When you shave in 2018 you have a lot of options – possibly too many! Razor companies compete for your money by launching new products regularly, from electric razors to multi-bladed cartridge razors. There’s also a panoply of accessories, foams and lotions, each adamant they are necessary for a perfect shave.
Today we’re helping you pick a way through this infinite forest by offering three approaches to shaving in the 21st Century.
The Electric Shaver
A broad range of electric shavers are available now, from cheap but functional designs to more expensive versions with a corresponding rise in quality, comfort and precision. These are relatively quick to use, and free from mess and inconvenience – as the majority are best used when the skin and stubble is completely dry, rather than wet and slathered in shaving foam or gel.
The primary advantages to using an electric shaver are speed and comfort – they work quickly and cut the risk of cuts to almost nothing. If you just need to a quick tidy before you rush out the door in the morning, this could be right for you.
They do also come with some disadvantages: they’re quite loud, so may cause a disturbance if you share a house with people on a different schedule to you. They also don’t deliver as close a shave as manual razors, so if you have a healthy growth of facial hair, you may find yourself needing to shave more regularly.
Cartridge Shaving
This is the dominant method of shaving for most people – cartridges of multibladed razors which can be fitted onto the handle of your razor and disposed of when they begin to blunt. This offers convenience and portability, as well as a closer shave than an electric razor, but it comes with a cost.
Despite what adverts may say, multiple blades do not offer a closer or smoother shave. This has become the arms race of modern shaving because it’s easy to sell, not because it actually improves the experience for you. In fact, additional blades in your razor can irritate the skin.
On top of this, the cost of buying new cartridges throughout the year increases the cost of shaving spirals. Some experts recommend slotting in a new blade after only three or four uses – depending on your needs this could be less than a week of shaving!
Classic Shaving
If you have the time in the modern, vintage safety razors have been making a return recently and offer some clear advantages. Though the risk of cuts rises in the early days, when you’ve had chance to practise your skills, you’ll be able to achieve a closer shave with less irritated skin every morning.
There’s some initial expense in gathering the equipment, from finding a razor that works for you, to getting a shaving brush set, you’ll find that the ‘running costs’ are much less over the course of a year than with a standard disposal razor kit.
Though it’s a little less convenient than some modern shaving styles, the vintage safety razor shave has more than enough to recommend it to a modern man.