If you want to get a close shave, grabbing the razor on the way out of bed is not the solution. First thing in the morning your skin is still a bit puffy from sleep. So give it 20-30 minutes for your skin to tighten back up to normal. You’ll get a closer shave because more of the hair follicle is exposed.

2. Prepare Your Skin

If you want a quick and guaranteed way to butcher your skin, just slap on some shaving cream on your dry, room temperature skin and take a razor to it. You will exfoliate your skin the wrong way, get more nicks, and oh yeah- it hurts like hell. Take a nice hot shower or wrap a hot moist towel around your face and neck for a few minutes before you shave. It softens the follicles, opens the pores, and give you a smoother surface to work with.

3. Moisture Matters

This one gets overlooked a lot. Your skin craves moisture, and I can almost guarantee you aren’t moisturizing enough. So, before you shave, take a few minutes and moisturize. Get in there and really let your skin soak it up. And don’t forget to moisturize after shaving. A great after-shave lotion should contain aloe vera.

4. EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE!

You should be exfoliating anyway, just because it makes your skin look better. But, it also helps reduce redness, razor bumps, and ingrown hairs. It does this by eliminating dead skin cells and giving you a closer shave and a cleaner surface that won’t trap hairs or get irritated.

5. Slow Down the Growth

There are thankfully some really good shaving cream products out there that help to slow hair growth. One is Aveeno’s Positively Smooth Shave Gel. Another is Dollar Shave Club’s Dr. Carver’s Pillowy Shave Lather. Both work to slow hair growth and give a much smoother finish.
[amazonjs asin=”B00LO2PD3M” locale=”US” title=”Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel – 7 oz”]

6. TECHNIQUE!

This is one that often gets overlooked. When it comes to the face, you might have seen the approach of all downstrokes on the face, and up strokes on the neck. The truth is, that isn’t going to give you the closest shave. You want to give your hair one to two passes (only one if your skin is sensitive) going with the “grain” or hair growth direction, and one that goes against it. Just gently rub your face and you will quickly be able to tell what direction that is.

7. All Shave and No Replacement Makes Jack a Dull Razor

It is a universal truth that the most dangerous blade, of any kind, is a dull one. You have to use more passes and more force to exert the same effort. It’s a losing game. So replace that blade every 2-3 times you shave. I know it gets more expensive, but if you want results and you don’t want to butcher yourself- it’s a necessary evil.

8. Choose Your Weapon

A good razor is core to a good shave. You want something that follows along your contours and glides easily on the skin. Many in the transgender community swear by the Gillette Sensor- which does work well. However I am also a fan of the “Venus” line of razors. I feel like they follow contours better.
[amazonjs asin=”B010D4X86K” locale=”US” title=”Gillette Sensor Excel Razor – Men – 100% New – With One Pre-loaded Cartridge”]
[amazonjs asin=”B001JQLNFA” locale=”US” title=”Gillette Venus Spa Women’s Razor, 1 Razor Handle and 2 Razor Blade Refills”]

We turn to outstanding makeup artist and educator Wayne Goss, who has an incredible YouTube channel, to learn how he hides large pores and gives you a smoother and cleaner finish to your makeup.

The idea is pretty straight forward, you apply your foundation as normal, the trick is in how you finish it. Beware that if you have very dry skin this can cause micro exfoliation so you will want to make sure you thoroughly moisturize.

Combined with moisturizers and a good primer, you will be on track to a smoother more flawless finish to your makeup.

Just beware, you don’t want to go overboard and make yourself look like a mannequin. Makeup should never make you look like the Energizer family.

So here is the video from Wayne Goss himself. Let us know what you think about this technique, give it a try and see how it works for you.

You can find many more videos from Wayne Goss on his YouTube channel.

Now that you are on hormones, everything switches. You probably already have stopped shaving your body but now you have to contend with your facial hair. Of course for trans men, like cis boys going through puberty, seeing that hair come in is exciting and a huge checkpoint in growing into manhood. That doesn’t mean you aren’t going to want to keep it looking good.

Perhaps want to keep it shaved down until it comes in less patchy. Or once it’s coming in fully, you might want to shave the neck and the edges to keep it neat looking. Of course that is IF that’s what you want. As we all know there are no real rules to transition and how you present. Shave half of it if you like. Live your life player.

While there are tricks and tips to shaving your body, there are also tricks to shaving your face and skin care for men. So here is Skin Care with Ross checking in with a great video on everything you need to know about face shaving.

He covers skin prep, technique and aftercare that you were tragically not introduced to.

Let us know in the comments about your experience shaving. What mistakes did you make?

