New Shaving Method After 30 Years

Believe it or not, after 30 years of shaving almost daily, I finally found optimal and most comfortable shave for me.

Disposable Razor

I started shaving as senior in high school. And at college, I started to learn about shaving. I basically shaved with cheap BIC disposable razor (sometimes single blade, sometimes double blade) and shaving cream.

My issue was that I had acne. I had to be super careful with shaving. Typically, I shave in spots to avoid my pimples. And I often missed areas when shaving. I realized these missed spots only after I removed and cleaned off the shaving cream. And then I was too lazy to apply more shaving cream again to shave the missed spots. So I often ended up with poor and incomplete shave. And I periodically, I got cuts that left scars and bumps for weeks.

Foil Shaver

In my mid-20's, I received a Braun shaver as a gift. That was 25 years ago, so I don't remember the model. Here is an example photo of what it approximately looked like:

It was much improved experience over blade: easier and faster to shave. And with electric shaver, I can immediately see spots that I missed; I can quickly go over those missed areas again. And most importantly, it was safer and no cuts.

However, there are trade-offs and disadvantages with electric shaver:

1. Electric shaver does not shave as close as razor. For those who desires clean shaves, I'm sure this can be a big factor. For me, I had issue with razor cuts, so I rarely shaved cleanly, unless there was some special event. So I rather take the electric over razor.

2. Electric shaver cuts well with 1-2 days hair growth. But once stubble get longer, it can be very hard to cut with electric shaver. As foil run over the longer hair, foil will push the hair flat, so there is nothing sticking out for the shaving head. Razor blade has no such issue.

3. Difficult to shave near the jaw and neck areas where hair grows along the skin surface (does not grow up out 90 degrees, but more like 0-30 degrees). Have to go over these areas multiple times just for few stubborn hairs that just refused to be cut.

Rotary Shaver

When my Braun's battery died after 7 or so years, I bought a Norelco rotary razor. I just heard some swear by rotary over foil. And once I tried it, I was convinced too. I have stayed with Norelco (later purchased by Philips) since. I have gone thru 3 Philips Norelco rotary shavers in last 20 years. I don't recall the model # for the 1st one that I got. But it was quite pricey; over $100. Then my 2nd Philips Norelco was 7110X. I got this from BestBuy for $35, around 2008. That was a great deal.

I'm sure there are a lot of marketing features; I don't know if any of them matters. What I find is that rotary is slightly easier to shave when my hair is a bit longer, such as after I skip shaving over the weekend. And another advantage is that it is easier to cut those irregular hairs on jaw and neck.

I don't have a thick beard. The shaving head last around 2-3 years for me. And I can swap out the heads. But what limits the longevity is the battery. Once the battery is low or dead, the shaver stops working. Most shaver will not turn on even when plugged in. This is a downside with these shavers. I wish these can be design so that it works when plugged in, and just bypass the battery.

Rotary Shaver Wet Shave

Around 3 years ago, I bought a Philips Norelco 5675 from Costco. It was around $70-80. Not super cheap, but very reasonable. For something that will last me around 7 or 8 years, that is only $10 per year.

Years ago, I bought Philips Norelco gift for my father. And that is what he has been using. His old shaver is getting old, so I gifted him top of the line Philips 9900 Pro shaver. This is also his first wet-capable electric shaver, so he asked me what is wet. Even though I had one, I wasn't sure. So I checked the manual.

Wet shavers can be used with shaving cream. It can be used in the shower. Ok. Well, I never used shaving cream with electric razor as I thought they are designed to be used without shaving cream. As for using electric shaver in shower, I don't see the benefit. I shave standing in front of the vanity mirror. I need to see my face in order to see the progress during shaving.

With that, I was curious how well my Philips Norelco 5675 razor will work with wet shave. Just last week, I bought some shaving cream to try it out. I had a revelation. It is similar to when I switched from razor blade to electric. Going from dry to wet, there is a night and day difference in the smoothness of the shave. When I say smooth, it is just easier to shave and my skin feels better afterwards. The result of the shave (closeness) is no different dry vs wet.

For past 20-30 years, I just assumed (or had misconception) that electric shavers are designed for dry shave, and dry shave is the best method. When I duckduckgo (google) this, I find many still recommend dry shave even for wet capable electric shaver. If you have a wet shaver, I suggest you try it out with shaving cream. And see for yourself what works for you. It might be a life changing experience. I wish I had found out years ago. Shaving is a daily choir. This makes a big impact on my life.