Mens Health Australia May 2017

SCIENCE OF

SMOOTH

Today’s cutting-edge

technology makes the art of

shaving easier than ever

THERE ARE two good reasons to

shave – power and sex. One survey

found that men with mustaches were

less likely to hold management

positions. And a study from Gillette

and Tinder revealed that clean-shaven

men received 37 per cent more Tinder

matches than their furry rivals.

Yet despite the promise of corporate

success and romance, the fact remains

that shaving isn’t fun: only 12 per cent

of men always make it through a

razor-to- face encounter without

irritation, according to Gillette.

For the other 88 per cent of us,

there’s help: the shaving industry is

responding to men’s needs in ways

that used to apply only to women.

“There are so many problem-specific

products on the market that every guy

can and should have a shave routine

tailored specifically to his facial hair,”

says dermatologist Dr Shobhan

Manoharan from Brisbane Skin.

An average

shave is 170

strokes using a

multibladerazor.

Early man used

shark’s teeth;

the modern

man will use

ultra-thin

(0.075mm)

des.

Hydrated beard

hair is less

stiff; after

your beard has

hadfourminutes

of contact with

water,youneed

40 per cent

less force to

cut it. That’s

why showering

before shaving

is a smart idea.

Beard hair

thicker tha

hair and re

almost triple the

force to cut.

1

%

0

%

BEARD

LEG

BROWN HAIR

WHITE HAIR

Moisturised,

scrubbed skin

ensures better

lubrication,

so the razor is

less likely to

snag or burn

your skin.

Beard hair’s

density ranges

from 20 to

80 follicles

per square

centimetre.

Beard hairs

grow about 0.4

millimetres every

day. But white

beard hair grows

at more than twice

that rate.

Sources:British Journal of

Dermatology, International

Journal of Cosmetic

Science,Procter & Gamble

WORDS BY JON ROTH, ADDITIONAL TEXT BY CAELIA CORSE; ILLUSTRATIONS BY TODD DETWILER

FORCE

68 MAY 2017