Sun-up or Sun-down shaver?

When do you reach for the razor? Are you a ‘get it done between coffee, ‘apping and the breakfast rush’ kind of guy or do you relax into it before tucking yourself in at night?

Traditionally ‘The shit, shower, shave routine’ has been an important part of a man’s sluggish morning plod. But now the ‘shave’ part moves around to fit in with his day, at his convenience. It’s no longer frowned upon to step into the office sporting some growth. These days men are shaving for nobody else except themselves and doing it when they want. The time a man gets, just him and his reflection, is a little dose of self-preservation –on his terms. Twenty minutes of ‘I’m busy in here, come back later’. 

Whatever time of the day you choose to shave. There are a few things you should know. 

In case you were ever wondering. But ultimately there’s no real difference. It’s Shave O’Clock whenever you damn well want it to be….as long as you’ve showered first.

The AM shaver.

The skin is well-rested after a good night’s sleep. Your body has been in recovery mode for 8 or so hours. While you’re dozing your body recharges your batteries, gets rid of toxins, repairs cells and frees up hormones and proteins. You literally wake up a new person. Sort-of.

And with this newly found energy, a shave can feel like a doddle. Almost a way of saying to your body – good work! For a lot of men, it just makes sense to shave before going out into the day like preparation for battle. And if you’re a morning shaver ever since you started shaving then why change the habit of a lifetime. Well, you don’t need to. That’s your way of doing business. The morning shaver sticks to his guns. 

however…

“Morning is no go!” says the evening shaver. ‘There’s too much going on in the morning for me, I can barely find socks that match let alone take a blade to my skin! I feel extra puffy in the morning and besides my boss is cool with the rugged look, he’s also got a beard! It may work for you but that’s not my thing!”

The PM shaver.

Not every man bounces out of bed and goes at it like a regimental soldier. For some, it’s like a slow crawl out of a cave. And a shave is the last thing on his mind. So he puts it off until it’s right for him. The evening shaver is like a sportsman after a big match. The work is done and now it’s time to wind down. There’s time to take your time. And although shaving is not as taxing as changing an oil filter or putting together Ikea furniture it goes smoother with a bit of attention and a clear mind. And some guys find they have more of that as the day is coming to a close.  

Also, shaving takes its toll on the skin so shaving before you turn in for the night gives your skin time to recover. If your face is a little red after shaving…sleep it off.   But if you’re a quick grower, shaving before you sleep might mean waking up with morning-stubble. If that’s not what you’re looking for then it looks like you’ll be setting your alarm a little earlier than usual.

When’s best, then?

We can’t say for sure if morning shavers have it better than evening shavers. There are up and downsides to both. It’s a mixed bag. You have to find out what best serves you and your way of doing things. We’re not in favour of one or the other. We’re more for the idea of being freed from there’s only one time of the day to shave. Having a routine helps you to get things done but there’s nothing wrong with bending it every now and again, just like you do when you hit the snooze button 5 times. Men have been making rules and breaking them since like forever, and shaving habits are no different. 

For tips on how to nail that face shave, or most parts of your body, for that matter see our shaving tips posts:

Or to keep your skin in tip-top form anytime of the day or night:

Let us know what you think.