Fire Shaving

Fire Shaving
..................................................................................................................................................................................

I am 19, and with my family gene history, that means that I am just starting to hit puberty ...
...
::sobs::

More accurately, it means I am at the point where I have just enough facial hair for it to be a pain in my ass, but not enough for me to do anything cool with (I look forward to the day when I can be moustachioed like Dali). The slow uneven growth rate of the hair, if left unchecked, will result in a fuzzy chin made up of a variety of hair lengths. The juxtaposition of hairs less than a centimeter in length with hairs over two inches in length makes for a really creepy look.

I have played with fire enough to know that it is a great way of removing hair, so I figured doing it intentionally for once might be a good change of pace, which is why I've started Fire Shaving.

I have no problem with shaving like a normal person, there are many things I do like a normal person. It is just sometimes I want a quick way to eradicate all the little hairs on my face without all the ceremonious procedures of a regular shaving.
 
Remove these adsRemove these ads by Signing Up
 

Step 1Materials

Materials
The great thing about fire shaving is that it only really requires one piece of equipment - a lighter.

A butane lighter is highly recommended. It is a much cleaner burn than a wick (zippo) lighter, and the size of the flame is easier to control (make sure the lighter has a flame size adjust).

If you want to be sure that you do not burn any unintended hair, then I also suggest something like painters tape or a baseball hat to block off the extra hair.
« Previous StepDownload PDFView All StepsNext Step »
376 comments
1-40 of 376next »
Jul 16, 2011. 1:02 AMthe.rollie says:
this ladies and gentlemen is why drugs are bad... and then lighter fluid "aftershave" really?.... what has the world come too
its called get a rasor. you can even get a 12 pack at a dollar store
Aug 12, 2011. 10:01 AMjrabon says:
Then maybe you should have read what this tutorial is about then instead of being a prick.
Dec 22, 2011. 5:44 AMimrobot says:
you, jrabon, are awesome. Thank you for fighting the trolls.
Nov 29, 2011. 3:55 PMWilliamPastor says:
I dislike that so many people are posting comments about how "this will kill the follicle and cause permanent hair loss" and "can cause infertility if you use it on your coinpurse" and also, somebody made a comment about him being on drugs. In another country (I think in the middle east) this is the way everyone shaves. It is a normal thing to do in some places so dont be rude. Do you even realize how strange some american customes are?
Sep 21, 2011. 12:58 PMmwicksey says:
although i forgot to mention. the butane as after shave is a little bit immature, id go with aloe or something to sooth the skin if its left with a burning feeling. and when i do try this ill go with 2 burns then ill use my razor.
Sep 21, 2011. 12:55 PMmwicksey says:
Now thats what i call thinking outside the box :) i just thought of the same thing i may try it later on. People may say we are out of our minds or crazy but i personally think it is a creative alternative approach to shaving. so all of you who think its dumb it isnt its actually very smart as long as you are careful :)
Jun 20, 2011. 12:27 PMelectrosam says:
Are you insane ?
I shall gift you a shaving kit but please stop this insanity.
Aug 12, 2011. 10:07 AMjrabon says:
It's actually not insanity. In some places around the world, you can actually go to a barber shop and get this done professionally. Seen it on Ripley's Believe It Or Not I believe.
Jun 4, 2008. 11:45 AMbustedit says:
If the object was to save time, I think it was defeated by suggesting a shower afterward. Splash some warm water on your face and just run a damn razor over the baby fuzz. ...but yes, original idea.
Aug 12, 2011. 10:03 AMjrabon says:
Not only is it FAIRLY original, they also do this in some countries and maybe even some places in America as a "shaving" technique. XD
Aug 7, 2011. 9:59 AMapples!!!!! says:
*shaves*
*uses lighter fluid as aftershave*
"Oh, I missed a bit on my chin! Better get it so I don't look silly."
/hospital
Nov 25, 2009. 6:12 PMravingking says:
your off your head mate. i recomend gilette mach 3 because its safer and wont smell like  burnt pubes thus meaning theres a greater chance of getting a girl
Gillette Mach 3 Drugstore_com.jpg
Jul 31, 2011. 12:16 PMyousouf says:
You are correct
Jul 7, 2011. 10:14 AMcolorex says:
WOW! You're awesome!
Jun 10, 2011. 5:48 AMzeldafan says:
Dude are you out of your frekin mind, only im stupid enough to do this

Jan 12, 2011. 2:16 PMHughGRection says:
This reminded me of this one time last year at school where one of my friends got cheese stuck in my hair so for some odd reason my first instinct was to try burning it out. I guess I forgot that cheese melts and gets really hot, and is hard to get out, and smells horrible, and makes you a pariah.
Oct 13, 2010. 9:09 PMmettaurlover says:
Done this, works great. Only problem is that I don't register heat properly on most of my skin. Thankfully, I don't burn easily-molten paracord is a minor annoyance to me and leaves no burns.
Sep 25, 2010. 7:08 AMScreamo says:
AWESOME -tries it- -burns face- i dont think it worked. i wish i could get a beard but im only 13 : D
Jul 1, 2009. 1:09 PMMillenniumMan says:
Wow, talk about razor burn. Just be careful you don't kill the follicles if you want to grow facial hair later. And never do this with your coinpurse if you want to have kids later.
Jul 22, 2010. 6:27 AMsenseisean says:
Yeah, I did this once when I was younger. Didn't have a razor handy, but hey.. here's a lighter. There were patches under my chin where hair didn't grow for a few years. Fortunately, it has since filled back in. This is dangerous and smelly.
Nov 16, 2009. 10:12 PMThundertydus says:

