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An electric shaver, as the name suggests, is a shaver that helps in shaving your body hair with the help of electricity.
It is usually designed with a rotating or oscillating blade that cuts your hair from the surface of the skin.
Unlike the conventional methods of shaving, an electric shaver doesn’t require water, soap or shaving creams to remove your hair.
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The different types of electric shavers usually run with the help of a small DC motor and it gets power either from a battery or through an electrical outlet.
Some of the earliest electric razors were powered using your hand to pull a chord. Most of the modern eclectic razors that we use today are powered by rechargeable batteries.
There are mainly two categories of electric shavers – foil style and rotary style shavers.
Types Of Electric Shavers
Electric Trimmers
Electric trimmers were first invented in the US in 1915 by a German Engineer called Johann Bruecker.
Eventually, the inventors such as American manufacturer Col. Jacob Schick followed suit by filing their own patents for an electric razor in 1930.
The concept of the revolving electric razor was invented by Prof. Alexander Horowitz from Philips laboratories in the Netherlands.
It cuts the hair at the skin level with the help of the shaving head which includes two shaving cutters.
Another step in the development of the modern razor by fusing rubber and metallic elements was initiated by the inventor Ronald Ullmann who was a part of the German company Braun.
Braun makes one of the best electric trimmers in the market today.
Earlier, electric shavers were only meant to be used for electric shavers.
But recent developments in technology has given rise to a number of waterproof shavers that can also be used on wet skin.
Benefits Of Electric Shavers
If you are thinking of making the switch from manual razors to electric shavers, you will find that it gives you a lot more benefits. Some of the benefits of switching to an electric shaver are:
Saves time you can cut your shaving time in half with the help of an electric razor.
One major reason for this is you do not need to use any soap, water or other shaving foam while using an electric shaver.
You can also use an electric trimmer while taking a shower so you do not need to find separate time to trim your body hair.
Saves money- An electric trimmer can be a real investment for your body as well as your wallet.
Unlike razors, you do not have to replace them after a few uses. You can use the trimmer for a long time and most of them come with an extended warranty that lasts for more than two years.
Most of the issues that might arise after prolonged use can be fixed easily.
You also do not have to invest in shaving cream or a razor while using an electric shaver which also saves your money.
Low chance for injury- It is commonly seen that a razor can cause injuries to your skin in the form of nicks, cuts and ingrown hairs.
This could lead to bleeding that can further scar your skin. An electric razor on the other hand does not leave any room for injury.
The blade in an electric shaver has a layer of foil that prevents any of these injuries.
Controls Stubble- Electric shavers give you a lot of freedom to select the length of hair that you wanna trim off.
They come with different settings that will help you achieve different styles like a long beard or a clean shaved look. This level of accuracy cannot be achieved while using a razor.
Can be used on dry skin- An electric trimmer is a very versatile device and it can be used on dry skin.
This cannot be done with the help of a razor since you need water, soap or shaving cream to get rid of your hair.
Rotary Electric Shavers
A rotary trimmer has a unique design that can be easily identifiable. It has rotating heads that are round shaving foils with blades.
The blades move in a circular motion while you move it on the surface of your skin to remove the hair.
It helps in shaving and trimming your hair with accurate details to create various styles. It also has different independent shaving heads.
You can use this razor in all directions, on all parts of your body to smoothly remove hair from the surface.
It is also easy to shave larger areas of the body with a rotary trimmer. This shaver is ideal for those with heavy hair growth, who trim their hair on a regular basis.
It is also really helpful in touching up your styled beard and moustache.
I recommend you run this device in a circular motion over your skin to make sure that all the nooks and corners are covered.
However, it is important to make sure that you do the circular motion carefully otherwise you might risk skin irritations like bruises or rashes.
If you have sensitive skin, you must make sure that you do not apply too much pressure on the skin while using the shaver.
