A shave means to shave someone or to have someone shaved. Shaving removes hair from the skin. Hair is cut away where it comes out of the skin.
There are many reasons for shaving. Above all, many people think that hair on the face, for example, does not look good. Most often, men who do not want to have a beard shave themselves. But what is considered beautiful also depends on the culture.
But you can get rid of hair not only by cutting it away. With epilating the hair is plucked from the skin. With a depilatory cream one dissolves hair. Hair can also be burned away with a flame. However, it is only done by experienced hairdressers who know how to use it.
How to shave?
You shave with a blade. For example, this blade belongs to a longer knife. Such a razor must be very sharp, so that the hair is cut away properly. This is the oldest way to shave.
In the years around 1900, the Gilette company invented the interchangeable blade, a thin piece of metal. The customer bought a holder for such a razor blade. When the blade wore out, he threw it away and bought a new interchangeable blade. It is rarely used today.
Later, the razor or safety razor was invented: only a piece of the blade protrudes from the holder. It’s safer, you can’t cut yourself as easily. This is the most common system with blades today.
Whether using a razor or a replaceable blade, it works best when the face is wet. Also thanks to soap, the blade glides better over the skin. It is referred to as a wet shave. Most men today have the foam from a can.
The dry razor was also invented around 1900. It means a device that works with electricity. Many small blades move back and forth very quickly or they spin in circles. But the devices were still expensive. Only after the years around 1960 many men had such an electric razor.
Where and why some people shave?
People shave for a variety of reasons. Many find that hair does not look good in some places. Hair can also be disturbing. Many people shave their faces because they don’t want to have a beard or only a little beard. These are mostly men. But some women are also growing some hair on their faces.
In addition, one can shave off further hair if one finds it disturbing. Some people shave away the hair under the armpits or around the sex. Especially women shave their legs, if they find shaved, smooth legs more beautiful.
Before an operation, you shave smoothly the place where you want to cut. This is important to prevent bacteria or other pathogens from getting into the wound. Some people shave for sport: swimmers want no hair in the water to slow them down.
Or the reason comes from religion. For example, in the past monks were only supposed to have a crown of hair and were shaved at the very top of their heads. You should also not wear a beard. In ancient Rome, boys were shaved when they showed the first growth of beard. This was solemn and showed that the boy has become a man. But in certain religions it is also forbidden to shave. At least this concerned special times or priests.
In Russia it was common for a long time to wear long beards. Around the year 1700, however, Tsar Peter the Great was against it. He thought beards were unfashionable. So he ordered all men to cut off their beards. If a man did not want this, he had to pay money and kept his hair on his face.
Can shaving be good for your health?
When skin is shaved, it also gets a little damaged. They say that it is irritated. It feels funny, is irritated and reddened. The shaving cream or shaving soap when wet shaving is also there to soothe the skin.
Shaving can be dangerous because bacteria get into the skin through small wounds. In the shaving soap are therefore substances that kill the bacteria. Who shaves dry, takes for it an after Shave Balm. Not so good is normal after shave: This is a sharp, fragrant aftershave that tends to irritate the skin even more.
Shaved, smooth skin is not necessarily cleaner than skin with hair. For cleanliness it is more important to wash yourself. Hair also ensures that it is not so bad when skin rubs against skin. However: lice often nest in the hair. Less hair meant fewer lice, especially in the Middle Ages.
More than 3000 years ago people shaved like this in ancient Egypt: with a piece of bronze.