WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE PERFECT WET SHAVE

The tools you need for wet shaving.

When it comes to the art of Wet Shaving there are only a few essential ingredients. Water of course, as hot as you like and plenty of it.

You'll need a good Saftey Razor to start.

Sure, you can stick with the plastic, cheesy ones you've been buying for years. Or use your head and treat yourself to a gleaming chrome, precision made razor that will last you a life time. You'll find a great many to choose from but the best far are made by Merkur out of Germany. Their razors are gorgeous and offer a shave of unparallel quality.

If you're just starting out you might want to consider the Merkur 23C or the Merkur HD (heavy duty) Barber pole razor prices on the web at countless shopping sites, including eBay run $25 - $50 respectively. You can spend 3 times that but there is in my opinion no reason to shell out that much cash right off the bat.

It's your technique that'll make for a great shave more than buying the most expensive one you can find.

Give yourself the Brush off - The Shaving Brush explained.

Aside from the razor and blade the biggest difference between wet shaving and boring ineffective, over priced shaving is the use of a shaving brush. Badger fur or 'Badger Brushes" being the most popular, followed by Boars Bristle brushes - and if you're like me and make it a point to use cruelty free products whenever you can - today's synthetics are wonderful.

You use the brush to either apply or spread the shaving cream on your skin and you'll be blown away by not only how great it feels but the astonishing shave that will result. The brush forces water and hydrating emollients into the whisker, softening them and making them easy to cut through. A good shaving brush also exfoliates the skin each time you use it, resulting in a noticeably better, healthier looking complexion

As you browse around you'll see the prices for shaving brushes vary from $9.00 to a whopping $1,500 for a top of the line Silver tip Badger fur brush. Do they feel nice and silky soft? of course. Do the exfoliate your skin? no.
Is it worth spending that kind of money on a shaving brush?
Don't get crazy - of course not!

Wet Shaving "snobs" will tell you Badger is the only way to go. They're mistaken. A decent Boars bristle or better still a new synthetic Saving Brush from a company like Omega that offers a a their new synthetic fiber "Syntex" will knock you out in both feel and performance.

Prices range between $25 and $60 for excellent quality Synthetic Shaving brushes. They do a great job holding the hot water and allowing you to keep dipping into your now favorite and luscious shaving cream. Or use a shaving soap in mug and whip up mounds of dense rich foam just like the "ole' school" barbers do.

Something magical happens between the shaving brush, shave cream, water and razor. The experience is incredibly relaxing and the end result is pretty much shaving nirvana. Now the fun really begins as you find yourself scouring the Web for the ocean of pre-shave balms and oils, after shave moisturizers, rose waters and skin soothing after shaves.

Here are a few links to get you browsing around, these are sites I've had good experiences with, no doubt you will to:

http://www.classicshaving.com/Home.html

http://leesrazors.com/

http://shoeboxshaveshop.com/

You'll also find a ton of online forums, these are great source to read product reviews, get answers to your questions, learn new techniques - and last but not least have fun.

http://headshaveproducts.com/

http://badgerandblade.com

Is the only objective to get that perfect shave?

No, not really. But rather to just relax and savour the uxorious and quite intoxicating art of Wet Shaving from a long gone era. Don't expect the "Perfect Shave" because remember should you find it - you would miss out on your lifetime ahead to practice. The fun of it all my Friend, is in the journey and not the destination.






Next Up - Badger Shaving Brushes - the Dark Underbelly of the Wet Shaving World.

WET SHAVING EXPLAINED.

Ever since the caveman first scraped a rock across his face shaving has been a part of the male grooming experience.

But even with today’s high-tech razors, lots of men still get nicks, cuts, and razor burn. A return to a more sophisticated and luxurious way to de-whisker your face and for some of us our Noggins too is becoming more popular each and every day. All for good reason, it feels fabulous and saves you a fortune on those replacement cartridges. A proper Wet Shave gives you the closest, most comfortable shave you'll ever have.

The quest for the perfect shave.

The perfect shave is what we strive for every time we bring a razor up to our skin. We chase that elusive, effortless shave that’s baby butt smooth, without skin irritation, redness - or that "yikes! my face is on fire!" feeling most guys feel is par for the course when it comes to shaving.

Why the perfect shave is so hard to achieve.

Getting a Barber shop quality shave has become a lost art. Shaving is one of those glorious traditions that used to be passed down from father to son, but somewhere along the line, when shaving became more about cheap, disposable razors and God awful shame creams, a precious legacy was lost.

