Yea, every B&B member believes in this and that about wet shaving. It's entertaining to follow theories about how to use a slant, break in a brush, produce lather, and dry your brush, ... But what does the science say?
Out of curiosity, since I work at a research institute (not related to dermatology or metal processing) and have access to scientific papers, I did some basic searches on wet shaving. I hereby present 5 i found most interesting so far. As you know people have died sharing research papers before (link), so I cannot just attach the papers, but if anyone is interested in a particular paper, send me a dm. Some might be open access anyway.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR OWN FINDINGS AND INTERESTING PAPERS!
1.Anthrax Cases Associated with Animal-Hair Shaving Brushes
abstract: During the First World War, anthrax cases in the United States and England increased greatly and seemed to be associated with use of new shaving brushes. Further investigation revealed that the source material and origin of shaving brushes had changed during the war. Cheap brushes of imported horsehair were being made to look like the preferred badger-hair brushes. Unfortunately, some of these brushes were not effectively disinfected and brought with them a nasty stowaway: Bacillus anthracis. A review of outbreak summaries, surveillance data, and case reports indicated that these cases originated from the use of ineffectively disinfected animal-hair shaving brushes. This historical information is relevant to current public health practice because renewed interest in vintage and animal-hair shaving brushes has been seen in popular culture. This information should help healthcare providers and public health officials answer questions on this topic.
link to paper
practical implications and personal thoughts: Don'tbuy horse brushes from untrusted sources (research has shown that herbivores, such as horses, are more susceptible to anthrax than omnivores, such as badgers and pigs). Don't buy vintage horse brushes from before 1930. The paper is a fascinating read in terms of shaving brush history (eg. the fact that horse brushes were often sold as badger to cut the costs).
2.The male beard hair and facial skin – challenges for shaving
Abstract:The challenge of shaving is to cut the beard hair as closely as possible to the skin without unwanted effects on the skin. To achieve this requires the understanding of beard hair and male facial skin biology as both, the beard hair and the male facial skin, contribute to the difficulties in obtaining an effective shave without shaving-induced skin irritation. Little information is available on the biology of beard hairs and beard hair follicles. We know that, in beard hairs, the density, thickness, stiffness, as well as the rates of elliptical shape and low emerging angle, are high and highly heterogeneous. All of this makes it challenging to cut it, and shaving techniques commonly employed to overcome these challenges include shaving with increased pressure and multiple stroke shaving, which increase the probability and extent of shaving-induced skin irritation. Several features of male facial skin pose problems to a perfect shave. The male facial skin is heterogeneous in morphology and roughness, and male skin has a tendency to heal slower and to develop hyperinflammatory pigmentation. In addition, many males exhibit sensitive skin, with the face most often affected. Finally, the hair follicle is a sensory organ, and the perifollicular skin is highly responsive to external signals including mechanical and thermal stimulation. Perifollicular skin is rich in vasculature, innervation and cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. This makes perifollicular skin a highly responsive and inflammatory system, especially in individuals with sensitive skin. Activation of this system, by shaving, can result in shaving-induced skin irritation. Techniques commonly employed to avoid shaving-induced skin irritation include shaving with less pressure, pre- and post-shave skin treatment and to stop shaving altogether. Recent advances in shaving technology have addressed some but not all of these issues. A better understanding of beard hairs, beard hair follicles and male facial skin is needed to develop novel and better approaches to overcome the challenge of shaving. This article covers what is known about the physical properties of beard hairs and skin and why those present a challenge for blade and electric shaving, respectively.
link to paper
Personal thoughts: A bit of a long read about a huge variety of skin types and shaving problems these skin types present. Not really an exciting read and no great conclusions from the paper.
3. Insights into shaving and its impact on skin
Abstract: Male grooming has its roots in antiquity. Control and styling of facial hair has invariably required the development and use of metal instrumentation. Once crude and unreliable, it has latterly become sophisticated and subject to intense research and development at the highest scientific level. This paper describes how male grooming is being impacted by improvements in fundamental understanding of male skin. Skin issues associated with poor hair removal approaches are common, but are often overlooked or their aetiology misunderstood by patients and physicians. By incorporating advanced scientific measurement and imaging technology into clinical testing, insights are being gained into both the common concerns which men express and optimal solutions for these concerns. Specific aspects such as the study of nicks and cuts and the identification and release of trapped hairs are discussed. Finally, details are presented on how the individual elements of technologically advanced razors play a role in managing the skin and hair, highlighting further the complexity of the shaving process.
