Read this and tell me what you think.

Let's talk about single and double edged razors and the blades that they use.
JackieMartling

Read this and tell me what you think.

Post by JackieMartling »

Here's something I found on a site for electric shaving. I find it interesting, especially that part about a link between razor exfoliation and scar tissue. What do you guys make of it?

Question: How do I transition from a blade to an electric?

Answer: First you need to accept an important attitude adjustment. The reason your razor shave feels so clean and close is because you are removing a layer of skin off your face. You do this often enough during a week and you cause alot of damage. Also your skin produces scare tissue in order to fight off the damage you keep doing to your skin. All that will suddenly stop and it is hard to adjust to. So you need to transition away from "Does my shave feel close?" to "Does my shave look close?" Your adjustment will occur over about 3 weeks. The first week will give you a chance to try different shaving methods, shaving dry without pre-shave applications, with pre-shave applications, dry after washing your face or showering, again with or without pre-shave and perhaps depending on the razor even wet shaving with an electric (make sure it's rated by the company that makes the razor for this). This period usually only gives shaves described by most users as "passable" Your face will probably need exfoliation and you may want to use an exfoliant to get rid of the extra micro scare tissue your face is still producing. Just washing with a washcloth can help. You may produce light red spots and burns on your face during this period. This is usually caused by doing something wrong like tilting the razor incorrectly, shaving while your face or beard is still wet or rubbing the same spot over and over needlessly. The second week should be much better, you should be finding ways you like to shave, learning the direction your beard grows and moving the razor in the opposite direction correctly, learning how to pull your skin taught to get at all the whiskers and getting shaves closer than with a blade. Again these will appear closer not feel closer. Your skin should begin healing completely and you may find long standing skin erruptions, red spots and various other skin issues you thought were permanent start to dissapear. You will likely feel like you need to shave again at the end of the day. Don't go back to a blade! Just shave again at the end of the day. A quick wash with soap, let it dry and a one minute shave will make you look great, is good for your skin and will give your face more practice with the heads or foil rubbing against it. Finally in the last week things should be looking good and you should be finalizing your shaving technique, changing your technique can both help your transition and hurt, so just accept that changes can give you a worse shave and/or can be the Holy Grail answer your looking for. During the third week you'll also start getting shaves that are much quicker than before and be much more satisfying. You'll actually begin to realize that an electric is alot closer than a blade. And your skin will redevelop that "I just shaved feeling" with the electric instead of a blade even though you haven't torn any of your skin off. Congrats, you've done it! Welcome to the club! And feel free to point out any blood you find on your blade shaving friends faces the next time you see them.
JackieMartling

Post by JackieMartling »

Just to clarify: I had always heard that razor exfoliation (removal of the top skin layer via shaving) was actually considered a good thing, helping to remove dead skin cells and generally helping the skin to stay healthy. This is saying quite the opposite, that one actually builds up scar tissue from razor exfoliation, and that by using an electric, and thus stopping the removal of skin, one's skin should be healthier. I'm curious to know if anybody knows anything one way or the other about this matter.
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Post by reginald-van-gleason »

Well, I've been "wetshaving" for 15 years, so, according to the logic of this "electric" theory, my face should be one gigantic mass of scar tissue...(it's not, just in case you're wondering :) )
RVG
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Post by Maynard »

My view: :bull

I don't know about the whole exfoliation thing, but I can tell you that I shaved with an electric for 20 years and my motivation for switching came from the fact that I could NEVER get a shave that looked close. On top of that, I realized when I shaved at the gym that I actually took more time than the people next to me who were wetshaving--just b/c a decent shave would require going over the same spots over and over again. I don't see myself ever going back to an electric...

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Post by bernards66 »

Nathan, Where did you find this little gem? Actually, the description of the transition from blade to electric shaving is pretty accurate ( minus the CR style hyberbole ). I made this transition, oh, maybe ten years ago, or so. Shaved with an electric for about a year and a half. The full transition was about three weeks, as was said. Sure, shaving with a blade does build up what he calls "micro scar tissue", or if you prefer, just thicker skin. So, when one switches to an electric, the first week or so of shaves are pretty poor, but they improve, as one's skin gets a little less thick ( I really should leave this part to the good doctor from N.S. ). So, which is 'healthier'? Dunno. My father shaved with an electric his whole adult life, and his skin looked very good. But, then again, I've shaved with a DE for forty years, and mine ain't bad either. It's worth considering, what exactly is the author comparing to an electric shave? A traditional wet shave like most of us do? I doubt it. I imagine he's comparing to someone who smears some canned goo on his face, and flails away, willy nilly, with a Quattro, or some such. I've posted, more then once, that if my only choice was a multi-blade cartridge and aerosal gel, or an electric, I'd take the electric. Fortunately, we here know that those are NOT the only two choices. Personally, I got decent shaves with an electric, and zero irritation. But as far as being as close or closer? That's absurd on the face of it. That's part of the reason that I went back to wetshaving. The other part is that the electric was just so painfully boring.
Regards,
Gordon
JackieMartling

