One of the rites of growing up is the experience of that first shave. Some young men try to rush this coming-of-age, carefully inspecting their face every week for that first sign of whisker growth.

If they try shaving with a blade, they no doubt end up going to school (or even worse, on a date) with a band-aid covering the cut they sustained from improper technique. Plenty of grown men still sustain a nick every now and then either due to the use of an old blade or shaving in too much of a hurry.

There is, of course, no shortage of expensive products, creams, foams and lotions that promise to prevent such irritating mishaps. However, it isn't necessary to spend a lot on shaving products.

The objective of shaving--to remove the hair, as close to the skin as possible--is quite simple, but it is surprising how few men attain it. You want to achieve the smoothest appearance without nicks or cuts. Simple as it may sound, it doesn't always happen that way. However, once you learn the secrets of shaving you can achieve your goals without muss or fuss. You'll wonder how you ever did it the old way.

First of all, shaving works best with dry skin. That means you should not shave first thing in the morning. You want to give the perspiration that accumulates on your face while sleeping time to dissipate. Shaving after a shower, however, is a good idea. The heat of the water will cause the pores of the face to open up, allowing the razor to more easily lift the hairs from their follicles before cutting.

What also helps is to leave the shaving cream on the face for a long time-experts say up to fifteen minutes-before shaving. It might be a pain, but the longer the lather stays on your face, the more time it has to soften the hairs.

However, two minutes can also be effective and this is probably the longest time most men can stand. It's not uncommon to find cuts a thing of the past if you simply give the lather enough time to do its job.

Use the proper strokes when shaving. All hairs grow out of the face at an angle, and most barbers suggest going with the grain when shaving. Conversely, if you use an electric razor, going against the grain is fine.

You will get the best results with an electric shaver by using circular strokes. Going against the grain allows the whiskers to stick through the screen so that the oscillating cutting heads can effectively lop them off. (By the way, most dermitologists say that electric razors give just as close a shave as blades.)

One of the most important secrets to shaving is to stretch the skin, as this allows the blade to more easily glide over the skin's surface.

If a once-over isn't enough, and the toughness of your beard requires a second go around, concentrate on the areas that are heaviest. Finally, use a non-alcoholic aftershave lotion to soothe the skin.

Proper shaving will help to make you more alluring and enhance your sex appeal. Follow these tips and in no time you'll be a master of the close shave!

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Guest post By: Chandler Jones