How to Shave Your Head in Shower? (Without Nicks & Cuts)

Shaving my head in the shower is awesome because the hot steam opens up pores and makes the wet shave way easier, and removes all the mess.

But your technique needs to be perfect. Otherwise, you will get nicks, cuts, and razor bumps.

Here’s my shower shaving process for the perfect shave.

How to Shave in the Shower?

1. Trim Long Hair With Clippers

If you’re someone who shaves their head once a week or less often, then this step is for you. 

Before jumping into the shower and grabbing your razor, it’s important to trim down any long hair with hair clippers. 

Why? The longer the hair, the higher likelihood of nicks and cuts. Buzz cutting your hair first ensures that the razor glides smoothly over your scalp.

Use clippers with no guard option, as this will give you the closest cut possible.

With gentle strokes, run the clippers over your entire head in all directions – front to back, side to side – making sure no long strands remain. 

Take extra care around tricky areas like behind the ears and at the nape of your neck.

2. Shower First

Firstly, hop in the shower and let the steam work its magic for about 5-10 minutes. 

The hot water will open up your pores and soften those hair follicles that are way easier to shave afterward.

I like to use shampoo (you can use a conditioner, body wash, or whatever you have) on my scalp to wash and massage it, just like with regular hair.

Additionally, I occasionally use an exfoliating scrub that can remove any dirt and dead skin cells from my head.

I was at first pessimistic about the whole exfoliation thing, but once I started regularly doing it, I saw how much better my scalp felt after each shave.

3. Set Up Two Mirrors (Optional)

The fact is that you do not need to shave your head blindly, although many oldtimers try to sell you this.

If you’re new to shaving your head, I highly recommend using head shaving mirrors before getting your 10,000 hours in. Trust me, it will save you from some painful cuts! 

I suggest getting two mirrors. One static mirror near your showerhead at eye level. This will be the main mirror for finishing ears and lining up a beard.

The second hand mirror is to shave the back of your head. Use this to see the reflection of the back of your head from the first mirror.

Using these two mirrors gives beginners more confidence when navigating around those tricky spots on our heads.

Protip: Get fog-free or waterproof mirrors so that mirrors won’t get fogged up. You can also add a waterproof layer to existing mirrors that work decently well.

4. Cover Your Head With a Shaving Cream

When it comes to grooming your scalp, using the right lubrication is crucial. 

While some guys opt for just water or whatever shampoo happens to be in their shower, I’ve found that a thick scalp shaving cream is essential for a smooth shave.

Shaving cream helps soften the hair follicles on your scalp, making them easier to cut during the razor pass. This reduces the risk of irritation and ingrown hairs.

Secondly, shaving cream creates a barrier between your skin and the razor blade, minimizing friction and reducing any potential nicks or cuts. 

I recommend using a thick shaving cream because it’s quick and easy to apply with my hands in hand without needing extra tools like brushes or lathering bowls. 

Plus, it doesn’t require additional time spent building up a lather – something I don’t have interest nor patience for in my morning routine.

So skip those random shampoos (that often contain harsh chemicals) lurking around in your bathroom cabinet! Invest in quality shaving cream specifically designed for bald heads.

Protip: I like to keep the water running, but I usually move the showerhead down so it doesn’t splash my head. In this way, I can easily rinse the blade after every 2-3 strokes.

5. Start From the Back

When in the shower, I always start shaving my head from the back. It’s tricky but important as it’s a difficult place to reach, and there’s almost no visibility.

To avoid cuts, I like to use two to three short strokes at a time and recheck with my fingers to ensure a clean stroke. I do this for the whole head.

Personally, I find that beginning with horizontal strokes works best for me in the lower part of my head before moving on to the higher areas. 

However, you may prefer longer vertical strokes if they suit you better (although these might require more precision).

Remember to rinse off your blade regularly – every 2-3 strokes should do – as this will help prevent any accidental cuts or nicks along the way.

Protip: I have a sensitive scalp, and I first shave with the grain and always do a second shave against the grain. This way, I get the closest shave possible but avoid irritation. For most of us, starting out against the skin will result in irritation and razor bumps.

6. Line Up Beard With a Mirror

Now it’s time to line up your beard. The steam from the hot water will soften both your hair follicles and facial hair, making it easier to achieve clean lines.

