but you also need to invest time in a quality grooming routine. My main tip would be to make sure skincare is at the heart of your shaving regime and look for products that promise to take care of your skin during the shave process.

You don’t need to break the bank to look after your skin. Instead, you should concentrate on getting the basics right. The first thing you need to look at is your shaving regime - if you get this right, you won’t need expensive products to achieve healthier looking skin. When you’re choosing shaving foams, gels and creams, I’d recommend going for ones that are dermatologically tested and have been specially designed to suit your skin type – ones that promise to hydrate your skin are especially good at keeping it looking smooth and healthy.

The secret to achieving the perfect shave lies in using the right technique and the right equipment. The principal factor for getting it right is to eliminate friction. Friction causes irritation - which is in fact men’s number one shaving complaint – so make sure you choose a razor that addresses this. When it comes to blades, recent technological advances mean that the skin doesn’t have to suffer in order to achieve a clean shave. Remember to change your blades regularly as if they are blunt or rusty this can cause razor burn, sensitivity and shaving bumps.

My patients often blame themselves for the damage caused to their faces, chins and necks when they shave, claiming it’s because they have ‘sensitive skin’ or ‘coarse hair’. Have you ever thought that it might be the tools you’re using that are at fault? My main advice would be to change your blades regularly and try a razor that protects your skin, like new Hydro, which actually hydrates your skin during the shave process.

No you're definitely not alone. Men of all ages today are taking more time and care than ever before when it comes to looking after their skin in order to improve their perceived health and well-being. Wilkinson Sword’s research reveals that 72% of men proactively buy their own grooming products and over half of them admit to feeling happier and more confident when they’re well groomed. So I would imagine that several of your friends are in fact spending time and money on their grooming regime too - they’re just not owning up to it!

There's actually some pioneering new blade technology that’s just hit the market which secures an incredibly close, comfortable shave and significantly reduces the worry of skin irritation. The new Wilkinson Sword Hydro blades feature ground-breaking new Skin Guards which double the points of blade-to-face contact, thereby smoothing out the skin between the blades and preventing it getting trapped and irritated. It’s great to see that manufacturers have come up with innovative solutions to an age-old problem, rather than just adding another blade.

Although unsightly and sometimes painful this is a common occurrence that can be avoided.

• Causes - Ingrown hairs occur when the hair is cut off beneath the skin’s surface, gets trapped inside the follicle and then curves back on itself and grows into the surrounding skin. This can irritate the skin and cause a red, lumpy reaction, made worse next time you shave and sometimes leading to infection.
• How to prevent them - Exfoliate and moisturise regularly. The former to remove dead skin cells and release trapped hairs, and the latter to keep skin soft and allow hairs to grow through the surface more easily. Always shave after a hot shower with a sharp razor in the direction of the hair growth so you don’t distort the follicles and always use a quality razor that cares for your skin. Don’t over-stretch the skin while shaving to avoid too close a shave.
• How to deal with them - soak a towel in hot water and put it on the skin for a few minutes to soften the hairs. Using sterilised tweezers, loosen the end of the hair and leave it for a couple of days before plucking so the skin can heal back around the hair shaft so that it can grow correctly in future. Keep the area clean and dry to minimise future infection.

There are two types of shaving rash:

1. Caused by ingrowing hairs (see tips above)
2. Due to a persistent infection in the follicles themselves. Some key ways to avoid this are:
   • Have a hot shower and then prepare your beard with a good quality foam or gel to soften the hair and make sure bristles can be cut without pulling and irritating the skin.
   • Use a sharp razor – blunt or dull blades will increase irritation
   • Shave in the direction of the hair growth - shaving against the grain of the beard causes friction when the razor passes over the skin.
   • Apply a soothing balm afterwards to calm the area and help control any irritation.

Some shaving products such as Wilkinson Sword Hydro boast special, innovative features that help reduce irritation whilst still achieving a really close shave.

If your skin is very irritated, consider a break from shaving for a while to give it a chance to heal itself before trying shaving again. If it still doesn't settle then it's worth asking your doctor about medical intervention.

If you suffer from acne, shaving can be a real pain in both senses of the word, and your daily routine will need extra care. For a more comfortable shave, apply good shaving practice but always shave lightly so that you don’t cut into the blemishes. Aim for less irritation rather than the closest finish.

Wash the face with warm water and a gentle soap to soften the skin and open the pores or warm the face with a hot wet flannel for 30 seconds. Then use a good quality shaving gel or foam that doesn’t contain alcohol and is designed for sensitive skin – using this with a shaving brush will help to lock in moisture and raise the facial hairs. Consider the use of a medicated wash containing salicylic acid which will have the combined benefit of helping loosen any trapped or ingrown hairs and help with acne management. Consider the use of an anti-acne treatment such as Benzoyl Peroxide as part of your post-shave aftercare.