What Is a Hot Towel Shave and Why You Should Try It

Most men have never had a hot towel shave. They shave at home with a cartridge razor and assume that's as good as it gets. It's not even close.

What Happens During a Hot Towel Shave

First, your barber wraps your face in a steaming hot towel. This opens your pores and softens your facial hair. The heat relaxes your skin and makes the hair stand up, which means the razor glides instead of tugging.

After the towel comes pre-shave oil. This creates a slick surface between your skin and the blade. Then lather, applied with a brush in circular motions. The brush exfoliates dead skin cells while distributing the cream evenly.

Then the straight razor. Your barber shaves with the grain first, reapplies lather, then goes against the grain for a finish so smooth it feels like glass.

Another hot towel. Then a cold towel to close your pores. Then aftershave balm to moisturize and protect.

Why It's Different from Shaving at Home

A straight razor cuts hair below the skin surface. A cartridge razor can't do that because the blades are spaced to prevent cutting too close. The result: a hot towel shave lasts 2-3 days without stubble. A home shave gives you maybe 24 hours.

Who Should Get One

Any man who wants the closest possible shave. It's especially good before events: weddings, interviews, dates, photos. The skin looks smoother and healthier for days afterward.

The Numbers

At Hollywood Cutters, a haircut with hot towel shave is $60 and takes about an hour. That includes a full haircut plus the complete shave ritual. Only 3-4 barbershops in Elizabeth even offer this service.

The difference between a home shave and a hot towel shave is the difference between instant coffee and espresso. Both get the job done. Only one is an experience.

Most men who try their first hot towel shave become regulars. It's addictive. The heat, the lather, the precision of the straight razor, the cold towel finish. It resets your entire face.

If you've never tried it, book on a day when you don't have to rush. The full hour is part of the experience. Sit back, relax, and let the barber work.

Walk-ins welcome 7 days a week. 123 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201. Serving Elizabeth, Linden, Roselle, Union, Hillside, and Rahway.