I highly recommend you get a mirror for this, as otherwise, you won’t get those straight lines. 

Now you can finish this up in the sink, but this kinda defeats the purpose of shower shaving without all the mess.

I also usually finish up detailing ears the last, as there will always be a couple of small hairs, that you just cannot cut with the first two rounds.

7. Run Fingers Over the Scalp

During the shave, make sure to consistently run your fingers over your head to find missed spots; there always be some.

The most common problematic zones are the back of your head and near the ears.

Once you find those rough or stubbly patches, add some additional shaving cream, and finish up those spots.

I have found that water alone is not decent enough barrier, even for those small cleanup strokes, so I highly suggest always adding more cream.

8. Pat Dry With a Towel

After shaving, finish up with a cold splash of water to close up the pores, and once you are out of the shower, gently pat dry your head with a clean towel.

When drying off, resist the urge to scrub or rub vigorously, as this will just irritate your freshly shaved head. This step is crucial for maintaining healthy and irritation-free skin on your scalp. 

But not all towels are great for this, as synthetic materials (usually cheaper) often won’t absorb that much moisture easily. Thus you need to rub more.

I have found that bamboo towels have the highest absorbency and need the least effort from my side while also being super soft. I guarantee you will feel a difference.

9. Use an Aftershave Scalp Cream

After shaving your head in the shower, it’s important to take care of your scalp by using an aftershave scalp cream.

This step is crucial for maintaining proper hygiene and keeping your skin moisturized. 

A dedicated aftershave cream specifically designed for the scalp will provide essential moisture and help repair any damage caused during shaving.

Using a regular facial or body moisturizer may not be as effective since they are not formulated to address the unique needs of the scalp. 

An aftershave scalp cream contains ingredients that soothe irritation, reduce redness, and promote healing after shaving.

In addition, a high-quality aftershave scalp care moisturizer ensures optimal hydration, nourishment, and protection against elements and everything else that may harm it.

What is the Best Razor Type for Shower Shave?

Not all razors are ideal for a shower shave. A safety razor is more forgiving, while a single-edge razor requires a lot of experience and skill.

If you are a beginner, I highly suggest starting out with a cartridge razor and moving up from there.

Waterproof Electric Razor

Shower shaving with an electric razor is the fastest and most convenient. Most electric head shaving razors are waterproof, so you can shave dry or wet or wherever you are.

The main downside is that it doesn’t give you that smooth look and probably does not remove the dreaded horseshoe shadow that many of us passionately want to remove. 

Another problem is that you cannot use an electric razor to finish up your ears and line up your beard. Then you still need to use a razor after the shower.

Cartridge Razor

A cartridge razor is the best option for beginner shower shavers as it’s designed to dumb down the shaving point, and you do not need any technique.

Most decent cartridge razors also have a pivoting head, which is a lifesaver under the shower, where your visibility might be bad or if you are shaving totally blind.

Start here with the cartridge razor, so you can get some experience and have a base standard. Then try a double-edged (DE) razor if you want to up your game.

But give the double edge razor some time, like 3 weeks. When I swapped, my scalp’s skin took some time to get used to it. Now it causes less irritation, and as stubble grows back, it feels more uniform. 

Double Edged Razor

A double edge razor is the first step in upping your head-shaving game. It doesn’t have these training wheels like a pivoting head and forgiving shave like the cartridge razor has.

But a double-edged razor is way cheaper and, for many of us, reduces the irritation a lot. 

Also, it’s ten times easier to unclog a double-edged razor because you can open up the blade compartment.

There is a small learning curve to get the angle of the razor right. And shaving well with a DE requires visual and auditory feedback, which might be difficult in the shower.

This means a mirror is essential, and silence is recommended.

All this helps to continuously adjust the angle and the very light pressure of the blade against the skin as it glides over the contours of your face.

Single Edge Razor 

Single edge razor is a real big boy razor. It doesn’t have any of the luxury that a cartridge razor or a double-edged razor offers.

Shaving with a single-edge razor works well for experienced baldies. 

This is because you are shaving with the head nearly flat on the skin. It’s easier to get the angle right in spots where you’re shaving purely by feel.

A thing to keep in mind is that while you can get double-edge blades from virtually everywhere, you cannot get single-edge blades while on the go.

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