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Original poster

Who teaches boys to shave?

29 replies

MintJulia · 20/08/2022 18:45

I'm a single mum, with a teen boy and at some point fairly soon, he will need to learn to shave.

Do dads normally teach their sons to shave? Or do they go off to a barber for a lesson in the dark art? Or do I just give him a packet of Bics and let him work it out for himself (not a comforting thought)?

I doubt shaving my legs gives me the appropriate skills. Men make all those weird faces while shaving so there must be more to it. Having got DS this far, I don't want to let him down.

OP posts:
SunnyKlara · 20/08/2022 18:48

No one taught me or my brother to shave, it's pretty common sense I think.

But, your leg skills will be fine for talking your son through it, the weird faces are just making the skin taught to avoid nicks. If you are worried, get him an electric trimmer thing, on the lowest setting it'll be good enough for years until the hair has a decent thickness.

CurlsandCurves · 20/08/2022 18:49

Has he got any males in his life that he gets on with, respects etc? If so I’d be asking them if they’d mind giving him a shaving lesson.

DH taught our eldest and will do the same with the next one. They basically stood side by side in the bathroom and shaved together, DH taking him through the process.

DS is currently sporting a beard but he knows what to do should he want to change his look!

Thethreecs · 20/08/2022 18:54

Dh showed all ours. Tbh I thought it was something I could do as I shave my legs etc but when watching dh show our first I was 😲that he shaved with the hair rather than against. Dh said against gets a clean shave but starting off it irritates the skin, whereas with the hair, was easier on the skin. Then obviously with experience they can do against the hair.

Interested in this thread?

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Beauty
Original poster
MintJulia · 20/08/2022 18:56

Thanks. No obvious male role model available although I could probably persuade my db to step up if necessary.

I'll start with the basics, and ask for help if I make a hash of things.😀

OP posts:
W0tnow · 20/08/2022 18:58

I showed my son, his dad is away a lot. I bought him an electric razor. They’re pretty easy. I remembered watching my dad use one, and showed him how. It was a nice bonding moment.

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 20/08/2022 19:01

Aww @MintJulia I had this worry with ds who’s a couple of years older than yours. But it really wasn’t such a thing as I was thinking it would be. I got him some gel and disposable razor and we stood at the sink together and found out way through it. After that I got him an electric shaver which he preferred. He’s now a bit beardy and he trims that occasionally.
Trust me. You’ll both be fine xxx

Jellytottss · 20/08/2022 19:02

No advice really. But I hope the Bics were a joke? I would go with a Gillette for a male.

HappyHamsters · 20/08/2022 19:02

Gillette have a YouTube tutorial

Muchtoomuchtodo · 20/08/2022 19:03

I got ours electric shavers which they can’t go wrong with

DownNative · 20/08/2022 19:05

Al the teenage boys from single parent families I know all taught themselves to shave.

That was before YouTube though. I'm sure YT is the go to these days.

SquirmOfEels · 20/08/2022 19:07

Father, or when not around, uncle, grandfather, older cousin, hairier friends (yours or his)

Or buy him a lesson at a good barbers. I did that as a birthday pressie for DH at a vv posh London one (expensive, but you got products with it). He said it was fab and there were things about technique he wished he'd known years before!

megletthesecond · 20/08/2022 19:08

I showed DS how to use an electric shaver. He's been fine with it.

Sparklingbrook · 20/08/2022 19:28

Nobody taught my DSs to shave, they bought electric razors and got on with it, I don't think it's that complicated is it?

aletterfromseneca · 20/08/2022 19:31

It’s not any different from legs. With a safety razor the only rules are don’t go fast and don’t go sideways!

if it makes you more comfortable you can start them with a cheap electric razor so they can get used to making the faces

roxisolerenshaw · 20/08/2022 19:36

I'm a single mum and I showed my son how to shave. I think I/we watched a YouTube video to look at the difference between wet and dry shaving and went from there.

SkankingWombat · 20/08/2022 19:47

There is an American bloke who has a series of YouTube videos teaching stuff like this called "Dad, how do I?". His dad wasn't around to teach him and he found working it all out for himself hard, so he made the videos to help other boys/young men in the same situation.

SnowdropsInSpring · 20/08/2022 19:51

Don’t give him Bics unless you want him to cut himself!

Pieceofpurplesky · 20/08/2022 19:53

MintJulia · 20/08/2022 18:56

Thanks. No obvious male role model available although I could probably persuade my db to step up if necessary.

I'll start with the basics, and ask for help if I make a hash of things.😀

Hi OP, fellow single mum. I showed DS how my dad used to shave and then we looked at YouTube videos. He's quite good now - not as much blood

MinervaTerrathorn · 20/08/2022 19:55

DS is 16, I just bought him a Harry's razors kit. He shaved once (not well) and now is just letting the fluff grow. I assume he will just learn from doing it, no one showed me how to shave as a female. I've suggested asking a male relative to show him but he's not interested.

Sprogonthetyne · 20/08/2022 19:56

As a teenager I worked out shaving legs, armpits and lady garden (seemed like a good idea at the time), without help or incident. I doubt faces are any more complicated, and have the advantage of being easily visible in a mirror.

mondaytosunday · 20/08/2022 19:57

I'm a widow and I think my son just figured it out. He dated a girl from 15 who was really into skincare and so he still (two years after they split) buys the shaving balm etc.

Myfanwyprice · 20/08/2022 20:01

I got DS a Drucebox for his birthday last year, it was a bit pricey - around £20 I think, but the products are lovely and there’s a really good booklet with instructions on how to shave plus lots about puberty etc - plus online shaving support. I was really impressed with it.

ProbablyPossiblyPerhaps · 20/08/2022 20:03

DH showed DS1, but I've helped more than one young man with learning disabilities learn to shave himself (mostly with electric razors). I've only ever shaved other people and plucked my so far single chin hair and it's a bit of a "learning by doing" thing 🤣 I did a learning disabilities nursing degree but was never taught to shave anyone.

ProbablyPossiblyPerhaps · 20/08/2022 20:05

SkankingWombat · 20/08/2022 19:47

There is an American bloke who has a series of YouTube videos teaching stuff like this called "Dad, how do I?". His dad wasn't around to teach him and he found working it all out for himself hard, so he made the videos to help other boys/young men in the same situation.

That's brilliant (both the tip and fact he's made those videos).

MinervaTerrathorn · 20/08/2022 20:08

I have a referral link for Harry's razors if anyone is interested.
harrys.com/invite/qcyj94
You sign up for their trial, £3.95 for handle, blade, travel cover, and shave gel. You then get £5 off your next order (blade subscription is £14 for 8). It's easy to cancel or delay the subscription (as I'm doing as DS is still on the first blade).