Help! How do I teach my teenage son to shave? This is a great question and the good news for parents is this is our specialty. Here you'll learn some tips for teaching your son to shave, things to avoid and what might work really well. The bathroom doesn't need to turn into a classroom you'll be pleased to know!
When should my son start to shave?
This is going to be different for every young person, but most teenage boys start shaving somewhere between 14 and 17 years old. It's during this time that a boys body will be in the middle of puberty and their whole body and mind will be changing. What goes on inside their head has a massive impact on what goes on in their physical development. Their body will be going through several changes:
Their voice will "break" as it deepens and can become quite changeable. This can be a tough time for many teenagers.
They will start to sweat a lot more and it can unfortunately produce body odour if they don't shower regularly enough. This is a normal side effect of what their body is doing to prepare for adulthood.
Their moods can be quite changeable and varied (almost by the minute sometimes!) but the important thing to remember is that most of the time, this has nothing to do with you - so try not to take it personally! It can be hard, but just remember that deep inside your little monster they are still the same lovely young person, it's just they have a hormone monster temporarily sitting in the driving seat.
What sort of razor should he use?
This again can be down to personal preference, but also down to the quality of the razor. Electric razors can seem like the easy option, but more often than not they'll be unhelpful when a young man is starting out shaving. This is because they can be cumbersome, heavy and also rather expensive! Many electric razors are difficult to clean and maintain, so if your buying an electric razor expect to be buying a better quality one.
Our advice would be to get him started with a wet razor because he'll learn a lot more in the long run. It's a much more practical, cost effective and usually gives better quality shaves because the user is in greater control. He'll be able to adjust his technique as he learns what to do and will be able to work out his own preference in time. Here's a wet shave kit we recommend for best quality and overall shaving experience.
What should he do if he cuts himself?
The first thing to let him know is: DON'T PANIC!
Most shaving cuts and nicks are pretty small and the best thing to do is just to dab it with some clean toilet paper and let it air dry in order for the small cut to heal up. You can show him how to apply a small blob of antiseptic cream to prevent infections, but in most cases he'll find it best to let it clot and heal of it's own accord.
Using a high quality razor is really important here because blunt and poor quality blades are when accidents are going to happen. The blunter the blade, the more friction that is created and this is what will cause sudden slips, pulls and nip's of the blades. Using a razor with several blades such as this 5 blade razor is a great way to avoid cuts.
And of course, if its a more serious cut, please make sure you're calling NHS 111 or in a life threatening emergency dialing the emergency services!
Top tips:
Do it at the right time, don't worry if he's not ready just yet (even if you think he should!). Part of your role is to be there for when he's ready.
Which brings us onto the next point: be patient. Sometimes young people develop at quicker times than others, so sometimes he'll want to learn everything, other times he'll seem like he doesn't care.
Make sure your giving him a high quality razor - cheap ones are really going to damage his young skin and put him off shaving properly. He's also a lot more likely to cut himself if he's using poor quality razor and blades.
Make sure that after he's done shaving he tidies up properly - not just because your bathroom now looks like a bomb site, but because he needs to keep the razor kit clean for good hygiene practices. Dirty razors encourage bacteria, so he's more likely to develop spots and skin infections if he doesn't know how to keep the razor, blades and kit clean.
It's often forgotten, but make sure he can get more razor blades for his razor when he needs to. It's one step that's usually forgotten, so make sure he knows an good place to buy the correct ones from (or he'll ask the bank of mum and dad!).
The easy option: Buy him a razor kit that includes everything for shaving in one place. the DRUCEBOX kit includes premium shaving equipment as well as a unique guide and online community. You can buy the shaving kit from them direct here.
Single Parents
Single parents and single mum's need not fear that this is an area that they are going to struggle with - it need not be that way - simply get a hold of the best shaving kit we mention here and your 99% of the way there! We've spoken with single mum's and they have found it a massive help in teaching their son to shave, and as a mother they used to always think they would fail their son in this area. After giving their son a decent shaving kit with teenage guides they wondered what they were worrying about because their son found it so easy one they had the kit and online community.
Here's a nice link to some teen hygiene advice here from the VeryWellFamily. We of course are here to help answer your Q's, but most importantly as soon as your son has a DRUCEBOX in his hands, he'll have access to the free LiFEapp which has loads of on-going tips and support.
It's like having his very own personal shaving and health tips all in one easy to use place.
Sometimes teenagers don't want to talk to their parents about shaving or health things, which is why it's good to know that with this kit, your putting it all directly into his hands (just in a subtle way he won't hopefully notice!).
You can now order your son's kit online, direct from DRUCEBOX here: drucebox.co.uk/shop