For the holidays my GF got me an electric beard trimmer which is perfect for the beard, mustache, and sideburns. But it also has a foil razor attachment and I’ve been pretty unsatisfied with the results. I’m used to a regular razor and while messy it gets good results.
I’d like to use the electric for everything if I can get a close shave. I’m not using any skin prep like Lectrashave, should I? Any help would be appreciated.
You will never ever get as close of a shave with an electric razor as you will with a standard one.
They are just barely tolerable. I used one for years and switched back to regular cartridge razors and haven’t looked back since.
I too received an electric razor for Christmas (in this case because I asked for one). I hadn’t used an electric razor for thirty-plus years and decided to give them another try.
I found that for me an electric razor doesn’t shave nearly as close as a blade. My son-in-law told me that he has the same issue with electric razors - but has decided to go with them anyway because for him the convenience outweighs the effectiveness.
I’ve made the same decision and am going to continue to use the electric razor.
Your mileage may vary, and I can easily see others making different decisions.
Electric razors can do a good job, but you need to apply pressure and go over the same area multiple times in a variety of different ways: up, down, sideways, in a circle, repeat, etc.
I only find them convenient because I can do other things while shaving, like setting up coffee, getting clothes out, packing lunch, and the like. They’re not really a time saver unless you can multitask while using them, otherwise spending 5 minutes in front of the mirror with a blade is better.
They’re easier on my skin too, so that’s a bonus.
I use a safety razor, brush and soap… and a little Wahl trimmer for beard, mustache, eyebrows, and quick swipes at nasal tusks. I have a fairly patchy beard on my cheeks and in recent years I’ve taken to using the trimmer, with the bare blades, to smooth off the stubble and save me the trouble of shaving for a few days. But I’ve tried electrics twice - one cheapie, one very pricey Braun - and hate them so much I gave both away. Blade. Single blade. Nothing works better and it’s incredibly cheap compared to 40-blade “system” units (all of which are the biggest joke played on male consumers after 1970s “performance” cars.)
I used to be a blade-only guy, but I eventually switched to a Braun electric. I find it to be a pain in the butt to shave with a blade (lots of water, messy, etc.) so I tend to shave more often with an electric.
I do use a “Lectric Shave” type product (it’s a generic brand) which does help a little at getting the hairs to stand up nicely for a better shave. I also noticed that I got a better shave after using the electric regularly for awhile…maybe it’s your face/beard “getting used” to it, or maybe it’s figuring out how best to use the electric, but now I can get a shave that’s probably 90% as good as a blade, and if I use a blade to touch up a couple of spots afterward (10 seconds), it’s just as good.
Lectric Shave may react with aftershave in an unpleasant manner (it may burn).
Talc, specifically a stick of shaving talc, will rinse off easily from your face. OTOH, it will clog up your razor.
Years ago I used an electric razor for about six months, and no matter what shaving cream I used, wet or dry, my face always had that burn and marked me up.
I’ve been using disposable razors since with no facial discomfort.
YMMV
Well your problem is obvious right there.
lol sorry, should have said prep cream like Lectrashave or whatnot…
I use an electric to shave off the longer, rougher stuff. It does an OK job at that, but then I hop in the shower, and I use a regular razor and shaving cream/gel, as it does a better job of finishing, and it is easy clean-up. Neither the electric or the regular razor seem to do the job on their own - the electric leaves too much behind, and the regular is too painful when the beard is longer or rough, but used together it works for me. No pre- or post- lotion needed.
And yes, guys, do get a nose and ear hair trimmer and take care of business in those areas too.
I use both blades and electrics (Norelco). The main advantage of an electric is that it cuts the whiskers at a 90 degree angle-so even though it doesn’t shave as close, you stay decent for 1-2 days…and you don’t get ingrown hairs. A blade cuts the hairs at an angle-so the sharp ends can stick into your skin, and grow back into the skin.
The curious thing for me is, my beard hairs are very stiff (like copper wires)…to get a good blade shave, I usually shower first-the hot water softens the beard enough to get a good cut.
An electric razor is quick, but does a poor job. So I use it only when I’m in a hurry and don’t need a good shave, just a passable one.
That pretty much sums it up.
As others have said, no electric razor ever gets as close as a blade. But nowadays I still use an electric most of the time, saving the blade for those occasions when I want to look especially nice. The reason is that using the blade is messy and it also requires me to spend a lot of time in the bathroom. With the electric razor I can spend my morning doing other things while I shave.
They’re great if you want to have that eleven-a.m. shadow.
And it’s hard to use a blade in a moving car during the morning commute.
I figured that was it. Some people’s skin does not react well to electric razors. Mine doesn’t do great, but since I only partially shave, maybe twice a week, and usually in a hurry, I use the electric most of the time. I don’t mind a little stubble so it works fine. Just like a real blade you have to move the razor against the grain to get a close shave. Also, apparently some guys don’t realize that electric razors need cleaning. They won’t work well at all if they get gunked up, and creams and before-shave stuff just make that worse. Also, if the cutting heads for your razor can’t be replaced or sharpened, it’s only good for about a year. Maybe less if your beard is tough enough.
I should add that it took a while to adjust to an electric razor, and that I didn’t go back and forth between an electric razor and a safety (disposible) razor. If you want to make it work, stick with it for a while.
It is true that if you stay with it, and don’t switch between blades and electric all the time, you will start to get better results.
But with my fair skin and dark beard, I would definitely get an 11am shadow if I shaved at 6am with an electric. In fact, I constantly had people making fun of me asking me why I didn’t shave that day because with an electric, by the end of the day, it really did look like I just completely skipped shaving.
If you have lighter facial hair, or darker skin, I bet they work just fine.
Also, you will always get a closer shave by shaving right after a nice hot shower and washing your face. Even with an electric.
I have some 'Lectric shave, but don’t like the smell, so I use thisinstead. Makes things nice and smooth.
I also use a Braun electric with the Clean & Renew system. It cleans, lubes, and charges every time you put your razor away, so it’s like new razor every day. No more getting that tiny anthropologist brush out and trying to sweep out all the little whisker bits.