Even for those of us who have been shaving our head for years, the inevitable happens again from time to time. That sometimes weekly routine of shaving a head to keep up a clean and crisp bald look. Men shave their face regularly, but even if that’s been a decade old habit, the experience is much different.
Shaving your bald head without cutting yourself is difficult to do, unless you properly prepare, care for, and cautiously shave the head. These three important aspects of shaving a head are important to avoiding cuts, as well as other forms of pain that are associated with shaving.
An important thing to consider, especially for newly bald people, is head care. The big concern for many is the idea that the head with hair requires much different care than when it is covered in hair. To be blunt, treating a bald head without the care and treatment it deserves will result in a real issue visually and physically. That’s why shaving a head cannot start until proper care is being taken.
Caring and Prepping for a Head to be Shaved
Make no mistake, caring for a bald head is not a process that happens right before shaving. Like any grooming, caring and prepping a bald head to be shaved is a routine, often daily, that takes time. It doesn’t need to an hour to your morning routine, or keep you from getting to bed. The process is simple and straightforward. Luckily, if you are caring for a bald head with all of these steps, shaving the head should result in less cuts, an easier shave, and a better look.
Morning Care for a Regularly Shaved Bald Head
There are a few things that help give a bald head the protection and care it needs to start the day off right.
Warm Water Washdown
The first thing the head needs in the morning is a cleansing. After a night’s sleep, there’s no need to use an actual cleanser, but that will come into play for the evening routine. For now, a good warm water washdown can help to give the scalp some moisture and get rid of anything that may be on it from overnight. This can happen in a shower, or a simple washcloth soaked in warm water can work. Make sure not to use the washcloth aggressively, however. There are a lot of things a rough cloth can damage on the scalp, and scrubbing too hard can dry the skin out.
Serums
The next thing a bald head needs is a good serum to help protect it from the environmental challenges of limited coverage. Hair does a lot of good for the head in terms of protecting it from the sun and wind, both of which can dry out the skin. A serum is designed and created using tiny molecules condensed in a liquid treatment to help penetrate deeply into the scalp and skin. Unlike water, which is more complex as a compound, serums feel thinner than water, and sometimes seem as if they disappear into the skin. It can be tempting, given that sensation, to overuse a serum, but a little bit goes a long way. Finding a serum for bald heads specifically is much more useful than a normal skin serum.
Many scalp serums are designed to help feed the follicles moisture so the head feels hydrated no matter what the temperature and sun exposure are. Serums for the face focus on things like wrinkles, aging, hydration, and brightening. These are useful, but not ideal for the scalp. Applying a serum after the warm water wash is ideal because it can actually help to trap moisture into the head. Follow this step with the most crucial of all to ensure that the scalp is ready for a safe shave without any cutting or scrapping.
SPF: Non-negotiable
There are some who think of sunscreen as an option. Maybe a day at the beach calls for one application before heading out for the day. An SPF sunscreen is the number one most important thing someone with a bald head can be using. Actually, scratch that: must be using. SPF protects from ultraviolet rays that come down from the sun and pierce the skin. Because there’s no hair on a bald head, that’s a lot of sensitive, vulnerable skin sitting there to just bake in the heat.
When the scalp dries out, it starts to create more oil. Because oil, or sebum as its known scientifically, can only do so much, the scalp will stay dry and irritated no matter how much is created. That’s because sun damage and UV rays can start to penetrate the scalp past the point of treatment.
An SPF needs to be applied regularly to a bald head to avoid excess oil or dryness. Shaving will be a lot more painful if the scalp is dry. Likewise, if there is too much oil being created on and underneath the head, you will not get as close of a shave. Avoid these shortcomings come shaving time by using an SPF at least every other hour. If you are not going out in the sun, put some on anyway. Believe it or not, a really sunny day can even send UV rays penetrating through windows of a house or office. Plus, SPF sunscreens are moisturizing and assist in keeping the skin hydrated. It’s not a bad habit to use one every day, especially in the morning.
Care Now, Careless Later
Taking time to care for the head is important to providing yourself with a healthy, agreeable scalp to shave. Without making sure the scalp is hydrated and healthy, it can be far easier to cut the skin while shaving. Likewise, oily scalps are tougher to shave because they clog hair follicles. By doing this, it makes it impossible to get a close shave, meaning more time spent in front of a mirror with a razer. Now, let’s look at the best way to get ready for a shave.
Evening Care for a Regularly Shaved Bald Head
The evening is a little different for bald head care. After a full day, a bit more cleansing and cleaning might need to happen in order to take the day off your head and get some much needed support back onto the scalp.
Cleansers
As mentioned above, a cleanser is a bit different from just using warm water. Cleansers work to eliminate anything sitting on your scalp from the day. At work, while commuting, and even just going out to get the mail, particles can attach to the scalp and halt all the healthy habits you are implementing in the morning. A quick cleanse makes sure to get the head ready for a good wash.
Shampoo and Conditioner
Yes, bald people use shampoo and conditioner. In fact, most conditioners are more for the scalp than the hair anyway. This means a good conditioner meant for a bald head can help to smooth and soothe the skin. In this product exists the ability to keep the scalp adequately treated to avoid excess oil or dryness. Without a good shampoo or conditioner, shaving a bald head can be quite painful.
Exfoliation
Exfoliating is an important yet tricky part of keeping a bald head healthy. For the most part, exfoliation is a crucial step in making sure dry and dead skin does not sit on the scalp. While water or cleansers should remove a lot of the excess particles on the head, exfoliation helps to make sure that anything holding onto the scalp comes off. There is such a thing, however, as exfoliating too much.
