Shaving is a daily ritual for people all around the world and recently, male grooming has become a bigger part of our lives. For some, shaving can be quite a burden and a lengthy task (if you have more hair) than most. However, it’s now seen as a chance to shape your appearance. We have all heard of the clean shaven look, now it seems it is the styled look that is more popular.
The process of shaving has undergone many changes, from plucking the hair out with shells to using electric shavers and new technologies are continuing to innovate the way we shave.
We thought it would be interesting to “go back in time” to see the history of shaving. Centuries ago there were no razors and people did not have the shaving regimes that we have today.
Shaving Before Christ
In stone age, men would shave using clamshells, flint knives and even shark teeth. It is difficult to say how effective these items werebut we reckon it was a very close shave and dangerous too.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, circular solid gold or copper razors can be found as far back as the 4th millennium BC in some Egyptian tombs.
Literature also states that the Roman king Lucius Tarquinius Priscus introduced the razor to his people in the 6th century BC. Even though shavers had been around for a while, it was not a common practise with the Romans for another hundred years or so.
In the 4th century, Alexander the Great encouraged all his men to shave off their beards for protection so that enemies could not grab them by their facial hair. They would use a novacila, a block of iron with one edge sharpened. This was not only dangerous but also not practical at all. Many injured themselves during the process.
Julius Caesar used tweezers to pluck his beard. This painful method would have required great eye sight and a high pain threshold. In the meantime other Romans rubbed their facial hair off their faces using pumice stones.
Safety razors
Safer razors were fully introduced in 1828. William Henson invented the hoe-shaped razor in 1847 that you probably have in your bathroom cabinets at home.Later on in 1895 the shape was combined with the idea of shaving with a disposable double edged blade by King Camp Gillette. This invention introduced safe shaving and at the same time made Gillette a fortune. Gone were the times of shaving with a single sharp blade.
Electronic shavers
People have been trying to invent and patent electronic shavers ever since 1900, however there have not been many succesfful ones. In 1928, a retired Army colonel named Jacob Schick patented an electronic razor he had designed and the world finally had a winner. This cunning invention made life much easier.
21st Century
It is estimated that 90% of adult males shave at least once a day. This amounts to an estimated 20,000 shaves in a lifetime.
For those who are looking to remove all facial hair, there is a great variety of tools and techniques available. Consider t-razors, electric shavers and straight razors. T-razors and electric shavers are amongst the most commonly used.
Luxury Shaving
Shaving is becoming more of an experience than a task. There are a variety of products to cater for your budget. However if you have millions then why not nip to your local luxury male groomers to get your beard styled to the latest look. There are plenty of luxury products out on the market from shaving creams to hair pastes to keep your moustache styled perfectly.
The worlds most expensive razor was sold for $100,000. This was made from white sapphire and gave the closest shave ever recorded. A recent sttudy arly 70% of American women prefer a clean-shaved man it is worth the effort to have the right attributes to do so. Hence men are choosing luxurious grooming products over traditional ones.
Shaving has evolved greatly due to advances in technology and new innovations. The question is: do you prefer to be clean shaven or have a styled look? Either way, the male grooming market is booming which tells us that we are willing to invest in how we look more than ever before!
For most of us we can hope we win the lottery or receive a huge promotion at work so that we can purchase a $100,000 razor. In the meantime, we will have to make do without.
Author Bio
Danny writes about luxury lifestyles, success and millions. He is a contributor to Lottoland magazine. In his spare time he plays basketball.