Those gleaming chrome plated razors your father and grandfather used, were precision made instruments, built to last a life time. Part of the reason for this sad demise is that much like ink jet printers the profit is entirely in the replacement cartridges - they lose money on the printers
Companies like Gillette , Renton and others realized that with their razors lasting for generations, and the average cost of a DE (Double edged) razor blade being mere pennies. These fabulous razors were phased out and cheap plastic razors were introduced along with expensive cartridges that cost between $1.75 - $4.00 apiece. The rest as they say, is history.

A once glorious retreat into personal luxury was instantly transformed into a brainless, dull and often painful routine where you didn't even have to think about it. We;;, except for those dull disposable razor dragging across a thin layer of chemically drenched "shave cream". We learned to grin, wince, grimace and get it over with as fast as possible

Everything old is new again - really.
Men of all ages are discovering the lost art of Wet Shaving - no wonder it's becoming one of the hottest trends in men's grooming. As the popularity of the traditional Wet shave continues to rise, millions of men are shocked every day to discover that this “old school” method of shaving isn't only down right fun - they're getting the best shave they've had in their lives.

What is “wet shaving” and how is it different from the way most men shave today?

Wet shaving is just what the term implies, keeping your skin wet with plenty of hot water before and during the entire shave. The hot water combined with hydrating rich quality shave soaps and creams - the kind you won't find in any pharmacy or supermarket - makes for a superior shave in every possible way.

The razor glides effortlessly across your skin, instead of dragging. Gone for good is the irritation, redness, rashes, burns, in grown hairs and shaver bumps.
Wet shaving gives you a beautiful close shave day after day and better looking skin to boot.

The hot water relaxes your facial muscles - and dense creamy lather softens your whiskers like butter. Unlike shaving creams, foams, and gels on the mass market, where you're tugging on each and every hair on your face and or head these amazing old school creams and soaps slice through with the greatest of ease, giving you the closest shave imaginable without irritating your skin.

Coming up next - The tools you need for the Perfect Wet Shave

LOSING YOU HAIR DUE TO CHEMO THERAPY. WHAT YOU CAN DO.

Especially for women the fear over losing her hair can top the fear of losing her life to Cancer” – Jan Ping

There are three things you need to do in a very specific order:

1) Make those cancer cells curse the day they chose you as an adversary. Go ahead, take pleasure in literally kicking their ass.

2) Accept that your hair is going to fall out - quickly and suddenly. Yes, this can be traumatic and depressing. But you have more important things to deal with now. This is not a casualty of the war your fighting. It’s not even a set back. It's one more opportunity for you to spit in the face of cancer.

3) Decide what you want. You have some great options.

For instance a hair replacement can be created to match your existing color and style perfectly. Or you might like to totally transform your look with a new style and color. Hey, this is war and if a pink Mohawk is going to make you feel better. Why the hell not?

Or maybe you just can't be bothered and could care less about being bald. Hey, it worked beautifully for Melissa Ethridge. You have options, good ones. Just pick the one that makes you feel comfortable and empowered - that’s all that matters.

What you can expect.

Hair loss from Chemo therapy isn’t subtle. It falls out in cl
umps, by the handful. It’s this experience that causes the lions share of anguish and pain. Rather than suffer through it ~ think about shaving it off ASAP.

Yes, it’ll be emotionally painful but I promise you it'll only make you feel bad for a nano second. As opposed to the ordeal of letting it drag on for weeks or months.

But prior to taking the clippers to your melon, first things first.

Demand the respect you deserve.

When you make an appointment with a Hair Replacement professional, make sure you’ll be seen in a private consultation room. My guess based on dealing with women going through Chemo related Hair Loss is that all of the better companies that serve them have private rooms.

So relax, it’s not like eating dinner at a table for one in the center of a packed restaurant, where it's a party of 100 and you with a spot gleaming down over your table. I hate that.


Tell the consultant your hair loss is due to Chemo don’t beat around the bush it serves no purpose.

This is important because the creators of your “New Hair” need to know what materials will suit you best for comfort and appearance. Remember ,Hair Salons can do little more than order you a mass produced wig. At best these will look real in a dim room at 500 paces. They’ll also be hot and uncomfortable.

Don’t bother - period.

Find a well respected Hair replacement Studio that’s easy for you to get to and hear what they have to say. To find one you can contact the American Hair loss council, a non profit association I helped to found back in the early 1980's with renowned hair loss expert and friend Michael Mahoney Http://www.ahlc.org/

The American Cancer Society has an excellent resource called the “Look good ~ feel better” program. It's a viable source for you for all kinds of information. You can find them on the web at http://www.cancer.org/ or call then directly at 1-800-395-LOOK (1-800-395-5665).

