Getting a hot towel shave is way more about the prep than the actual shave itself. The towel softens the hair and opens up the pores so the blade glides without pulling, which is the part most guys miss when they try it at home with a $15 towel warmer. The real kicker is the second towel and the cold one at the end, plus the barber stretching your skin tight in ways you just can't do yourself. Half the experience is the chair and the hot lather, not just the towel.