Hot Towel Shave in Victoria.

The hot towel shave is the one service on our menu that has not changed in a hundred years, and there is a reason for that. A straight razor takes the hair off at the surface of the skin in a single stroke — closer than any cartridge manages, and without the dragging that comes of pulling three blades across the same patch twice over.

The sequence matters as much as the blade. A hot towel goes on first to soften the beard and open the pores, lather is worked in with a brush, and the first pass runs with the grain. Then it is re-lathered and taken across the grain wherever the skin will take it. A cool towel closes everything down at the end and balm settles the face. The whole thing runs thirty to forty minutes, and it is not a service worth rushing.

Every shave uses a fresh single-use blade, no exceptions. If your skin is prone to irritation or you get ingrown hairs, say so before your barber starts and he will keep to one pass with the grain rather than chase the closest possible finish. A traditional shave is hard on skin done carelessly and very easy on it done well.

It is the service people tend to want before something that matters — a wedding, an interview, a photograph — though there is nothing stopping you making it a standing part of the month. Royal Look is inside Broadmead Village Shopping Centre at Royal Oak, with free parking in the lot right out front. We are open seven days a week and take walk-ins; call ahead if you want to check the wait.