I’ve been shaving my head (think comfort, convenience & style) for a number of months now and thought it might be time to sit down and look at my options for persuing what can only considered an addiction at this point (its soooo much fun to touch).
Anyways it seems to me that I have a few options when it comes to doing the deed:
Barbershop - Good old-fashioned barbers (not trendy salons) will have a straight-blade that can provide a very good shave for a nominal fee
Electric Clippers - Salons will usually have these, as will some average folk who invested some capital into a useful but not entirely satisfactory shaving device
Razor Blade - Haven’t tried using my normal facial razor on my head yet, kinda scared i might cut myself or not be able to shave everything nicely (plus it can only be done when hair is relitively short). I’m curious how this compares to the straight-blade approach?
One last option which I’m vary curious to find out more about is the much ballyhooed HeadBlade (www.headblade.com). This is a modern product created specifically for, you guessed it, shaving one’s head. This reasonably priced razor seems like a very good idea and has received very good press from Playboy (yay) and Time Magazine.
I shave my head, and I prefer razors. The only cost is the razor. A razor blade will give you a much closer shave than electric clippers. I find shaving my head easier than shaving my face. My head is a smoother, harder surface.
If you use electric clippers on your face, then go ahead and use it on your head. I shave my head when I shave my face. It is easier to just do the whole thing at one time.
Haven’t tried the headblade. An ordinary safety razor works fine for me.
I shave every 2-3 days in the shower. I use a Schick Xtreme 3 & whatever kind of gel is cheapest. The only nicks I get on the melon are on a couple scars.
I use a Gillette razor to shave my head, but I love the idea of the HeadBlade and have already fired off an e-mail to find out if they sell it in the UK. What a neat idea!
Electric clippers are OK for removing longer hair, but they do leave a short stubble behind. Balding clippers (see www.wahl.com) may do better in this respect, although I haven’t tried them myself. They are, however, specifically designed for those who want the chrome-dome look, so perhaps they will do a decent job.
I shave my head, too. Well, not completely, but I keep my hair in a very short crew cut. I have one of those Norelco beard/moustache/hair trimmers with the adjustable heads. It cuts my hair very close and a very good job, so I would recommend this to you if you’re interested in doing this at home in your spare time…
As long as you are doing it fairly regularly (every 2-3 days) then a regular facial razor will do you just fine, albeit it doesn’t have nearly the cool factor of the HeadBlade (and neither comes close to a good old-fashioned straight razor, IMHO).
I use a Gillette Sensor every couple of days when I shower. I just use soap for lather and have been doing it long enough that I don’t need a mirror.
If you are only planning on shaving a couple of times a month then use the clippers on the lowest setting and then a razor. Using a razor to shave off more than a couple days growth on your noggin really gums up the blade so you want it as short as possible.
I use the HeadBlade and it’s great. I will admit that I’m anxiously awaiting a Mach3 adapter for it, not so much because Mach3 is all that better a blade per se but because it rinses clean so much easier.
My partner and I both shave our heads, and both use regular razors, though he uses a double-blade under running water (no gel or cream), and I swear by the Mach 3 and a gel, like Edge. The electric hedgetrimmers, er, balding clippers, are good if you want the shaved look and don’t care about the microlayer of stubble they leave behind.
Don’t do it! I used the headblade for about a week- and stopped on the day I nearly scalped myself. No kidding- it was the worst head wound I’ve ever gotten.
I highly recommend the Mach 3. I shave my head nearly daily, and I’ve used the Mach 3 for two years now, without a nick.
I have to jump in to defend the headblade. It’s heaven.
Seriously.
Run your palm over your head. That’s what shaving with a headblade is like.
Little tricy around the ears, but shaving the back of your head is so much easier.
I haven’t had any luck finding a barber that would shave my head with a razor. The ones I have found, even the old timers, want to use electric clippers and buzz the hair really close.
Hot washcloth, shaving soap (Burma Shave or Williams), shaving brush, and a Schick ST with comfort strip. The shaving soap can get a bit messy, but your hair and wiskers get wetter than with foam or gel from a can. The extra wetness really does the trick.
I used electric clippers for about 5 years but in the last couple of years I’ve bypassed them completely and just use the Mach 3. It works just peachy keen and I’ve only cut myself once.
The big problem is my fundamental laziness. I’ve always hated shaving so sometimes I’ll let my hair grow too long and I’ll have to get the clippers out again before shaving down to wood with the Mach 3. Big pain in the ass.
That brings me to my main point. Lately, I’ve been tempted to try Nair or some other dipilatory. I understand that some chemical burning is possible so I’ve been loathe to experiment without doing some research. Has anybody tried going this route?
I used to shave my head. I used clippers to get it very close, and then used my electric razor to shave it smooth. This was not a good idea, after a few shavings my razor was ruined.
These days I usually don’t shave it all the way down, I use some $9 clippers to cut it down to about 1/8th an inch or so - the closest setting, the one that’s supposed to be used for edging. I like ti better this way.
Hodge, I’ve tried the Nair route and found it to give splotchy results at best. Additionally, it doesn’t work well on very short hair (i.e. stubble), so you have to let your hair get some length to it before it’ll do anything. Even a cheap disposable razor’s better. (Never had a problem with it damaging my skin, though it did feel a bit uncomfortable.)
I nicked myself once with the Headblade, but I never went back to it, because I found the pushing motion disconcerting and counter-intuitive. I do feel, though, that I should give it another try, even though the Mach 3 works excellently for me.
This is great! Given my genes (grandfather bald at 19, dad by 30) and my refusal to fund the hair-insecurity industry, I’ve always planned to go this way once my losses mount. Now I know cool gadgets to go along with it…and I LOVE gadgets…