Over Exfoliation dries the skin out because of a removal of healthy skin tissue. When
Exfoliation should only be done once or twice a week. Give it a few days in between to make sure that the skin has had time to grow and more dead skin develops. Likewise, exfoliation should not be done roughly. If pressed too hard into the skin, either a chemical or physical exfoliant will do too much removal and get into the healthy skin. When used correctly, exfoliation can make a huge difference for getting ready for a shave. Next, it’s time to get ready for the shave.
Setting Up for a Shave
When it’s time to shave a head, there are a few things to do immediately before to make sure things are ready to go. First up is only for people with excess hair on their head. If it’s just a stubble, do not worry about this first step.
Clear the Head of Longer Hair with Electric Razor
If this is the first time you have shaved your head, it’s going to be a little tough to get used to the steps. Following this guide hopefully will help, but so will a good electric razor. The best time to do this step will be after a shower, when the hair is soft and easy to adjust and manage. If there are a number of hairs left on the head, maybe as a result of a reluctance to be bald, an electric razor is a necessity. If you try to take a normal razor to these hairs, the pulling will hurt, the shave will not be very close to the skin, and it’ll take much longer.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel with your choice of electric razor. Something simple will do, just to get rid of the fuller hairs. Attach a guard if you want it to be even throughout, but if it’s all coming off it won’t matter. If you shave without a razor guard, just be careful not to hurt yourself.
Now that these steps previously laid out have gotten the scalp and remaining hairs ready to shave, it’s time to prep and prepare the skin for a razor.
Shaving Oils
Shaving cream is a commonly used product for shaves but many look past shaving oils as a necessary step in the process. By using an oil first, two main goals are met. First, the hair is pressed up from the skin to help remove it easier with a razor. Hair naturally falls to the head, but with an oil it is more removed from the scalp, making for an easier shave. Additionally, shaving oils directly address some of the most painful aspects of shaving. These dangers include:
Razor Burn
Rashes
Cuts
Ingrown Hairs
Some do shave with an oil instead of a cream, but to hit the closest shave, using both is helpful. Apply a few drops of a shaving oil to the head and massage in to raise whiskers and make the scalp feel moisturized before shaving.
Shaving Creams
Shaving creams help to reduce the threat of a lot of those common to shaving oils. The foam and froth of the cream is seen as a bit more enjoyable to use. For the most part, it is easier too. The cream shows a clear sign of where the razor has yet to hit, and when used with the oil, it can be incredibly easy to knock out a full head shave.
Now that the head is lathered and ready to go, it’s time to take a razor to the rest of the hair on the head.
Shaving the Head: Method and Tips
It’s time to go bald, or if you’ve been doing this for awhile, return to a clean head. To avoid cutting yourself, make sure to keep these things in mind.
How to Shave a Head for Baldness
The first and most important step to the process of shaving a bald head is to shave with the grain of the hair. Depending on how the hair follicles look, you’ll want to shave with the way they would fall if hair was full and grown. Doing so can be tricky, so go slow and steady. It’s not a race, and people who shave their heads too quickly are easy to point out. The stubble grows back in much more uneven, and forces the bald person to shave more often.
TIP: Shave Along the Contours
Do not forget to shave to the shape of the head. For example, around the ears, hair grows a little differently. Take caution at this point in the process and make sure not to overlook the trickier parts of the head.
TIP: Do not Move on from One Spot Before Finishing
A bit of eagerness and anxiety, whichever may be occuring, can lead to some shaving the head a lot faster than necessary or possible. For example, when the top of the head is no longer holding any shaving cream, the gut reaction can be to go ahead and move on. Don’t jump the gun; shave against the grain for a close shave, and make sure to look and see if every hair was hit.
TIP: Use the Right Razor
Make sure to pick the right razor! A lot of people have been using their razor for too long. The blades may be dull, which means a more uneven shave and more chances to cut. A lot of people use razors that have a safeguard, and given the sensitivity of the scalp, a straight razor is not recommended. Likewise, a triple blade is often easier to use than a quad blade. It’s all a bit of trial and error, but once you find the right safety razor, its smooth sailing.
Final Tips for a Shaved Head Without Cuts
It all comes down to patience and timing. Patience is crucial during the shaved head process because rushing things causes pain and a bad looking head. If you want your bald head to look it's best, take your time. If you find yourself short on proper time in the morning, do not rush it. A cut on the scalp can be exceptionally painful, especially when exposed to the sun for longer periods of time.
Once the head is shaved, rinse the surface of the head with cold water. Likewise, to avoid cuts and skin that is prone to nicks, make sure to apply an aftershave gel to the skin. Once applied, the head should feel refreshed and smooth. If a cut does occur, make sure to apply a styptic pencil to the wound to stop the bleeding. They’re handy to have around the house, and stop cuts from running blood too much.
Conclusion
For most, shaving the head to a bald style is crucial to keeping a stylish look when hair loss or thinning starts occurring. For as many people do it out of necessity, some choose to do it as well. Making sure to shave the head properly and carefully can help avoid a lot of cuts and concerns. Likewise, cuts look bad, so taking the time to safely shave a bald head makes sure that there are no blemishes on the very visible scalp. Once done a few times, newcomers seem to pick up on the process like a second nature. Luckily, it gets easier every time.
