when shaving, why does it seem like a warm razor cuts so much smoother than a cold one, regardless of the face’s temperature?

Question

the title
Fresh out of the shower, I begin to
Shave and I’ve noticed if I
Run the razor under cold
Water it’s seems like
It drags and burns more but running the razor under warm water seems to make it smoother.
Noticed this with multi-blade razors but seems even not so with a straight razor

In: Physics

Answer 1

The hotter the better, they even make razors where the blades heat up but it’s less effective than heating up your face. If you go to a barber shop and get a shave they’ll put a hot towel on your face for a minute before starting. It softens the hair and skin, causes the hair to “stand up”, your skin is more relaxed and elastic/mailable, and it can help prevent ingrown hairs by opening pores. It works the same way for a straight razor, of you feel a difference maybe your straight razor isn’t sharp enough.