3 Best Electric Shavers for Sensitive Skin

The first thing to do is to make sure you actually have a sensitive skin.

Lots of people think they have sensitive skin and while your skin might, indeed, be impacted by the laundry detergent you use, for example, “sensitive skin” is actually a condition recognized by dermatologists.

If you seek medical attention, your doctor will look for the following signs:

Other common issues might include skin on your face that is easily irritated, red, or itchy, eczema, or severe ingrown hairs.

When you consider everything your skin goes through in a day, it’s not a surprise that so many of us complain of sensitive skin. Between bad weather, dry air from heaters, internal stress or bad diet, and heavy pollution, it’s a wonder our skin can protect us at all!

Skin, however, is a living organ, and if you’re experiencing sensitivity, it’s important to take good care of it. You should seek out the advice of a dermatologist, but you should also take measures to not further irritate or hurt your skin.

Even aside from health reasons, nobody wants the discomfort of nicks, cuts, scrapes, and redness every time you need to shave!

One of the reasons people think they have sensitive skin when they don’t, is that most people are loading their skin up with ingredients.

The average woman uses 12 different products on her face every day. Even if you’re not applying makeup, I’m willing to bet you’ve still got a plethora of ingredients in whatever soaps, shaving creams, and moisturizers you’re applying. This all creates a heavy chemical load that can place a lot of stress on your skin.

Fortunately, using an electric razor can make a huge difference.

An electric shaver can be a huge help if your skin is, indeed, sensitive. What should you look for in an electric shaver? This can be a difficult discussion because at the end of the day the decision is a very personal one and extremely subjective.

Typically foil shavers are better for sensitive skin as sometimes lower-end rotary shavers can tug and pull at longer hairs.

Most men feel more in control with a foil shaver and therefore tend to feel more comfortable. High-end rotary shavers, however, can be smooth shaving experiences. It’s important to be open, however; you might find yourself surprised at what does actually work the best for your skin.

Bottom line: foil shavers might be better, but it's a matter of preference.

One factor that really isn’t subjective is shaving with lubrication.

Using a high-quality lather can go a long way in helping you to avoid further skin irritation, so you will definitely want a razor that can support wet shaving. Some shavers are only suitable for dry shaving, which isn’t a good choice for skin that’s easily irritated.

Keep in mind, however, that you will have to be on top of keeping your shaver fully charged as wet/dry shavers can’t be operated while plugged in. They also require thorough cleaning (unless your shaver has a cleaning station)

The last thing you need is your electric razor getting bogged down in your beard or stubble and losing power. The resulting hair pulling and tugging can wreak havoc on even skin that isn’t normally sensitive!

Ultimately, you need to invest in a shaver that will cut hair with as few passes as possible; the more passes, the more you’ll irritate your skin.

Pay attention to the metal that your electric shaver is made from. If your skin tends to react with certain metals, you might consider a trimmer with a gold foil. Gold is hypo-allergenic and one of the best options for metal with metal allergies.

Blades that dull quickly will cause two problems: first, you’ll have to make more passes over your skin, exacerbating that top outer layer that’s already compromised.

Second, your shaver might start tugging on the hairs it can’t cut, which will cause further discomfort if not outright pain. It’s always so tempting to go with the cheapest devices possible, but be careful! A poor quality blade is definitely not something to skimp on.

Many consumers don’t think about this, but it’s an issue, especially if you shave more than once a day or shave a large area (your whole neck and large portions of your face) or if you have to tackle a tough beard or long stubble.

Heat can irritate and outright damage your skin, and that’s a possibility if you’re using a shaver that gets too hot during use.

One of the best recommendations for people with sensitive skin is to not shave every day. If you follow this advice, however, you need a shaver that can handle longer hairs without tugging or pulling.

There are many great electric shavers on the market today, but the three I'm about to review are some of the best. Using them will help protect your skin and keep it from further irritation, allowing you to get a great shave, comfortably.