Mom Milestones – Shaving Tips For Teens with Gillette Mach3 SE #RednessFree

This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint, P&G and Gillette. All opinions, experience, and shaving tips for teens are that of Rural Mom.

There comes a time in every mom’s life when she’s clueless. For me this was identifying when my sons needed to start shaving and better, figuring out how to teach them. Thank goodness for my hubby who clued me in. After which, I turned into a bit of a blubbering mess pile, because, you know, this milestone means my babies are one step closer to manhood (aka leaving the nest soon!)

When is it time for teens to shave?

As my children morph from teens to men and puberty began to induce hair growth, I knew the time was nearing.  My sons both have lighter facial hair so it was more difficult to gauge at first.  When we were out on a hike one day, my husband mentioned it was time for my son to shave.  Of course the part of me that wants to keep them babies forever protested, but indeed, when I looked at my son’s face in the sunlight, the long beard hairs that were growing were quite obvious.

Basically, what we experienced is the way to tell when it’s time for your teen to shave.  When there is enough hair growth on the face to be noticeable, it’s likely time to teach your teen to shave.  Other indicators are darkening of hair on the upper lip or chin producing a noticeable mustaches or beard-like pattern.

What tools should you use to help your teen learn to shave?

The first tool in your shaving lesson time pouch is the obvious one – knowledge!  I obviously know a bit about shaving from a feminine standpoint, but have to confess I was befuddled when it came to teaching my sons to shave.  My husband gladly stepped in for this teachable moment and I gladly stood back and recorded the milestone by snapping photos and offering support from the sidelines.

I’m sure I could have fumbled through the process on my own, but having a male figure around to help with the process is invaluable. If the time comes and you need extra support but do not have an adult male in your home, enlist the aid of a brother, uncle, coach or trusted friend.

Of course you will also need a quality razor, like the Gillette® Mach3® Signature Edition Razor which offers a smooth shave and a redness-free experience.  This razor has 3 Advanced Anti-Friction Blades and 5 Comfort Guard Microfins to help provide an even, effortless shave.  My husband is always impressed with the performance of the blades and so, of course, wants my sons to have the same results.  It’s ideal for your son to have a very positive experience with their first shave to help give them the confidence to continue.  Redness, irritation and cuts can really put a damper on the experience and make your son dread shaving rather than embrace it.

This is why it’s also a great idea to use a shaving cream or gel to help lubricate and protect sensitive facial areas like the Gillette® Fusion ProGlide 2-in-1 Shave Gel.  The gel helps reduce the chance of nicks, irritation and redness when shaving with a disposable razor.  Two features we also loved about the Gillete Fusion ProGlide 2-in-1 Shave Gel is that the formula hydrates to soften hair and a handy indicator on the side of the canister lets you know how much gel is left in the can.  From a mom standpoint, I think this feature is genius!  My sons have a habit of telling me they are out of important toiletries after they’ve already run out.  This way, I can tell at a glance when it’s time to add more to our shopping list.

To pick up our shaving supplies, we headed out to our favorite stock-up store, Costco.  With three men in my home now, I need all the help I can get keeping up with the purchase of shaving supplies and at Costco, I know I’ll get incredible deals on bulk items!

How do I teach my teen to shave?

Every parent will have a different style, so I’m not going to suggest there is only one way to teach your son to shave.  These are the steps that worked well for us and I hope that you will find inspiration from them you can incorporate into your experience:

• Pick a time when you will have enough time to dedicate to the lesson.  Plan for an hour in case your teen has lots of questions or has difficulty mastering shaving techniques.  The key is to not be rushed so that it’s a totally stress-free experience.
• Talk first, demo later.  Because you want your son’s skin to be in optimum ready-condition (see step 3,) you won’t want to spend a lot of time explaining what you’ll be doing during the shave time.  Take a few minutes up front to show your son the tools like Gillette Mach3 Signature Edition Razor and Gillette Fusion ProGlide 2-in-1 Shave Gel.  Explain how they work and the steps you’ll be taking during shaving time.  Also be sure to include a few safety lessons on how to best handle and store razors.
• Have your son take a hot shower (or bath) prior to your lesson.  The warmth from the shower will help open pores and make skin soft for a smooth shaving experience.

• Lather up! Help your son to apply the shaving gel evenly, while reinforcing where to apply it and why it’s helpful to protect their skin.  We highly recommend using shaving gel, too, even if the adult male who is teaching your teen to shave does not include it in their routine.  In addition to protecting your teen’s face, it also offers a visual guide of where to shave.
• Shave!  For the first shave stroke, help your teen so that they understand clearly how much pressure to apply and which direction to shave in.  This will help prevent confusion and nicks up front.  Once they feel comfortable with the process, allow them to finish shaving their face and provide gentle guidance throughout the process.
• Wash up.  When he is finished shaving, have your son wash his face to remove any left-over traces of shaving cream.  Inspect face for any areas that may have been missed and decide whether to re-shave the area or to revisit it later in the week.  If preferred, offer your son a moisturizer or after-shave product to apply.

• Discuss the shaving process.  Ask your son to share his feelings on the experience or any concerns he may have.  If he still seems very uncomfortable with the experience, offer to continue helping until he’s confident enough to do it on his own.  Also discuss how often your teen may need to shave.  For most teens, daily shaving is not necessary.  It may be weeks before another shave is needed.  Encourage them to tell you when they feel it’s time to shave again and in return, help alert them when you see it’s time.

My husband did a brilliant job with both our sons helping them to be confident with the shaving process.  I was happy to step back and simply enjoy and record the moments with my camera.  Though it’s certainly a bitter-sweet milestone to cross with my teens, I’m grateful we could be there for them with the best information and tools to make the transition a wonderful one!

Do you have shaving tips for teens to share?  What helped your experience to be a smooth one?