*I want to make clear that I know it would be preferable to have a video from a trans man demonstrating shaving. However, there aren’t many very good options for that out there. Most I found were poor technique, or poor quality. And most videos were less about how to shave as they were about the experience of shaving for a trans man. If you have any suggestions on videos with trans men, I will be happy to post them. Let me know in the comments.

Checkout Ross’ YouTube channel or his blog.

A Little Clarification

First off, let’s be clear, transition doesn’t have to necessarily be full time. Perhaps it’s just you taking your first part-time steps- dressing, makeup, clothes, etc. So don’t get discouraged if you can’t go big-time on the budget right now. Obviously, if you have more disposable income, you have a few more options. But for today, we want to focus on starting out slowly on a budget.

Transition on a Budget – Shopping

You have a surprising number of options for shopping on a budget when you are starting. We will get into specifics of topics in other articles. For now, we will just talk a bit about where you can spend your money.

Dollar Stores

Whether it’s a Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or any variation of those; these stores are a great resource for finding items you can use. You won’t find much, if anything, in a way of clothes. But you can pick up makeup, skin care, general beauty products, hair care, and some accessories. This is the perfect way to kick-start your transition and get the most mileage out of your money.

Big Box Stores

As they advertise, places like Walmart and Target are stores where you can find most anything you need. So, save for a few “specialty” items, this is a one stop shop. At Walmart especially, you can find items fairly cheap. You will spend a bit more here than the dollar stores, but obviously, you can’t get everything there and you will want to step up your game. One of the great things is that these stores are generally so busy that no one notices what you are shopping for. And many stores have self-checkout lanes. So you can pay for your items with a bit more privacy too, if you haven’t built up your confidence yet.

Clearance Aisles

Wherever you go, always make a habit of checking the clearance aisle. Most drug stores and stores like Walmart will have a decent clearance area, and you would be amazed what you can find there. Makeup, skin care, hair care, accessories, hosiery and socks, under garments, and more. Always raid the clearance aisle and save some money.

Online

For ease and privacy, nothing beats online shopping.

eBay

eBay is truly one stop shopping and one of the cheapest ways to get things. I can also tell you that is an incredible place to shop for jewelry and build up a collection. More on that in another article, but just know that you can get all sorts of bracelets and necklaces for less than a dollar with no shipping. It was a huge way to start my collection. You can also find things like makeup organizers, makeup bags, and brushes for very cheap. No, these aren’t professional quality brushes. But they allow you to learn and put some abuse on them before you throw down on some higher-end brushes.

Be warned however, if you are shopping for clothes, make sure you have your sizes down. Take your measurements and check the size charts. Some places will not honor refunds, especially on personal items. Also, note if the model wearing the clothes is Asian. If so, they are probably using Asian sizing which runs MUCH smaller than American sizing. If you wear a large, you might find you need a 2XL in those lines. If you are trying to transition on a budget then it doesn’t how cheap it is if you can’t wear it.

Amazon

Amazon is another option for you, and offers a huge selection. You can search and find items pretty cheaply. However, I would suggest that before you buy something, check it on eBay first. I found a necklace for $30 on Amazon that was .99 on eBay. I’m not kidding. This is also a great place to get makeup and beauty supplies for cheaper than in the stores.

Poshmark

If you have a smartphone then you need this app. Of course you can also use their main site, but the app is outstanding and easy to use. Sellers list clothes they do not want at discount prices, and you pick them up at a steal. You can set up your sizes and see only what fits you in listings. If you find a seller who has items you really like, you can follow them. And most sellers offer bundle discounts for buying more than one item. You can also make offers and haggle on the price a bit. I’ve saved some big money by shopping with them.

Forever21

Depending on your style, it may not be for everyone. However, Forever21 does boast a wide selection and has an outstanding plus section. Their regular prices are not necessarily budget-friendly, but if you click on their sale sections (they have sales constantly) and clearance areas then you can find deep discounts on really nice clothes. We are talking tops from $5 and up, and dresses from around $12.99 and up. They also are pretty much always offering shipping specials. And if you want camis, trust me you want camis, they start at $3.99 for regular sizes and $4.99 for plus-size.

Again, I cannot stress enough the quality and selection of the plus-size section. If you need a little larger fit, they are amazing. I highly suggest, however, at least making one trip in to the store to find out your size in items. Shopping becomes much easier then. I personally have never had a problem in their store trying on items. Even when coming in presenting as male. Don’t expect a ticker-tape parade, but I’ve never gotten a sideways glance. We live in a great time.

The truth is, you can find cheap deals most anywhere you look. Even the typically expensive Torrid has some good clearance sales. Just keep your eyes peeled and always been looking.

In part two of this series we will be covering what you can do for FREE when you transition on a budget. Trust us, it’s super important that you do them too.