Personal thoughts: Great paper with lots of interesting micro photos of hair and skin. Also loads of measures of ingrown hair, nicks, cuts, etc. Apparently, most nicks happen on the neck, not the chin (where I usually get them). This is because the neck is particularly "prone to trapped hairs due to the unique physiological characteristics of the skin and hair, particularly loose, rough skin and high incidence of low-lying hairs." You can improve the release of the trapped hairs by using brush + cream or facial scrub:
4. Overview and trends in male grooming
Abstract: The use of cosmetics and medical cosmetic procedures by men has been widely ignored in dermatological research in the past, but it is finding increasing attention. As men are changing their habits and increasingly tend to use cosmetic products, the dermatologist will be asked for expert advice regarding efficacy and safety of cosmetics for male skin. For this service, dermatologists need to be aware of anatomical and physiological differences between male and female skin, about specific environmental stress factors affecting male skin, about cosmetic practices and product use especially regarding shaving, and about the counselling needs in men relating to protective cosmetic use.
Link to paper
Personal thoughts: Some insight about differences in male to female skin biology. Male have higher collagen density, less subcuts, facial sebum levels are higher in men, pH of skin is lower. "Seventy per cent of all men shave with a razor blade (so-called ‘wet shavers’) and they shave on average 4–5 times a week." What i found very contra intuitive is that men spend more on pre-shave than on post-shave products. This is contra intuitive because I rarely spend money on pre-shave products. I have a feeling they have put shaving soaps and cremes into that category:
5. Materials and desing in Gillette razors
Abstract: The historical development of Gillette wet shaving products is described in relation to the problems posed by the nature of the hair and skin, and the features introduced to improve product performance. The materials and processes used to manufacture the products by the hundreds of million are explained.
link to paper
Personal thoughts and quotes: Note that this is a paper from 1991, so its more of a historical review of shaving manufacturing. Very interesting nontheless especially because it features some nice vintage photos. Facts (outdated): Modern razor blades are made from a semi-stainless steel containing 0.65-0.7% carbon and 12-14% chromium. Most of the blade steel used in the world is made by two manufacturers, Hitachi Metals in Japan and British Steel in Sheffield. Blade edge is extremely sharp stainless steel, coated with 30 nanometres of chromium-platinum, over-coated with low molecular weight PTFE. The PTFE coating is key to the performance of modern systems. It dates back to a Gillette discovery made in the 1950s, in the days when blades were made from plain carbon steel, that certain low friction coatings,
applied to the blade facets under certain conditions, can greatly reduce the force to cut hair.
A good portion of the paper is discussing technology around the "Sensor" cartridge shaver developed in 1990. Its a great insight in what thought process is needed for designing such a "simple" razor
Out of curiosity, since I work at a research institute (not related to dermatology or metal processing) and have access to scientific papers, I did some basic searches on wet shaving. I hereby present 5 i found most interesting so far. As you know people have died sharing research papers before (link), so I cannot just attach the papers, but if anyone is interested in a particular paper, send me a dm. Some might be open access anyway.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR OWN FINDINGS AND INTERESTING PAPERS!
1.Anthrax Cases Associated with Animal-Hair Shaving Brushes
abstract: During the First World War, anthrax cases in the United States and England increased greatly and seemed to be associated with use of new shaving brushes. Further investigation revealed that the source material and origin of shaving brushes had changed during the war. Cheap brushes of imported horsehair were being made to look like the preferred badger-hair brushes. Unfortunately, some of these brushes were not effectively disinfected and brought with them a nasty stowaway: Bacillus anthracis. A review of outbreak summaries, surveillance data, and case reports indicated that these cases originated from the use of ineffectively disinfected animal-hair shaving brushes. This historical information is relevant to current public health practice because renewed interest in vintage and animal-hair shaving brushes has been seen in popular culture. This information should help healthcare providers and public health officials answer questions on this topic.
link to paper
practical implications and personal thoughts: Don'tbuy horse brushes from untrusted sources (research has shown that herbivores, such as horses, are more susceptible to anthrax than omnivores, such as badgers and pigs). Don't buy vintage horse brushes from before 1930. The paper is a fascinating read in terms of shaving brush history (eg. the fact that horse brushes were often sold as badger to cut the costs).