Post by JackieMartling »

Gordon, I found this on a site called "Electric Razor Rap." (http://jimelliott.suddenlaunch2.com/index.cgi) It's sort of like SMF or TWSG for electric shavers. The excerpt above can be found here: http://jimelliott.suddenlaunch2.com/ind ... 1073264395. What is funny is that the folks there seem to be as passionate about electric shaving as we are about blade shaving. They are also profoundly against blade shaving, just like most of us are against electrics. Indeed, discussion of blade shaving is not even allowed there. (For that matter, neither is discussion of pubic hair shaving, although I did see a banner ad there for a site that sells implements for that very practice; seems a bit inconsistent to me, but I digress.) To each his own, I guess. Give it a look.
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Post by bernards66 »

Nathan, That's absolutely wild. It's simply beyond my ken, how anyone could get 'into' electric shaving. It works, more or less, to get the job done, but it's as dull as dishwater. There's just nothing to it ( and it doesn't smell like lavender and sandalwood either ). It's like being really into electric carving knives as opposed to quality cutlery, or into fast food eats vs. quality cuisine. I don't get it.
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Post by Deagram »

I have a Panasonic linear (13,000 rpm) Wet & Dry electric shaver.

It's pretty good wet, but not that good dry.

I have not tried it with Brush and cream yet, as I have not used it since I got my Merkur a few weeks ago.

The postman delivered a Gillette Heavyweight SuperSpeed (1950s vintage) a few minutes ago. This will be getting a test later on today. Hopefully this may better suited to my meagre technique. :lol:
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Post by drP »

Gordon,

I totally concur with you....

Couldn't have said it better myself.... :)

Peter
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Post by nteeman »

FWIW, I once tried shaving with an electric for about a year or so, and yes you have to get used to it. You also have to get used to having your face 'looking like you've shaved' not 'feeling like you've shaved.'

Some time ago while going through a skin cancer screening I asked my dermatologist which shaving method he'd recommend, electric or razor. He said that he hadn't any preference, 'whatever works best for you.'
Last edited by nteeman on Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
-Neal (DE user since 1998)
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Post by Hugo »

I used a Braun Synchro Self Cleaning Razor (Model #7680) for nearly two years. My dermatologist (at the time), and most of my friends, told me an electric razor was far better for persons with sensitive skin than any razor and cream combo you could find.
I was never able to get a baby bottom smoothness with this razor, nor was I ever able to shave in less time than it takes me to shave now (even if I really pamper myself). I had just as many ingrown hairs as with a Mach3 and canned gels made for sensitive skin. The ingrowns with the electric were never as deep or painful, but I still had them. Especially on my neck area.
And most of the time I had at least one patch where my skin was "rubbed" raw trying to get the whiskers down to the skin. Up, Down, Circular motions, sometimes none of these worked and I was left with the red patch or a spot that most thought I had missed.
My face burned most of the time and felt terrible. But my derm kept telling me to stick with it and things would get better. Y'know the whole "your skin will adjust" line. Well, for me, it never did get easier, better, smoother, or less aggrevating.
I went back to the Mach3 and some sensitive gels for about 6 months before finding MenEssentials and inevitably this site. Now my skin looks better, feels smoother, and I have nearly zero ingrown hairs or irritation. So, for me the razor and cream combo works. I don't believe you could sell me on electric shaving ever again, but I am not suprised there are communities online for electric shavers like the one we have here. Some of my friends speak to each other with as much passion about their electrics as we do on this forum. Maybe I will point this community out to them, since I cannot get them to convert to a DE and English creams.
As far as whether or not electric shaving is better for the skin due to the "scar tissue" caused by razor blades I'm sure you could find scientific studies to support both methods.
For me I believe a razor, and the exfoliation I get from the blade, have a positive effect on my skin. The electric razor to me always appeared to be pulling the hairs out and was far less comfortable and more stressful to my skin.

As always though YMMV.
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Post by Joe Lerch »

I was waiting to see what Chris had to say. As I understand it, he says the exfoliation is good, and if you don't get it with the razor, you'll have to do it another way. I also think about the things you read occasionally that say that men's skin is generally in better than than women's (without treatments), because of the exfoliation.

My history is exactly the opposite to the article's. I've been a wet shaver for over 40 years and started on a Gillette DE when it was what you got in the drugstore. I've shaved every day, sometimes more than once, except maybe on vacation. I don't look like the Phantom of the Opera, and I have always been considered to have good looking skin, even as a teenager.

Meanwhile, the reality is that my skin has always been extremely sensitive, and it is only recently that I found out I have a medical skin condition and started using medication.

