Electric Shaving Mistakes - Avoid Them to Get a Better Shave

Regardless of how carefully you shave, using a shaver that’s not right for you, will cause problems like a too-close shave (i.e. cuts and bleeding) or one that’s not quite close enough.

Although there are many electric shavers out there, it basically comes down to 2 types of shavers:

Foil shavers should be used by guys who shave daily for a clean look. They’re easy on sensitive skin. These shavers have a thin metal foil that stops the blades from coming in contact with your skin. It's not a good choice for cutting long hair.

Rotary shavers adjust better to the face contours, especially the jaw and chin areas. They're better at cutting hair growing in different directions and long hair.

If you're looking for the stubble look, you should use a designated stubble trimmer.

I'm a stickler for pre and post shaving routines.

It might take up more time at the beginning and end of your time in the bathroom, but it gives a better-looking shave. The time you spend on pre shave or post shave routine you save on fixing bad shaves, ingrown hairs, cuts and more.

Before anything, you should use a chafing gel to soften your skin. Let it sit on your face for about a minute to condition the skin before shaving.

A quality gel or lather lubricates the blade and makes hair softer. It stops irritating friction between the blade and skin. Pre-shave products may include a soap, gel, cream or oil. You can use a commercial gel, but some guys apply lather with a shaving brush, the old-fashioned way. Some experts swear by the brush and soap/lather method, but the commercial gel works fine as well. You should give both a try and see what's working for you.

When you're done shaving, always use an aftershave balm. It prevents razor burns, soothes your skin, keeps your skin pores clean and more.

Try to avoid alcohol-based aftershave lotion which gives a burning sensation and might dry your skin.

You need to manually clean your shaver once or twice a week.

You should clean out all the debris and skin cells. The shaver will get clogged up and not work as well if you don’t clean it. The razor can fill with bacteria if it’s not cleaned often enough, so that’s incentive to keep it spotless.

Lubricating your shaver is extremely important. You should also replace the blades when it's time. When blades get too dull, they are filled with grease, hair and other debris, and that makes for a painful and less-than-precise shave.

Although most electric shavers come with a lubricant to clean the razor head, make sure to have a lubricant spray or oil on hand to keep razors sharp.

Your shaver will be at best when it’s properly maintained. Using it and just putting in back in the cabinet without cleaning it is the worst thing for it. Especially when it's a wet/dry shaver and you're not cleaning it after a wet shave, it will get clogged and you won't be able to use it. Some wet/dry shavers shouldn't be used with lather or gel because it will destroy the charging or cleaning units.

All shavers have a manual with cleaning instructions, but here is a brief description of how to clean your electric shaver.

Turn off the main switch and unplug the shaver. Lift the cutter head off its support.

Use a small paintbrush to remove hair from the cutter head. Run the brush over the frame and other parts associated with the cutter head.

Take apart the shaver and clean all removable parts with shaver cleaning fluid. Then rinse the parts in hot water. 

Dry the parts with a towel. Then let them air dry. Put the shaver back together. Sometimes you can plug it in and oil it with a lubricant while it is running to keep it in good working order.

Always remember to dry the shaver after each use to get rid of lather, water, and even bits of blood.

An electric shaver doesn't cut as close as a manual razor, no matter how hard you try to get rid of a stubborn patch of hair.

If you try to press the shaver onto your face and skin you'll probably get it irritated. Electric shaver blades are sharp enough, so there's no need to apply extra pressure.

Using safety razors is more cut prone, unless you'll take your time learning how to use them correctly. Cartridge razors are milder and you can use more pressure when shaving.

Avoid doing multiple passes. It's tempting to go over your face a few times to get a close shave. But doing too many passes just irritates your skin and doesn’t remove more hair. Rotary razors take care of the extra hair without pressure or extra tries.

Rotary shavers follow facial contours, so move it in a circular pattern around hard-to-shave areas. When using a foil shaver, do a back-and-forth motion, against the grain for a cleaner shave.

It's important to hold the shaver at a right angle to the face. Use your free hand to pull the skin taut to make the hairs stand upright.  Doing this will reduce the time you spend shaving and will bring the shaver in direct contact with the skin.

Don't forget to keep your shaver charged. Using a shaver when it's not at it's full battery power will just hurt the motor, and the shaver will cut much less hair then what it can really cut.

If it's been a while since the last shave, using the electric shaver might not be the best option. If you have a short beard already, try to trim it using a a quality beard trimmer for example, and then use an electric shaver to finish off.

If you have a wet/dry shaver consider giving wet shave a chance. Wet/dry shaver is great for a smooth, irritation-free shave.

Wet-dry shavers usually come with compact cleaning and charging units, and they allow you to shave with a shaving cream or gel.