To maintain a clean and hair-free face, a daily shave is a necessity for most of us. Keeping up this daily routine requires you to invest in the best electric razor, or be ready to incur the cost of replacing the razor blade every other day. Nevertheless, what is the best electric razor and how much would it cost? You need to consider several factors when shopping for a shaver ranging from its technology, blade quality to comfort and convenience. A quality razor should last for several months, but this quality comes at a cost. Unfortunately, even with the highest quality, the shaving blades become dull Of course, learning some shaving tips for men can allow your blades to last longer and perform better while providing you with more comfort.
Though popular for their convenience and assumed affordability, disposable razor blades are even worse. If you have to shave every day, replacing the blade is not only expensive, but also unhealthy for the environment. Luckily, there are various usability and maintenance tips for increasing the lifespan of your razor blade.Source:
How long should a shaving blade last?
This question has no one-fits-all answer. It depends on a number of factors but on average, you need to replace your razor blade once after every 5-10 shaves. Below are some of the factors that define the longevity of the blade:
- The quality and material of the blade.
- How frequent you use the razor.
- Maintenance (cleaning and storage).
- Your type of hair and size of the shaving surface.
Tips to make your razor blade last longer
1. Preparing for the shave
Softening your hair for a shave is a good practice to enable a smooth cut. At the same time, this practice goes a long way in preserving the sharpness of your razor blade. Placing a hot towel over the hair or a warm shower opens the pores of the underneath skin as well as weakening the hair follicles. Moreover, this moisturizes the hair making it soft for the blade to cut easily. You can also use a brush to straighten the hair strands and a shave cream/oil to moisturize the hair, enabling a clean shave with just a single pass. A pre-shave preparation minimizes excess friction, preventing wear and tear of the blade.
2. Rinse under hot water the razor between passes
Another important practice is to rinse the blade and cartridge under hot water repeatedly before the next pass. Reheating the blades enables them to cut through the hair faster and easier. This process will also remove stubble and excess cream from the blades and the cartridge to facilitate your next pass.
3. Clean and dry the razor blade after shaving
It is important to clean the shaver immediately after a shave to remove hairs, skin cells, and oils that can accumulate and clog up the blades, damaging the cutting edges. You can use an old toothbrush to clean the blades using warm water. However, leaving any traces of water can oxidase the metallic part, which makes your razor dull and blunt. You can dry the blades by tapping with a towel, and then rinse them in alcohol to remove any remaining moisture. Besides, you can use a blowdryer to dry the blades.
4. Preventing your razor blades from Rust
Rust is another major threat to the longevity of your razor blade but with the right practice, you can prevent rusting. Some of the tips for keeping off rust are:
- Store the razor in a dry place such as a dry airtight container or plastic bag. You can even place silicon gel beads to absorb moisture from surrounding air.
- Wiping the blades with a soft cloth or cotton wool soaked in oil to coat every part of the blade.
- Coating the blades with oil (baby oil, vegetable oil or olive oil) by soaking it in a bath of oil and then place it on a clean paper towel to remove excess oil before storage.
- You can also store the razor blade under oil by immersing it in a half-full container of oil until the next use.
5. Sharpening your razor blade
Stropping your razor blades against a denim fabric like Jeans material will straighten bent edges, thus restoring its sharpness. Simply, push the blades along the fabric to keep the blades sharp.
Conclusion
For every impeccably groomed man out there, modern shavers are made to last, at some point you may need to replace the razor blades to maintain its high performance. Frequent razor replacement can be very expensive so going out of your way to prolong the life of your blade can save you some coins and time. The above are some of the tips to increase the longevity of your razor blade.
