re: shaving bumps

it's funny the way we aspire for things others have, or look towards fastforwarding everything so that we can get ahead. sort of the-grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side mentality. i mean look at shaving for instance.
the guys in this blog (and the few women) can attest to this. in our youth, shaving looked cool. It was the Machismo thing. The satisfaction of holding that blade, and swathing ur face with foam...ahh heaven! ...or so u might think. You painfully and very quickly discover that shaving is a science that they forgot to teach us in school, but is aptly being offered at SOHK (school of hardknocks).
the way u hold the blade, how much pressure u apply, how long the foam was on...
but at least we have 'intelligent' blades in the likes of the Gillete Mach3,or Wilkinson Quattro. gone are the days of buyin wembes for that screw-loaded shaver that dad would kill you for, coz u used the blade to sharpen ur pencil!
we couldn't wait to do it, but now it's a painful chore. so ladies, dont stress the guy coz he has a few days of stubble. give it a rest coz God knows he deserves it! Tips:

1. for a smoother,closer shave, apply some vaseline to your face before lathering
2. invest in a shaver with many blades eg. Mach3,Quattro as the reduce the strokes required
3. apply the lather early and let it soak in.Better if u have foam that contains menthol,tea tree extracts,aloe,etc.
4. use a shaving mirror!
5. shave in a well lit environment
6. moisten your forest well
7. rinse the blade regurlarly
8. when you get bumps, give ur face a rest
9. use alcohol-free aftershave or shaving balm

or better yet,you can invest in a motorised shaving machine,with/without a smoother. Folks with sensitive skin may opt to avoid the smoother.