Unless you look awesome with a beard like James Harden, shaving is an important part of your daily ritual. If women put on make-up, men shave their beard and mustache. Advertisements have shown that it’s the manly thing to do.

Ask yourself this question – do you know the origin of this practice? It’s one of those “good to know” facts, so read on to know more about its origin.

The History of Shaving

You have to wonder why someone like Alexander the Great was shaven in his images. For example, Alexander the Great had this manly shaven look in the Alexander Mosaic image from 2^nd century BC. This was the time when the modern razor wasn’t invented yet, so you have to ask, what did he shave with?

Native American tribes basically started the practice of shaving when they came in contact with British colonists. Back then, it was a custom that men and women remove all their bodily hairs. You have to wonder – with what, exactly?

There were basically two methods used to remove bodily hairs. First is to use two shells to pluck out the hair, which as you can imagine is a little painful. The other method is to use water and some sort of a sharp tool. This is basically your pre-modern razor.

The razor was invented around 3000 BC, around the time when tools were made out of copper. Although Egyptian priests have begun doing something similar, the whole idea of shaving for personal hygiene started at around this time using copper razor.

Alexander the Great didn’t shave because he wanted to look manly, he mainly wanted to look tidier. In addition, it was a war strategy. He promoted shaving strongly during his reign so that opposing soldiers won’t grab their beards during combat.

Shaving Today

After knowing the origin, it’s comforting to know that things have changed for the better. Razors became smaller, sharper, and more effective. Also, different methods were also developed. Here are the two methods:

Traditional wet shaving: This is the modern version of the “water and sharp tool” shaving method. This is also a very manly method that’s preferred by more men. Basically, you’re using either a straight razor or a safety razor to shave the area that’s either softened by applying warm water to it, lubricated with creams, foam or gels, or both. Gillette became a household name with this method especially in the earlier 20^th century.

Dry shaving: This is the more modern method. You’re going to use an electric razor that has rotating blades behind a metal screen with very small holes. The hairs will poke through these holes, and the blades will do their job of cutting them.

This method solves one issue with the traditional method by causing fewer cuts. However, it doesn’t cut as smooth as the traditional method since the blades don’t come in contact with the skin. Also, you’d have to find a power source in order for this method to work.

Shaving is one process that obviously improved for the better based on its origin. Obviously, the methods now are more effective and generally safer.