Face it, shaving is never going to be the favourite part of your day, is it? It is time consuming, difficult, often painful and it tends to crop up a load of pimples more easily than it makes your skin smooth. Assuming that you are not willing to give up on a smooth face and run around with a wild beard for the rest of your days, is there a way to make shaving less of an irritation?

The major problem that most men have is skin irritation from the razor blades. The simple act of drawing the blade over and over your sensitive facial skin means that it is going to wind up red and raw, and far too sore to contemplate your next shave. This is usually due to a low quality blade that is simply too dull to properly trim facial hair without going over the same area more than once or twice. Buy yourself a top quality razor with multiple blades in the head; that way you will not have to repeat the motion so many times and the sharp blades will take care of stubble in no time. Irritation is caused not just from shaving itself, but from the repetition that comes of shaving with a dull or inferior blade. Get yourself a good razor and be sure to replace the blades regularly!

Another way to cut down on skin irritation is to use a thick shaving cream. Soap is certainly not a good option, since it is thin and will not cushion the skin against the blade, and many shaving lotions and creams are also too thin to do much good. Find a foam or cream that comes out thick and stays that way when applied to your face. This way you are protecting the delicate skin while giving the blade something to adhere to, and shaving this way will leave your face much smoother than before. It is also a good idea to add a touch of moisturiser to the area after shaving. Now, you must wait a little while after shaving to apply a lotion or you will experience a pain that you would be better off without, so wait a few hours and perhaps apply it in the evening. Moisturiser will rehydrate the shaved area after your razor dried it out, so this is important if you want to keep the skin soft and healthy.

Are you one of those men who finds multiple pimples staring back at you, concentrated in the area you shave in? This is not uncommon, and there is a simple way to deal with it. Acne spots crop up in shaved areas usually because of skin irritation; infectious bacteria works its way into raw skin and causes spots on top of razor burn, and the regular shaving pattern just makes it worse. To avoid this it is necessary to cause less irritation to your skin while shaving, and to do this it is very helpful to shave with the direction of your hair growth instead of against. Most men will shave against the grain because they find it easier to get a closer shave that way, but it is actually best to avoid that method. Shaving against the direction of your hair growth is the most common form of irritation after dull razors, and despite one day of a completely smooth face, you will forever be battling the irritation afterwards.

If you want to avoid zits, redness and pain involved with shaving, reduce the irritation to your skin. Use a good quality razor, remember to change the blades often and shave with the grain using a thick cream. Moisturise later on, and you have got the smooth, healthy skin you are looking for!