It’s happened before – you’re short on time and rushing to leave the house to go to work, on a date or to a family reunion.

In the interest of saving every possible minute, you—gasp!—dry shave.

Big. Mistake.

Sure, you might have made it out of the house on time, but your face took a beating. Quite literally.

Instead of a nice, attractive, cleanly-shaven face, you look like you were just in a boxing match. And lost.

All that you have left are bumps, cuts, irritated skin and guilt.

In order to avoid this mishap in the future, here’s a tip: Never dry shave. You are better off facing the day with a little gruff or five o’clock shadow rather than hurting your skin by dry shaving.

So, is dry shaving bad for your face? YES.

In this article, we will not only explain why dry shaving is bad for your face, but also what you can do to ensure that you get a nice shave—every time.

You Are Shredding Your Skin

Dry shaving skips the most important step in a good shaving routine: preparation. Dry shaving is just that: dry shaving without thoroughly dampening and softening your skin. Therefore, your razor is tearing against your skin, which essentially shreds it in the process. This causes a great deal of friction, irritation, and misery.

Damp or wet skin is important for opening your pores and softening your skin, which allows your razor to glide over your skin easily. This is an absolute must if you want to avoid razor burn, cuts, and those little, red bumps.

The Stinging and Burning Sensation Isn’t a Good Thing… 

Do you know that stinging and burning sensation you feel during or after your shave? Yeah, that usually isn’t a good thing… Depending on the severity, the sting can last up to several days after your haphazard dry shave attempt. You can apply an Aloe Vera moisturizer to help reduce the burn, but sometimes this can make it worse…

The only way to avoid this is by dampening the skin and working up a later with a shaving cream or soap prior to shaving.

All Dried Out

Again, wet shaving and wet shaving products serve an important purpose: It lubricates the skin to make using a razor that much easier. This not only makes shaving easier, but it also prevents nicks, cuts, and friction burns. Failure to do this step can cause the skin to severely dry out, which can be unsightly, dull, flaky, itchy and even painful.

Using a shaving cream or shaving soap is a great way to ensure that your skin is properly lubricated for shaving. Quality shaving products also help moisturize skin, which can prevent dry skin and razor burn.

A Razor Burn Disaster

Is there anything worse than razor burn? We didn’t think so… When you choose to dry shave, you are immediately creating the perfect recipe for a razor bumps or razor burn disaster. Dry shaving leaves your skin looking dry, dull, red and tender.

Your hair and skin isn’t corn in a cornfield. Take the time to perform a good dry shave to avoid hacking away.

Bring Out Your Dead

Every day your skin sheds skin cells, which is why exfoliation is so important. If you don’t wash or cleanse your face, or exfoliate prior to shaving, then you are simply shaving through a layer of dead skin cells rather than your facial hair.

Avoid the Hack Shave Job At All Costs

All in all, dry shaving should be avoided at all costs. If you are pressed for time in the morning, then it might be best to carry out the day slightly unshaven, rather than do a hack job of shaving minutes before rushing out the door.