After the initial consultation is over and the vibe of the studio and people feel right to you. They’ll take plenty of measurements and possibly a template of your head. This for the base material of the replacement and ensures your new hair will fit properly and not look “wiggy”. You’ll also need to leave a deposit - standard is 50% but I’ll get to pricing in a bit.

After you’re finished up, head home and take a nap - or as I said earlier go shopping! You deserve it. Maybe throw in a massage or facial but whatever you do - doesn’t it feel fabulous to be back in control of something!

Timing ~ it really is everything

It’ll take roughly 6-9 weeks to complete your new hair system. Don’t wait until the last minute. Make an appointment and go! You have better things to do with your time now, like shop.

Want that new style and color? Start tearing pictures out of magazines, down load them from the web, or if you don’t plan on any drastic changes just bring a few photos in of yourself and your hair as you’ve always known it.

Again, doing what feels right in your heart and your head is the way to go.

Schedule a time to have a Fit!

Have all the fits you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. This is at least one benefit of having cancer. You can go crazy Mommie Dearest loco any damn time and place you feel. You’ve earned it.

But I’m talking about an appointment for your final fitting with the good people who’ve made your new hair. You’ll get a call that your Hair is ready - please don’t put it off, just go do what you have to do, you’ll thank yourself for being so pro-active yet once again.

During your visit the replacement will be fitted, cut and styled. You’ll be taught how to care for it how to put it on and how to remove it. All in all expect to spend at least two hours - and bring your spouse or a good friend along for feedback and support. Not that you’ll take their advice but it’ll make them feel important and that’s a nice thing.


A Cranial Prosthetic is infinitely better than a wig.

Hair systems created for oncology related hair loss are light, airy and fabulous. Plus it looks like the hairs are growing from your scalp just the way nature intended. The effect is quite impressive.

Wigs on the other hand can end up being loose on your head, hot and itchy and look well, "wiggy" Exceptions to the rule exist and you can search them out with the same people your dealing with for a custom hair system.

Price.

Expect to pay between $1200 - $3,000 for a top quality hand made hair system. Not cheap! But remember, unlike wigs which are machine made. These are literally works of art. Each hair has been matched to your own (or any color you like) and every single hair has been knotted into the base by hand, at the precise angle to re-create a natural growth pattern.

In fact the effect is so incredible you can pull your hair back in a pony tail, slick it back and flat, Dive off the cliffs of Hawaii and never have to worry about it coming off.

I can't stress this enough, the hairline is critical. With a well made replacement system even when pulled back your hairline should look completely natural. These hair systems are usually made with what’s called a lace front - make sure you’ve discuss this before your new hair goes into production.

The secret to getting your new hair for free - or close to it.

A few years ago, a bill was passed through Congress that forced most insurance companies to cover hair replacements when they’re needed for medically related hair loss. Average converge is between 50% and 80% of the cost. But you’ll need to do a few things first, they’re important so wake up!

Call your Insurance provider but remember do NOT use the word “Wig” You’ll need a prescription from your Oncologist for a “Cranial Prosthetic”

If the word wig appears on the prescription your insurance company will deny you - they just love doing that don’t they.

Don’t give them the chance. They view wigs as cosmetic accessories and you’ll spend precious time and energy wading through all the red tape to re submit your claim. When be both know you would rather be spending time at a Spa somewhere being pampered by a gorgeous Spa Boy named Elan who you should keep busy brining you glasses of chilled fruit juice and lemon infused water. And frequent massages in dim lit rooms.



Don’t have health Insurance? Or limited coverage?

Not to worry, if you’re a member of the 60 Million "People without health care team" like me!... I’m the treasurer. You’ll find there are plenty of places that will work with you on a sliding scale and or have interest free financing programs. Many women, like you do the right thing and donate their hair systems once their own hair has started to regrow.

And yes the rumor is true. In over 90% of Oncology related hair loss from Chemo therapy your hair really does grow back - looking infinitely more lush and gorgeous than ever before in their lives. You’ll be no exception.

Years ago I had an amazing client who told me “If I had known how fabulous my hair would have come in...I would have had cancer years ago!”

These replacements are sterilized and refurbished and available for a song - even if you’re tone deaf. Get in touch with Locks of love, they’re wonderful Although they specialize in free hair systems for children with cancer, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better organization to lead you in the right direction.

http://www.locksoflove.org/

At the end of the day.

Surround yourself with love. Seek out people and animals who make you feel better.

Avoid toxic people and situations as best you can.

Find the humor because laughter really is the best medicine so

overdose on it.

Recreate your look if you like or don’t. The choice is yours.

After all it’s never been about what’s on your head ~ but rather what’s inside of it.

Now my Dear, go kick some serious cancer ass.