During my shaving life, I've tried to switch to electrics, and just about every kind of electric, without success. Whereas my skin always looked good from a DE shave, using an electric was disastrous. Trying to get a close shave, I would always end up with a red irritated face after the first shave. I would have to stop and let my face recover for a few days, meanwhile doing minimum one pass wet shaves to look acceptable at work. I never had that kind of a reactin, even with the worst wet shaving razors. I could usually go for a few days.

So, I can't identify with this article at all. Like Chris says, it just sounds like an excuse for not getting a clean shave. I'm fussy, for me the shave has to feel clean, and an electric could never do it. This is just an admission.
Joe
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Post by Joe Lerch »

Hugo wrote:My face burned most of the time and felt terrible. But my derm kept telling me to stick with it and things would get better. Y'know the whole "your skin will adjust" line. Well, for me, it never did get easier, better, smoother, or less aggrevating.
Exactly my experience! And even when I used the DE, most of the time I was using something out of a can (Noxema, for the longest time), but I was clean shaven and my skin was the envy of all the women (that's funny!), who didn't know how sensitive it was.

After an electric shave I was often asked if I had gotten sunburned.
Joe
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Post by Sam »

well i tried a norelco many years ago for about a month and returned it. i could not get close shaves. some guys can use it and if so, more power to them. some of the newer models have gels i have seen being dispensed, so is that an admission that having a "wet" shave is actually better?

sam
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Post by bebosky »

That dude is smoking some something good.

I used an electric razor for years...it was quick but it didnt feel close and fdefinately did not look close.

So according to him I am big lump of scars! Well maybe, but that has nothing to do with shaving.

Plus dont all of the ads for lectrics say "close as a blade!"?

Steven
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Post by Brett G »

That there are men out there who get good results from an electric isn't what's surprising. It's that there are hard-core devotees who are willing to shout about it. Electric shaving is strictly utilitarian. It has no style, no panache, no cachet, no nothing (I love Gordon's line about being into electric knives). That's great if electric works for you, but everyone and their dog knows that they do not shave closer than a blade. There might be 5 guys for which this is the case and apparently they now have a web site.
Last edited by Brett G on Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Cliff »

I sense a West Side Story rumble coming on. Instead of the Sharks vs Jets it'll be the Sparks vs Wets. #-o
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Post by Joe Lerch »

Brett G wrote:Electric shaving is strictly utilitarian. It has no style, no panache, no cachet, no nothing.
Hey Brett, you have the makings of a new industry there. People have made fortunes on a lot less than that. Designer electrics with style and panache! Throw in some pre-shaves with designer fragrances, quadruple the price, and you're in business.
Joe
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Post by Pauldog »

Supposedly, electric shaving is much more popular in Europe than in the U.S. (It may have to do with the frequency of bathing. You can't wetshave a dry face.)

I have a Norelco, and one very big advantage it has over a blade is that I can shave in the car. This is great if I am running late for an appointment and didn't get around to shaving yet.

I've posted on "Electric Razor Rap". I first went there to find out more about my razor. They have interesting information on "hacking" your razor, things like which parts will interchange between models, etc. For instance, several Norelcos can be fitted with the new more-blades XL cutting heads. (Normally you have to use only one type of cutter set for each model line. Even a Reflex Action Plus uses a different blade than a Reflex Action.) But reading about the potential for more irritation led me to stick with what I already have.

I learned there that there isn't that much difference between a $40 Reflex Action and a $200 "James Bond" model. At least not enough difference for me. (The basic idea is that within a model line, the cutting ability is the same, since the heads are identical. And there isn't necessarily that much difference between recent model lines beyond bells and whistles, and personal preference in the kind of shave you get.) I learned how to tell if a model has NiCd or NiMH batteries - the even numbered model codes are NiMH. I ended up getting a new 5812XL Reflex Action for something like $30 on eBay several years ago. The way I use it, it will last for many years, and the only thing I may need to replace in the next couple of years is the battery.

I once did a bit of surgery on my old Micro Action, replacing the battery with a cheap AA NiCd.

My guess is that washing your face before electric shaving would make it easier and possibly shave closer, and probably wear the blades less. But If I'm washing my face, I might as well get out the brush. I don't see the point of using an electric in the shower. And I've heard that electric razors used wet often develop a smell.
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Post by Joe Lerch »

Cliff wrote:I sense a West Side Story rumble coming on. Instead of the Sharks vs Jets it'll be the Sparks vs Wets. #-o
You could have a song with the title "There's a Blade for Us" and the electric guys could be toe dancing around the stage trying to secretly substitute U.S. Gillette blades for the wet shaver's Merkurs. The wet shavers would accept a hugh Trojan Vision as a peace offering from the electrics and end up losing because it's filled with magic five blade razors that immediately replace all other safety razors. In the last act the wet shavers go broke because of the expense of the new cartridges, but they can't declare bankruptcy because of the new law. What a hit that would be!
Joe
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