2.The male beard hair and facial skin – challenges for shaving
Abstract:The challenge of shaving is to cut the beard hair as closely as possible to the skin without unwanted effects on the skin. To achieve this requires the understanding of beard hair and male facial skin biology as both, the beard hair and the male facial skin, contribute to the difficulties in obtaining an effective shave without shaving-induced skin irritation. Little information is available on the biology of beard hairs and beard hair follicles. We know that, in beard hairs, the density, thickness, stiffness, as well as the rates of elliptical shape and low emerging angle, are high and highly heterogeneous. All of this makes it challenging to cut it, and shaving techniques commonly employed to overcome these challenges include shaving with increased pressure and multiple stroke shaving, which increase the probability and extent of shaving-induced skin irritation. Several features of male facial skin pose problems to a perfect shave. The male facial skin is heterogeneous in morphology and roughness, and male skin has a tendency to heal slower and to develop hyperinflammatory pigmentation. In addition, many males exhibit sensitive skin, with the face most often affected. Finally, the hair follicle is a sensory organ, and the perifollicular skin is highly responsive to external signals including mechanical and thermal stimulation. Perifollicular skin is rich in vasculature, innervation and cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. This makes perifollicular skin a highly responsive and inflammatory system, especially in individuals with sensitive skin. Activation of this system, by shaving, can result in shaving-induced skin irritation. Techniques commonly employed to avoid shaving-induced skin irritation include shaving with less pressure, pre- and post-shave skin treatment and to stop shaving altogether. Recent advances in shaving technology have addressed some but not all of these issues. A better understanding of beard hairs, beard hair follicles and male facial skin is needed to develop novel and better approaches to overcome the challenge of shaving. This article covers what is known about the physical properties of beard hairs and skin and why those present a challenge for blade and electric shaving, respectively.
link to paper
Personal thoughts: A bit of a long read about a huge variety of skin types and shaving problems these skin types present. Not really an exciting read and no great conclusions from the paper.
3. Insights into shaving and its impact on skin
Abstract: Male grooming has its roots in antiquity. Control and styling of facial hair has invariably required the development and use of metal instrumentation. Once crude and unreliable, it has latterly become sophisticated and subject to intense research and development at the highest scientific level. This paper describes how male grooming is being impacted by improvements in fundamental understanding of male skin. Skin issues associated with poor hair removal approaches are common, but are often overlooked or their aetiology misunderstood by patients and physicians. By incorporating advanced scientific measurement and imaging technology into clinical testing, insights are being gained into both the common concerns which men express and optimal solutions for these concerns. Specific aspects such as the study of nicks and cuts and the identification and release of trapped hairs are discussed. Finally, details are presented on how the individual elements of technologically advanced razors play a role in managing the skin and hair, highlighting further the complexity of the shaving process.
Personal thoughts: Great paper with lots of interesting micro photos of hair and skin. Also loads of measures of ingrown hair, nicks, cuts, etc. Apparently, most nicks happen on the neck, not the chin (where I usually get them). This is because the neck is particularly "prone to trapped hairs due to the unique physiological characteristics of the skin and hair, particularly loose, rough skin and high incidence of low-lying hairs." You can improve the release of the trapped hairs by using brush + cream or facial scrub:
4. Overview and trends in male grooming
Abstract: The use of cosmetics and medical cosmetic procedures by men has been widely ignored in dermatological research in the past, but it is finding increasing attention. As men are changing their habits and increasingly tend to use cosmetic products, the dermatologist will be asked for expert advice regarding efficacy and safety of cosmetics for male skin. For this service, dermatologists need to be aware of anatomical and physiological differences between male and female skin, about specific environmental stress factors affecting male skin, about cosmetic practices and product use especially regarding shaving, and about the counselling needs in men relating to protective cosmetic use.
Link to paper
Personal thoughts: Some insight about differences in male to female skin biology. Male have higher collagen density, less subcuts, facial sebum levels are higher in men, pH of skin is lower. "Seventy per cent of all men shave with a razor blade (so-called ‘wet shavers’) and they shave on average 4–5 times a week." What i found very contra intuitive is that men spend more on pre-shave than on post-shave products. This is contra intuitive because I rarely spend money on pre-shave products. I have a feeling they have put shaving soaps and cremes into that category:
5. Materials and desing in Gillette razors
Abstract: The historical development of Gillette wet shaving products is described in relation to the problems posed by the nature of the hair and skin, and the features introduced to improve product performance. The materials and processes used to manufacture the products by the hundreds of million are explained.
link to paper
Personal thoughts and quotes: Note that this is a paper from 1991, so its more of a historical review of shaving manufacturing. Very interesting nontheless especially because it features some nice vintage photos. Facts (outdated): Modern razor blades are made from a semi-stainless steel containing 0.65-0.7% carbon and 12-14% chromium. Most of the blade steel used in the world is made by two manufacturers, Hitachi Metals in Japan and British Steel in Sheffield. Blade edge is extremely sharp stainless steel, coated with 30 nanometres of chromium-platinum, over-coated with low molecular weight PTFE. The PTFE coating is key to the performance of modern systems. It dates back to a Gillette discovery made in the 1950s, in the days when blades were made from plain carbon steel, that certain low friction coatings,
applied to the blade facets under certain conditions, can greatly reduce the force to cut hair.
A good portion of the paper is discussing technology around the "Sensor" cartridge shaver developed in 1990. Its a great insight in what thought process is needed for designing such a "simple" razor
