When your in a hurry. . .

[Operator]

Good day.

I'm rather new here and would like to form an overall opinion about a matter I'm not exactly sure has come up in the recent past.

How does the distinguished gentleman quickly shave when presented with a sudden and strict time constraint?

Now, I'm sure I'll have a fair share of you say this notion is nothing short of blasphemy, however I have a hard time believing none of you have been in a situation where you are in quite a hurry yet would not leave the house looking less than striking.

With that said, what is your time saving, corner-cutting routine in these dire situations? Due to my lifestyle I find myself presented with this state of affairs quite often, and would appreciate any opinions of any relevant shared experiences. Skip breakfast/shower (never!)/preshave? Reach for the Noreclo? Forgo the shave altogether and go out looking like a bum (rhetoric)? Etc.

-Regards
ST

[jkh]

In a pinch, I do a one pass shave ... good enough. I'll skip breakfast, but I'll never skip the prep, I will skip the shave before I skip the prep.

[ateace]

I'm never really in a situation where I must shave in very little time. If I don't have time for a full DE shave, I skip it.

[mmack66]

If it is between breakfast/shower and shaving, I would skip shaving. Do these situations arise only in the morning? If so, maybe try shaving at night. If you shave every day with a DE, you could probably skip a day and still look presentable.

[castlecraver]

One-pass. N-S on cheeks, S-N on neck and jaw, perhaps a little XTG touch-up on the trickier areas, and its usually quite passable. As good as I ever got with an M3.

[battlemonk]

I can do a quick (relatively) shave with my straight with no prep, and nothing but water, with no ill effects so long as I use my aftershave setup (Thayer's, anti-ingrown serum, alcohol splash, Weleda Balm).

Takes me maybe 10 minutes tops, but that's probably a generous estimate. The longest part of that is stropping.

[prewt]

1. a... Shave right after a shower, that cuts the prep time
....b... use brushless cream, time savings again..
....c... go for a DFS instead of BBS.

2. Do a full, " take your time " shave at night then a quickie shave in the AM.

3. Nair or some other hair removing lotion. ( not my favorite but weighing all the options here )

My personal choice would be #2

[Operator]

Shaving at night before bed, my word where have I been!

For some reason, this hasn't occurred to me in even the most arranged of circumstances.

I suppose 'shave' is so ingrained with 'shower' that I think of it as swallowing after chewing. I shower/shave in the morning exclusively.

I must admit this just may solve the problem when/if I'm aware of what I have to do during the next morning. For those of us who practice the "night before" shave, whats your prep if you've showered that morning already (not another shower really, is it?).

For those of us who have gotten the call: " *Mr. Yetti * said he couldn't come in today because his kids school got snowed in, can you get here in 1 hour?"- wake up call- what do you do? Remember- you work at a hospital where cleanliness corresponds with clientele confidence!

[Erebos]

I pull my M3 and can of goo out of their hiding places. It's not a comfortable shave, and it's definitely not enjoyable, but it certainly is fast.

[Operator]

So far I've gleaned "dont shave" and "dont eat" before heading to work.

"One pass" is the best advice so far besides shaving at nigtht.

Never thought of it, but I suppose a quick shave at night may make it much easier when I get called in at 8am. Much better to look half-ass than to look like a totally hairy ass.

ST

[OldSaw]

Fewer passes = faster

I have also shaved with pre-shave oil only when in a hurry.

[Mr. Igg]

For those of us who have gotten the call: " *Mr. Yetti * said he couldn't come in today because his kids school got snowed in, can you get here in 1 hour?"- wake up call- what do you do?

All the advice so far is good. Let me ask a question about this (highlighted) point. How long's your commute, and what else other than shower/shave do you have to do in this situation?

I can shower, shave (4-5 passes + touchup), and dress in 30-35 minutes. Granted, I enjoy a 15-20 minute commute, so I could pretty much just go with a "rushed normal morning" routine in this "one-hour notice" situation. My concession on these mornings it to keep some ready-to-eat foods handy for not-grossly-unhealthy meals, and down a breakfast drink on the road.

Obviously a longer commute compresses all other factors, and I assume that's where you're stuck? I only ask to illustrate one point: it's entirely possible to get a full 4+ pass shave in 20 minutes, so one answer might be just shave faster? That's slightly heretical, since part of the point is that most of us now enjoy our shaves for the first time; but, in an emergency...

A second, completely unrelated-to-shaving, suggestion is (if politically feasible) to explore with management why you only get 60 minutes notice to solve a problem that occurs with annoying frequency. Granted, maybe you don't want to wake up earlier, but if that's possible and would make your life better, could you find a way to get a 90 minute tip-off?

All else failing, the nighttime shave is a very solid option and might be your ultimate answer. Here's two choices on how I'd prep: 1) a quick shower, perhaps putting hair conditioner on your beard for extra softening, 2) Kyle's hot towel prep technique (search those words here, but basically it's the classic old barbershop technique of letting a hot, wet washcloth soak your beard for a few minutes).

I'm going on no sleep right now myself; so, if this didn't make sense, mock me mercilessly and I'll take another crack at it later!

[Dennard]

I've been shaving exclusively at night for years with good results. So,I would second that advice. Just apply hot tap water to your face in the place of a shower.