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Properly used, most electric shavers can offer the user a shave that is just as close as a blade
razor. How is this possible? An electric shaver rolls up the skin ahead of the hair-forcing the
whisker up above what would be considered the skin line where it is then cut off.
Other benefits of electric shaving are its ease of use and almost complete absence of cuts and scraping.
You can even shave with your shirt and tie on with an electric shaver; most men wouldn't attempt this
with a blade razor. The time spent shaving is so variable due to individual habits that it would be
debatable as to whether blade razor or electric shaving is faster, but most men find that the
electric shaver is a quicker, less messy, more convenient way to shave.
Let us offer you some tips for better electric shaving that we have found
beneficial over the years:
The four steps of good daily shaving
STEP ONE: Clean your shaver's screen and cutter regularly. On most shavers you can lift off the
head frame which holds the screen, and gently brush out the whisker dust from the underside with the
cleaning brush all manufacturer's furnish with their product. Do not touch the screen itself with the
cleaning brush. It is very fragile. Below the screen is the cutter and that's the part you need to brush
out with your cleaning brush. Get all of the accumulated whisker dust out of the cutter so that it can
properly apply its metal surfaces to the task of cutting off your whiskers. Whisker residue built up on
the cutters can seriously impair the effectiveness of your shaver.
It is best to clean your shaver after every third shave, and preferably
after every shave. The weekly use of a cleaning solution such as
Parks Shaver Cleaner is recommended for a really thorough cleaning.
STEP TWO: The metal surfaces of your screen and your cutter
need lubrication. Spray a product such as Parks Shaveease, an aerosol
lubricant, on the shaving screen while the shaver is running. This
immediately frees up any metal against metal binding. Use this lubricant
sparingly. No need to wipe it off. Proceed with your shaving. You'll
notice a pick up in the sound level of your shavers motor which
tells you that it is then operating at its maximum power level.
Do this daily, while the shaver is running, just before you shave.
STEP THREE: Use gentle pressure against your beard and shave
against the grain of your beard growth. Do not press down hard,
or move your shaver too rapidly over your face. This will not get
you a closer shave but will cause your shaver head to wear out quicker.
STEP FOUR: Many men who have very sensitive skin report that it helps to shave the most tender
areas of their face (the neck area below
the jawbone) first and then move up to the tougher areas of their
face in the areas between the ears, nose, and mouth. Some shavers
generate heat on their shaving surfaces and heat can cause irritation.
So shave the tender areas of your face first while the shaver head
is coolest. It is also helpful to use a product such as Parks Pre/Aft
lotion or one of the fine variety of Williams
Lectric Shave products available at Shavers.com.
- Although one of the many benefits of electric razors is that
they're fast and easy; they can still rub your face the wrong
way leaving it dry and uncomfortable. Most men who use electric
shavers use a pre-shave lotion for a closer, smoother shave. More
men use Lectric Shave than any other brand.
- Men use Lectric Shave because it works and here's how.
Beard hairs often lie down flat against your skin. Part of the
reason is dampness; oils and greases tend to hold the hair down,
much in the way tall grass lies flat when wet. Within seconds
of splashing on Lectric Shave your beard will start to
bristle up as the natural moisture evaporates. The dry hair will
stands up straight allowing you to get a closer shave than you
ever thought possible.
- Williams Lectric Shave pre-shave makes the most of your
electric razor by protecting your face from irritation. Its lubricants
and moisturizers help the razor glide smoothly over your face.
Just apply, let it dry, then shave and rinse. Your skin will be
smooth and comfortable with a healthy look.
- Williams Lectric Shave recently introduced Lectric
Shave Ultra—a pre shave gel. Ultra is a non-oily, non-greasy,
easy way to apply pre-shave gel. Its lubrication helps your razor
glide smoothly and reduce razor burn. New Lectric Shave Ultra
has a contemporary scent and contains menthol, aloe and vitamin
E which help soothe sensitive skin.
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Switching shaver systems/manufacturers
If you have been using a different brand electric shaver than the one you are switching over to,
then please allow some breaking in time. Although most shavers have somewhat similar shaving principles,
their "in use" applications differ. Give yourself a week or two for your face to adjust to your new shaver.
If you have been using a blade razor, then you must give your face a minimum of 2-3 weeks to adjust
to electric shaving. Why? Well, every time you shave with a razor you actually take off a very thin
layer of skin. With electric shaving, you are shaving at or below the skin line. So, you need this 2-3
weeks adjustment time to get rid of the replacement scar tissue that the body produces after every razor
blade shave. You don't produce this scar tissue with electric shaving. And don't fluctuate back and forth
between blade shaving and electric shaving if you want to achieve the many benefits of electric shaving.
Be determined, and stick with your decision to use an electric shaver.
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First time electric shaver users
Whether you are a young man shaving for the first time or a seasoned veteran at blade shaving, the
process of getting used to an electric shaver for the first time is the same. Chances are that your
first couple of shaves will be just awful (but not always) and you may experience irritation, missed
ares of hair (especially in the neck area) and just a generally poor shave. FEAR NOT! Your face will
almost always take at lease 1-3 weeks to adjust to the shaving system that you are using.
Shave every day with the new shaver and let your face get acclimated to the way the shaver shaves you.
Your beard needs to be "trained" to be shaved a certain way and this process is the only way to do it.
If after a few weeks of shaving you are still not happy with the shave results you are getting then
that is not the shaver for you. Take advantage of any money back guarantees offered to you
(most shavers offer 30-60 days) and try a different system.
It may take a little patience but you'll get there.
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Changing your foil and cutter (heads)
Most foil and cutter sets (rotary included) need to be changed about once per year. Tough beards, rough
handling, dirty cutters will all lessen the amount of time that a foil and cutter set will last. Usually
you will want to change the foil and cuter at the same time even if the foil looks "fine". The
reason being that as your blade (cutter) gets duller, your foil gradually gets thinner as you press
harder on your face to get the same quality shave you are used to. Putting a nice new sharp cutter
under a thinning foil will usually put a hole in it rather quickly-possibly leading to a nasty cut or
nick in your face.
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Rechargeable vs. Cord Shavers
Contrary to popular belief cord model shavers are NOT more powerful than rechargeable shavers. It is
true that a battery powered rechargeable shaver will lose it's charge more quickly as the
battery dies out (usually between 3-5 years). However this can usually be combatted by following the proper procedure for
charging and discharging your shaver:
- Charge your shaver completely.
- Use the shaver daily without the cord until it runs all the way down.
- Recharge the shaver.
This procedure may seem obvious, however 90% of the premature battery problems that occur could be
avoided if these 3 simple steps are followed. Using a rechargeable shaver continously with the cord
plugged in will destroy the batterys over time.
"Hey, I use the shaver properly and while letting it run down the battery died halfway through my shave!"
This will happen occasionally as you let the shaver exhaust the charge-if this occurs, plug the shaver
into the outlet, finish shaving and then put the shaver down to charge again. Doing this once in awhile
will not harm your bateries. *Note- you cannot do this if your shaver requires more than a 1-hour charge
or charges on a stand.
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Foil (or "oscillating") vs. Rotary shaving
Foil shavers are machines that use an oscillating (back and forth) motion to cut hairs through a foil
(also know as a screen) and cutter (blade) system. Rotary shavers are machines whose cutting system is
based upon circular, rotating series of blades that move under a usually slotted head. Neither syster is
"better" than the other. Neither system gives a closer shave than the other. It is all based upon personal
preference and very few people can get good results with both. Trial and error is the only way to know
what will work best for you.
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