Q:

Tweet

I have a 5 o’clock shadow by noon. Is there any way to slow my stubble?

Rather than trying to put the brakes on beard growth, stop giving it a head start. You probably aren’t shaving close enough in the morning, making it seem as if your facial hair grows back faster than everyone else’s.

Tomorrow morning, revamp your routine, beginning with what you do before you bring blade to face. “Preparation of the beard is the most important factor,” says Dr Douglas Altchek, a professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai school of medicine. That means showering first to help soften up the scruff.

Next, you should create a slick surface by using a pre-shave oil, followed by a lubricating shave gel. As for the razor (which, of course, you’re going to draw with the grain), the number of blades is less important than how often you should replace them: at least every five shaves. “A razor loses five per cent of its sharpness after every shave, so after five shaves, a quarter of the sharpness is gone,” says Dr Altchek.