Shaving vs keeping the beard for best hygiene and coronavirus prevention is a question to ask. Coronavirus is still quite a mystery to us and science still does not know exactly how the virus is transmitted. Moreover how it affects the body is also a big question. This brings us to the topic of hygiene and preventing transmission. Masks work quite well as well as social distancing, but the question of the beard is still at play. Does your beard put you at a higher risk of transmitting and passing the virus to other people? And what is the optimal way to go about things when it comes to facial hair?
Is your beard putting you at a higher risk of getting the coronavirus:
No official word from the World Health Organization came to our attention about this issue. We do however have confirmed sources that can tell us more about this question. Dr. Amesh Adalja a known viral infectious disease specialist and scholar with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Health Security stated the following: “…There’s no evidence that having a beard per se makes you more or less vulnerable to the coronavirus”
However, Amesh warns that bearded people are more at rish. The only thing that can be confirmed is that beards do not increase your chances of contracting the virus. But it could contribute to transmitting the virus. Someone who shook hands with an infected person could be safe unless may be they touch their face. If however the person they shook hands with has come in contact with someone else that has touched their nose, mouth, ears, or eyes, there is a high chance that they will be infected.
The risk of having a beard vs not having a beard in the times of coronavirus:
As stated before, there is very little risk of having a beard increasing your chances of contracting the virus. Still, the virus might actually cling on to your facial hair easier than on clean shaved skin.
it is the same issue with people who own pets. You are not in danger of caching the coronavirus from a pet that would sneeze in close proximity. Same is for the beard or facial hair can cause the person to transmit the virus to another person and that can be the real danger.
What is optimal for preventing the spread of the coronavirus:
To date they are no obvious solution yet such as medication or a vaccine. Therefore, we need to rely on preventing the spread as much as possible to buy more time for scientists.
Adalja says that “…a beard could make a mask less effective.” Primarily because the beard can open up the space between your mouth and nose area and the mask itself. In addition to that, some stray hairs could pop out of the mask rendering it useless.
Adjala adds: ‘I would probably advise to trim a beard as close to the face as possible”. ” if they’re going to be one of those individuals who wants to wear a mask in public,” he says. Best, avoid the beard altogether and stick with better methods such as shaving or at least trimming it down.
The benefits of shaving in the times of coronavirus:
There are some considerable benefits to shaving in the times of coronavirus and they all have to do with hygiene. The CDC has actually recommended people to go with shaving. It even went as far as telling people what kind of beard styles to go for in the times of coronavirus. it also tells what beard styles to avoid. Beard styles such as side-whiskers, soul patches are acceptable. However, shaving is still most optimal with a big list of benefits:
- Easier to put on the mask
- More hygiene
- Fewer chances of having the virus in the skin
- More opportunities to do aftershave which cleans your face
The best way to go about shaving:
Shaving is indeed a better choice, but how you shave also plays a huge role in the effectiveness of shaving. If you shaving and you still have patches, you probably are missing the full benefits of shaving.
What you need is shaving with a razor and using a cream, a moisturizer, and an aftershave of high quality. These will enhance your experience of shaving and make sure you’re protecting your skin from potential harm. Electric razors and electric shavers are not as optimal because they can never get as close to the skin as possible, and they take a lot of time to achieve the same effect and a good quality electric shaver could cost a lot of money. Choose cartridges, safety razors, or straight razors all depend on preference and the level of skill you have.
How to shave effectively:
Shaving is a skill you have to master, everyone’s face is going to be a bit different, some people will respond better with against the grain, some will also respond better to a straight razor. You have to try it out and see what works best for you. However, there are some ground rules you have to follow if you want the closest shave possible and the least chances of getting bruises or cuts.
Step one:
Start by preparing all the necessary equipment. Grab a hot towel, your razor of choice, a preshave, shaving cream or shaving butter, and an aftershave. Make sure you have a trimmed down beard, a long beard will be harder to shave if it’s not already trimmed down.
Step two:
Apply a hot towel to your face for at least 5 minutes making sure you cover all of the beard area. Apply the shaving cream using the bristles and pushing gently. Ensure that your face is fully covered with the cream and that your razor is ready.
Step three:
Grab your razor and go with the grain of the hair, do not push too hard but make sure you’re applying consistent pressure. It is usually recommended to go down for the mustache, the sides, and the chin. For the neck, make sure your shave with whatever direction the hair is. Apply another coat of the shaving cream after you’re done with the first shave and now go after those areas you have missed, you may go against the grain for areas that you feel need more work.
Step four:
Wash your face with warm water and then cold water to seal the pores on your skin. Apply aftershave to your skin and then massage your face with a moisturizer.
Best shaving products:
Just like what type of shaving you need, you also need to figure out the best brands of shaving products. It’s optimal that you find one and stick with them and when it comes to quality, there is nothing better on the market than eshave. They have top of the line products ranging from razors, shavers, creams, shaving brushes, disposable cartridges,skincare products, and even shaving stands.
The quality of the material you use is just as important as your skin condition and even the technique of shaving. Even if you’ve been experienced at shaving for decades, the wrong products can just ruin a shave. This is why it is advisable to go for shaving products that have been proven to work.
Eshave’s 5 blade razoris a great way to start when it comes to razors. The five blades are sharpened to perfection and each blade works at cutting as much of the hair as possible. The result is a close shave with just one or two passes even if you have the thickest beard. The grip and ergonomics of the blade are also made perfect for angles in your chin and neck to ensure you don’t cut yourself by any chance.
Couple the five-blade razor system with the basic shaving solutionthat has a bundle and you have just ensured a perfect shave every time. This kit has a preshave, aftershave, a shaving cream, and even a shaving brush for an unbelievable price. You can top this all off with a shaving stand from their website to ensure the razor stays sharp and you have just guaranteed yourself a great shave.
Conclusion:
While beards can have their appeal, shaving seems to be the better option when it comes to preventing the spread of the virus. The beard can make it difficult for the mask to work properly and the facial hair can carry the virus and spread it further. Therefore, shaving is the better option for hygiene and prevention of further spread.