Shaving is hard and I am bad at it.

[prog]

So I've been shaving about as often as I used to trim my beard; once every few days. Usually when I catch myself in the mirror and think, "Ugh, that looks terrible." And then I let it go two more days.

Today was a shaving day and I didn't slice up my thumb like last time, but I did give myself a hundred invisible cuts, the kind that you don't notice until you splash water on your face. I can't see my face right now but I'm guessing by the lack of people staring at me in horror that I look OK, at least. Unless they're actually averting their eyes in shame OH GOD

Maybe I should actually dispose of the disposable razors after I use them. I hate throwing things away, though. Surely they've invented some sort of non-disposable razor by now.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Kyan, the grooming expert on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, says the best thing about disposable razors is that they're disposable--if he finds any disposables in the bathrooms of his hapless victims, he promptly tosses them, used or not.

Get yourself an electric razor, at least for days you don't want to shave with a blade--in less than a minute, you can rid yourself of 90% of the hair without shaving cream. It won't cut your face up either.

[xymotik.livejournal.com]

Whoops, that was my post--gotta remember to log back in after working elsewhere.

[cortezopossum.livejournal.com]

Arrrg! I hate that queer-eye show. Not only are their suggestions completely gay (well -- I guess that's the point of the show :-) they also assume you have money out the wazoo to spend.

What they should do is put some kind of indicator that fades (or darkens) slowly in warm water on disposables -- that way you have an idea how often you've used it. I honestly don't know how often you're 'supposed' to replace a disposable -- are you really supposed to throw them away after a single use?

[xymotik.livejournal.com]

"...and that's why you need [dramatic pause] products." Yes, their sponsors, the ones who are behind all the product placements, would certainly hope you have money out the wazoo to spend. =)

(And wow, that's the first use of "gay" as an adjective I've seen recently on LJ that's actually appropriate and not a slur.)

I've used electric shavers since I started shaving, and razor blades for the edge work. I always used to keep the disposables too long--I dunno how long they're supposed to last. The triple-bladed ones I've been using for the last couple of years (yes, I actually sprung for them, although I also got a bunch For Free When Someone Moved Out™) work really well and are also a lot less likely to cut up one's face.

[xymotik.livejournal.com]

Everyone else is throwing in specific product names, so I'll succumb to peer pressure:

Panasonic ES8017SC triple-blade linear shaver--apparently out of production now, but I got one last fall from Amazon for $75 (list $150) and it works great, both close and fast. It may not be absolutely as close as a blade, but it's so fast that I've been shaving as much as 2-3 times a day. It still requires the use of the blades (I also use the Mach3) for some spots along the neck and right under the chin and next to the goatee, but that's easy enough.

[keimel.livejournal.com]

Indicator on disposables? When they start ripping the hair from your face instead of shaving the hair off, replace it. It has a built in indicator. :)

(and in a general reply)

I use a regular Gillette type razor. I do most of the face shaving in the shower, with all that water spraying down. I can tell when I need to replace the blade and do so, lest I be cut. I find it very difficult to cut myself, especially when I just go up or down. Never slide the razor sideways at all.

If your skin is bumpy, there's some special shaving depiliating powder out there that's market towards african americans, as many of them have trouble with 'bumpy' facial skin around the beard.

I also use Barbasol for sensitive skin. It works well. I can pretty much use anything though and it doesn't irritate the skin too badly.

I used to use an electric, but the battery lost it's ability to charge and I never fixed it. I supose the blades need replacing by now too. It just didn't bother me too much, so I didn't go fix it.

But that's my shaving comment... $.02

[radtea.livejournal.com]

I did a big razor/shaver comparison thing based on people's reviews when I took my beard off a few years ago, and wound up buying a Remington Microscreen II for day-to-day stuff. It was a reasonable price/performance trade-off and I've been pretty pleased with it. I use a double-blade razor whose make I don't recall if I want a close shave--in my experience they're all the same.

[cortezopossum.livejournal.com]

Bladed razors give me a closer shave than my electric however that's not always a good thing. I sometimes will get ingrown hairs with a blade and then things get super-icky.

There is a difference!

[doctor-atomic.livejournal.com]

DON'T use disposable razors! They are bad. As a girl, I don't shave my face. However, I can tell you that I have extremely sensitive skin. For years I thought disposable razors were just as good as any other kind. How wrong I was.

So anyway, now I use a triple-blade Venus razor (the "girl" version of the Mach 3) and Aveeno shaving cream. J uses the Mach 3 and the same cream on his face and he never nicks himself. In conclusion, go spend yourself 10 bucks on a real razor and some nice shaving cream! The Aveeno smells really good, not like fakey chemicals, and it's much less harsh.

[jazzfish]

Another vote for an electric. I've got a more-or-less permanent five o'clock shadow, but I consider that an acceptable tradeoff for not having to flay my face every morning.

Shaving...

[poetgeek.livejournal.com]

I use an electric 8894XL Norelco (Amazon lists the MSRP at ~300, expect to pay about 150 at any store, the 8825XL is the _same_ razor, but $50+ cheaper, with a different battery and no display) highly recommended. Works well driving down the road - try it on the T?!?? Works well dry (no cuts/nicks) as well as wet.

The Mach 3 (disposable) works well, from the second shave with a blade until the blue indicator / comfort strip is *gone* the blades are perfect (not too sharp), after that then they start to get dull fast. The very first use the blade is almost too sharp. This gets expensive ($blades$) but does work well. Not recommended for use while tired and these need water to work - shaving cream is optional.

I've been thinking about trying a Merkur (safety blade type) razor - cheaper blades but more $ upfront. Anyone tried one?