Hot Towel Shave in Biel: What to Expect and Tips

A razor at home gets you smooth. A shave at the barber is something else: twenty minutes in which you close your eyes while someone works with a steady hand and a sharp blade. Here is how a shave at GYAN works, who it is for and how to keep your skin calm afterwards.

1. Hot towel: a warm, damp towel rests on your face for a few moments. It softens the hairs and prepares the skin.
2. Warm lather: the shaving lather goes on with a brush. It lifts the hairs and lets the blade glide.
3. The blade: calm and precise, stroke by stroke. The lines on your cheeks and neck are cleaned up at the same time.
4. Cool towel and balm: a cool towel calms the skin, and a balm finishes the job.

The result is a smoothness no razor at home can match. The hot towel shave takes about 20 minutes.

• Clean-shaven men who want a really thorough shave every now and then.
• A fresh start: when the beard has to go after weeks or months, a shave at the barber is easier than a battle at the bathroom mirror. A long beard is first shortened with the clipper.
• Before a big day: wedding, job interview, photos. With sensitive skin, ideally the day before, as explained in the article haircut before a wedding or job interview.
• Simply as a break: twenty quiet minutes in the middle of a busy day, just for you.

• Don't shave yourself for two or three days before. A little length comes off more cleanly and gently with the blade than very short stubble.
• Skip scrubs and strong skincare products on your face the day before.
• If your skin is sensitive, reddens easily or tends to ingrown hairs, tell us before we start. We adjust the pressure and direction of the blade.

• Hands off: freshly shaved skin needs a few hours of rest. Avoid scratching and rubbing.
• No alcohol on your skin: aftershaves heavy in alcohol or fragrance sting and dry the skin out. A light, unscented moisturiser is better.
• Sauna, sport and strong sun are best avoided on the same day. By Lake Biel, the skin reddens quickly after a shave.
• Against ingrown hairs, a gentle scrub once a week helps, starting a few days later.

More tips for beard and skin in autumn and winter are in the article on beard care by Lake Biel.

• Hot towel shave: completely smooth, with hot towel, lather and care. CHF 28.
• Beard trim: the beard stays, gets its shape back and the lines are done with the blade. CHF 20.
• GYAN Face Treatment: hot towel, cleansing and care, without a shave. CHF 25.
• GYAN Full Service: haircut, beard, face treatment, wash and styling in one appointment. CHF 90, walk-in CHF 85.

Find out more about beards and lines on our page about beard care in Biel.

GYAN Hair Salon is at Zentralstrasse 22 in Biel. Opening hours are Monday to Wednesday 9 am to 7 pm, Thursday and Friday 9 am to 8 pm and Saturday 8.30 am to 6 pm. Pay by cash, card or TWINT. Book your shave online and treat yourself to twenty quiet minutes.