Yeah, about that coinpurse thing....
So can this cause PERMINANT Hair removal?
Because I don't want kids, and I REALLY dont want pubic hair, I'm afraid to shave it because i'm afraid it'll end up looking like a greek man's back...

Sep 17, 2009. 5:58 AMmacrumpton says:
Coinpurse ha! that is a new one for me. Makes sense that your coinpurse would be near your moneymaker.
Sep 17, 2009. 9:29 AMkirnex says:
Your comment actually made me laugh out loud. Aces.
Jul 25, 2009. 2:49 PMA.J. says:
lolzzzzzz
Jul 1, 2010. 2:43 PMmmould03 says:
What's with the hating? You saw the title of the instructable... was it something other than what you were expecting? This is actually hardly new. I reccomend anyone who does try it do it after you've gotten out of a shower and the hair you'd like to keep is still wet enough you don't have to worry about it all going up if you catch a stray bit. Dry the facial hair you'd like to get rid of. Quick passes with the lighter (both in contact with skin and duration of the ignition of the lighter) will be perfectly safe. If you feel a spot getting to warm, go to another section. Let the lighter cool if the metal is getting too hot; switch to a backup lighter or even have a couple waiting. This process is only as safe as the individual doing it. If you're an accident prone clutz, lets not try this one. As for the smell, wash your face, apply aftershave, you're set. Either way people, don't knock a person just because you don't agree with something they do.
Jun 17, 2010. 12:28 PMCrazySheep says:
Bike glove tan line? That's a first! XD I'f I was a guy, I'd try it :D I'm quite the pyromaniac...
May 22, 2010. 10:31 PMYoungPyro19 says:

I don't know why you people are so concerned about getting burned with a lighter.
I got a 3rd degree burn on my left wrist from hot popcorn butter when I was 10yr old. Never again will I open up a popcorn bag after it comes right out of the microwave. 

Nov 18, 2009. 5:21 PMKingOfGoth says:
 No offense kid, but I wouldn't recommend using fire to do "man-scaping". 

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend this on your face either.  If you cut your face with a razor, you'll never notice anything.  If you burn yourself, you're going to have a scar on your face for all time.
Apr 14, 2010. 2:56 AM9.6 Volts says:
isnt the man-scape area flamable?
May 7, 2010. 3:30 AMLDDR says:
 he's not a man... he's obviously still a child
Sep 17, 2009. 9:11 PMsoapwytch says:
One of my sons (when he was a teenager) got a trip to a burn center when a lighter he was using got too hot and literally exploded in his face. I hope no one actually attempts this very dangerous instructable.
Apr 5, 2010. 11:01 AMjackh94 says:
 did he read the instruction manual....
'do not use for periods of time longer than 30...' (and burn the manual)
Sep 17, 2009. 10:53 PMgorillailla202 says:
Was it one of those little disposable lighters? Because I have had some "Misfortune" with those little things to. Aka, dropped one on my ashtray, and it exploded and sprayed my hand with fire.
Sep 18, 2009. 6:21 AMsoapwytch says:
Yes, it was a Bic disposable. He was lucky because it could have been a lot worse than it was. And he ended up with only minimal scarring.
Sep 22, 2009. 10:09 AMMillenniumMan says:
Hmmmmm.......... Bic disposable razor... Bic disposable lighter.... Bic disposable fire-razor??? At least there's no Barbasol firegel.
Apr 5, 2010. 10:59 AMjackh94 says:
 that would be great, having tiny little flames inside a razor somehow
Dec 31, 2009. 2:43 AMdla888 says:
Barbosaol Napalm perhaps?
Mar 22, 2010. 6:26 PMhockys1 says:
 si si senor
Sep 18, 2009. 11:12 AMgorillailla202 says:
Well I'm glad that it didnt cause any more damage. But not a lot of ppl know how dangerous those little thigns are. Anyways, thanks for the reply :D
Nov 16, 2009. 10:10 PMThundertydus says:
My method of testing safety is to see:
-If I throw it moderately hard at the ground, does it create a burning hot fireball that could cause third degree burns?

If the answer is yes its probably a chinese/badly made product, It's also extremely unsafe.
1-40 of 376next »

Pro

Get More Out of Instructables

Already have an Account?

close

All Steps Viewing
View all steps of an Instructable on the same page when you're a Pro Member.

Upgrade to Pro today!
324
Followers
44
Author:Tetranitrate
I'm attending NYU-Poly.