Men are constantly bombarded with the decision of whether to choose an electric or traditional shaver. “Just choose one, what’s the big deal!” your spouse or girlfriend may shout. But until you take them with you to the barber shop, they won’t understand your dilemma. In the most circles where men gather, whether at the barber shop or an online forum, one of the most heated and tightly contested debates is whether to use an electric shaver vs a traditional razor.
There is no point arguing if whether either of these approaches provide the user with benefits, they both do. And similarly, they both have their drawbacks.
We’ll take an objective look at the common advantages and disadvantages of electric and traditional shaving.
But before we take a closer look at the various advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, we’ll first look at the different razors involved in each approach.
Where traditional shaving is concerned, you’ve many options to choose from.
Cartridge razor: this shaving system consist of a plastic handle and a cartridge. The cartridge is either reusable or disposable and it contains multiple blades.
Straight razor: also called a cut-throat or an open razor. The straight razor has a long straight blade attached to a handle that folds in and out.
Safety razor: also known as a double-edged safety razor. This system allows you to use a disposable blade in the method head. As the name suggest, a double-edged razor allows for both use of the blade, it also has a protective guard to help prevent nicks and cuts.
Whether you choose a cartridge, straight, or safety razor, you are sure to get some good results with the traditional shaving approach.
As far as electric wet shavers are concern, you have two options; foil and rotary electric shavers.
Foil shaver: this electric shaver has one head with multiple blades moving from right to left when you shave. A foil shaver is best suited for men with fine facial features.
Rotary shaver: this set-up has multiple heads spinning circularly as you shave. The rotary shaver is best suited for men with strong facial features.
Now that we have an idea of the different shavers used in both approaches. Let’s get straight into the pros and cons of electric vs traditional shaving.
Pros of Electric Shaving
- It simplifies the shaving process.
Place three fingers on the back of the blade, now rest your thumb on the side of the blade, and your pinky on the tang. Finally, stroke the razor gently on your face. The preceding instructions highlight a small part of the process men need to know and follow to get a good shave using a straight edge razor. And notice we made no mention of about the careful prep work and proper technique… add that to the process and it all becomes quiet overwhelming.
We should note that with each traditional razor, this process is different, but the bottom line is – it takes time, patience, and a bit of skill to adopt to traditional shaving. But this isn’t so with electric shavers, once you’ve found the right shaver for your face. All you need to do is to flip the power button and then shave, either with or against the direction of the grain. That’s it, you are done.Of course, there are other things you will learn along the way, but when it comes to electric shaving, the shaving process is easy as 1 to 3.
- Comfort
Your skin’s sensitivity would probably be the most important factor influencing your choice of shaving approach
If you have sensitive skin that is prone to razor burn, ingrown hairs, and irritation, then it’s best to keep your distance from traditional razor.
But with an electric shaver, you can shave in absolute comfort, with a peace of mind knowing that the hazards of traditional shaving are the least of your concerns.
- Speed
Hands down, electric shavers are second to none in terms of speed. Forget all about lengthy prep work, shaving bowl, brush, and lather. Flip the power on, 1… 2… 3, you’re done shaving.
And if shaving was hassle-free, cleaning your electric shaver is automatic… most come with a cleaning station.
- You don’t need to purchase soap, shaving cream, geland other shaving products
Given that men spend an average of more than 3,000 hours of his life shaving. The cost of traditional shaving products can quickly add up. With electric shavers, you can forget about those cost.
- You have the option to use both dry and wet shaving
If you are the kind of guy who occasionally, changes your shaving approach, but you don’t want to use traditional razors, then you don’t have to. With some electric shavers, you can enjoy the best of both worlds without using the traditional razor blade – just look for a brand with both wet and dry shaving features.
Cons of Electric Shaving
- Electric shavers can’t give you a close shave as a traditional blade.
Don’t get us wrong, there are some excellent high-end electric razors that can achieve a close shave, but when compared with a traditional blade, they settle for second place. However, concluding which hair clippers give the closest shave is based on personal experiences. We will leave you to decide.
- The initial cost of electric shavers can be expensive.
Unlike some traditional shavers which are extremely budget-friendly, a good quality electric shaver such as the Panasonic Arc 5 isn’t necessarily cheap. You will have to fork out a few hundred bucks right at the beginning to get one.
- It may take a while until your skin adopts to electric shavers.
Much has been said about electric shavers, about how good they are. But imagine using one for the first time, and then you realize that your traditional razor got better results. Sure! You might be tempted to return it. But before thinking about sending it back or switching to your traditional blade, you should consider that your skin can take at least 21 days before it can fully adopt to electric shavers.
Pros of Traditional Shaving
- Budget-friendly.
This statement holds true at least for the double edge razor. The same can’t always be said about others. The safety razor has a reusable method head and a single inexpensive disposable blade.
- Allows for the closest shave possible.
Regardless of what traditional razors you use, the undeniable fact is – “traditional razors give you the closest shave.”
- Longest and most tested approach.
Since the days of Benjamin Huntsman who sold the very first straight-edge razor in 1740 AD, until now traditional shaving has been around. Traditional shaving doesn’t only have a long history, but it also has a tried and trusted one. For decades, men have reported how satisfied they were with their old-fashioned razor blades.
Cons of Traditional Shaving
- It’s time-consuming.
If you prefer a quick shave, and you are the kind of guy who considers every minute, because you are always on the go, then forget about the traditional approach.
- It increases the chances of nicks and cuts.
Shaving with traditional razor blades has its risks; bumps, nicks, cuts, and razor burns are some of them.
Conclusion
We tried as much as possible to be objective in our views, however, when it comes to shaving nothing is engraved in stones. So, regardless of what method you choose, once you are comfortable with it –another person’s opinion doesn’t matter.