What Is The Best Razor For A Tough, Coarse & Thick Beard?

What Is The Best Razor For A Tough, Coarse & Thick Beard?

A thick, wiry beard; on some days it might make you feel like an invincible viking warrior, but on others it seems like a rather wretched affliction. But no more! If you’re prone to struggling with razor burn, redness and irritation, we’ve collected all our best advice in one place so you no longer have to finish an arduous shave with sore skin.

Can you shave a thick beard with a razor?

You might feel frustrated with your razor if you have a coarser beard as you might be finding that the blades get blunt fast, and you’re prone to razor burn. Beard trimmers are appealing because they are very easy to use, and they certainly play an important part in facial hair maintenance, but razors are actually even better when it comes to precision in shaping your beard around your cheeks and neckline. To get these benefits when you’re dealing with tougher hair, it’s worth spending time finding a great razor which you know is up to the job.

How do I soften my beard before shaving?

When it comes to softening facial hair before you shave, one of your key tools is also one of the simplest. It’s hot water! Of course, if you’re the proud owner of a nice thick beard, you know the importance of shampooing and conditioning it regularly to wash away dirt and impurities which can gather in thicker facial hair. This is particularly important before shaving, so give your beard a good warm soak to dramatically soften hairs, ready for easy grooming.

If you're feeling fancy, you can also massage some oil or balm into your beard before shaving to further condition and moisturise it. It’s also a great idea to opt for a glycerin-based shaving cream for the greatest moisturising effect.

How do you shave a coarse beard?

  1. Of course, it’s crucial to prepare your face before you shave. As we’ve already mentioned, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got your facial hair wet, and use any moisturising products in order to soften it. Some people prefer to shave in the shower, as obviously this ensures your facial hair and skin stay warm and damp.
  2. Avoid shaving against the grain. Instead, start by shaving with the grain to break through the coarse hairs. Then, re-lather to ensure everything stays moist before shaving again, this time across the grain, to clean up and get a closer shave.
  3. Keep plenty of spare razor blades around, and if you start to feel tugging while you’re shaving, make sure to change blades.
  4. When you’re finished, use a fairly intensive and restorative aftershave balm or moisturiser. The toughest beards often grow on the most sensitive skin, but even if your skin isn’t naturally sensitive, shaving thick, coarse facial hair is still pretty harsh, so you’ll still want to use products which help your skin recover.

What is the best razor for tough and coarse beards?

When shaving tougher, thicker facial hair, the handle of your razor is very important. It needs to be thicker and have a really good grip in order to prevent the blade from slipping. Our Hydro 5 Skin Protection Sensitive Razor is great because its handle is ergonomically designed to provide a firm, comfortable grip, and the razor has also been created with sensitive skin in mind. It’s also great for creating clean, precise edges since you can flip back the gel pools at the top of the blade.

You also want a high quality blade which will last a long time and provide value for money when you are shaving more challenging facial hair. Our Classic Double Edge Safety Razor has double-edged blade technology which elongates blade life, as well as a mechanism for easily replacing the inexpensive but high-quality blades.

Once you've tamed your course beard, you might want to check out our guide on how to grow and style a short boxed beard or how to style a scruffy beard.

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