Philips Norelco Shaver 7900
The head of this trimmer is surrounded by rings that are coated with thousands of tiny glass-like spheres that help in reducing friction.
This trimmer also claims to minimise the amount of tugging, pulling and multiple passes on a single spot.
It also senses the density of your hair to adjust the power as required. It can be fully charged in one hour and it also guarantees fifty minutes of cordless shaving after it’s fully charged.
Remington R5000 Series
This trimmer has titanium coated blades and it has two tracks of shaving blades that make sure that there is maximum contact between the trimmer and the skin.
It comes with a stubble attachment that helps you achieve a neat and clean stubble. It also has a 100% waterproof design.
Foil Shaver
A foil shaver has thin sheets of metals with tiny holes which are called foils. The oscillating blades in the trimmer are covered by a layer of this foil.
The hair enters the shaver through the tiny holes in the foil.
Unlike the rotary shaver, the foil shaver cannot be used in circular motions. It can only be used in a straight motion on the surface of your skin.
You can move it from right to left or top to bottom to easily get rid of unwanted hair.
The foils on the shaver make sure that it cuts your hair without causing any irritations. This type of trimmer is ideal for trimming sideburns and styling.
A foil shaver is gentle on your skin as compared to a rotary shaver since you do not have to apply too much pressure on the device while using it.
The chances of irritations or bruises are much lesser in this case.
Remington F5 Foil shaver
This trimmer has a pivot and flex foil technology that helps the trimmer in maintaining close contact with the skin, especially the chin, jawline and neck.
It has a rechargeable battery that provides up to 60 minutes of cordless usage. This shaver is waterproof and you can easily wash it by keeping it under running water.
BabylissPRO Barberology Cordless Metal Double foil shaver
This shaver has a powerful motor that helps in achieving an extra close shave on your body. The gold foil in the device is hypoallergic.
This is a cordless shaver that can run for up to three hours.
Electric Shavers – A Buying Guide
Here are some of the few things you have to understand before splurging on an electronic shaver:
- Replaceable heads– One of the most important parts of an electric shaver is its head. Some razors come with an interchangeable head that helps in grooming your hair in different lengths and styles.
- Interface- Some of the high-end razors come with options such as LED or LCD displays. This will help in simplifying the process of shaving and get other information like the battery level of the razor or the settings for shaving.
- Cord v/s Cordless– cordless razors can be operated using a battery while corded razors need an electric outlet that helps in using them. It depends on the type of razor you are comfortable using, the availability of an electric outlet while shaving and how often you shave.
- Battery Life and Warranty– If you have a busy schedule you should invest in an electric shaver that has longer battery life. You should also make sure that your shaver comes with a warranty so you do not have to spend money on services.
Rotary Vs Foil Shaver
There are a few key differences between rotary and foil shavers. Here are a few of the most important:
- Rotary shavers use circular blades that shave closer to the skin than foil shavers. They are good for people with thick hair because they can move around more hair without it getting cut. Foil shavers use multiple, thin, flat blades that cut the hair more evenly. They’re better for people with thin or sensitive skin because they cause less irritation.
- Rotary shavers require more pressure to work than foil shavers, which means that they are best for people with long, thick hair that needs to be shaved in sections. Foil shavers require less pressure and are better for people with short, thin hair that needs to be shaved in one go.
- Rotary shavers take longer to charge than foil shavers, but they last longer since they don’t need to be replaced as often. Foil shavers generally last about three times as long as rotary shaver blades before they need to be replaced.
- Rotary shavers tend to be more expensive than foil shavers, but they’re also generally easier to use and less messy. Foil shavers can sometimes cause skin irritation, especially if they’re not used correctly
Depending on your needs you can choose between a foil and rotary electric shaver.
While rotary electric shaver will give you a close shave, foil shavers are much more gentle on your skin.
So you need decide if your sensitive skin requires a gentle touch. Or you need a sharp shave for your coarse, thick hair.
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