That old barber who swore by cold shaves finally got to me

I used to think hot towels and warm lather were the only way to give a proper shave. Then I spent a morning watching a 70 year old barber in downtown Cincinnati work on walk ins. He told me cold shaves reduce irritation and swelling, and after trying it on three clients with sensitive skin I had to admit he was right. Has anyone else here switched to cold shaves for certain skin types?

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_green441mo ago

Nah man, hot lather just feels too good to give up lol.

jakewhite1mo ago

You said hot lather feels too good to give up, @sean_green44, but I've got to disagree. I switched to cold water shaving years ago and it changed everything for me. My skin used to get all red and irritated with hot lather, and cold water tightens things up so you get a closer shave with less mess. Plus you don't have to wait around for the water to heat up or deal with a plugged sink full of shaving foam. I think people just get used to the comfort and don't realize the trade-off in convenience and skin health.

xena_bailey181mo ago

Oh man, I had a buddy try that cold water thing once. He was all in for about a week, swore it was the future of shaving. But then one morning he was rushing to work and nicked himself so bad his shirt looked like a crime scene. He had to borrow a clean one from the office lost and found. Never touched cold water again after that. I'll stick with my lukewarm tap water and a basic razor, thanks. Not trying to reinvent the wheel over here.