Which Electric Shaver Is Best For Sensitive Skin?
Most men really like the convenience and ease-of-use of an electric shaver, despite the fact that they can’t shave quite as closely as a wet shave with a razor-blade; the benefits outweigh the negatives for most men. However, quite a lot of men suffer with skin irritation and rashes after they have finished shaving. This irritation can die down quickly, or it can last for several days depending on the person. So, are there any electric shavers which can minimize these irritating effects on the skin?
Unfortunately, there is a no simple answer to that question. This is because every man is different, and while one electric shaver might provide a pleasant and rash-free experience for one man, it might set another’s face on fire! There are many factors which contribute to this equation, such as skin type, sensitivity, stubble type and the frequency of shaving.
One of the best things that you can do before jumping into the purchase of a particular electric shaver is to talk to your friends and acquaintances. If you speak to men with similar skin and stubble type as yourself, you can find out what they use and what they find works for them. It’s much better than simply shooting in the dark and finding that you’ve purchased a shaver that irritates your skin, as once you’ve used it, you might find it hard to send back.
Foil Shavers vs Rotary Shavers
As most men know, there are two main types of electric shavers; foil and rotary.
Rotary shavers are the ones with two or three round metal shaver heads. Inside these heads, the blades spin quickly in a rotating cutting motion. This means that they need to be handled differently to normal shavers. Instead of the usually up and down motion that you’d use with a razor-blade, you pass a rotary shaver across your face in small concentric circles.
Some men think that rotary shavers shave closer than foil ones, but actually there’s not a lot of evidence for this. Choosing the right foil shaver is obviously important. What is clear about rotary shavers, though, is that men with sensitive skin do tend to find them to be a lot harsher than foil shavers. If you read online reviews of even the most expensive rotary shavers, you’ll find quite a lot of men who experience shaver burn after use.
Foil shavers have a long rectangular head, and underneath this the cutting blades make a horizontal side to side cutting motion. What this means for the user, is that they can use the traditional (and easier) back and forth shaving motion, passing the shaver across the face using the same technique as if they were using a regular razor-blade. This means that foil shavers are somewhat easier to get used to using.
Foil shavers are very good news for men with sensitive skin, as quite a lot of men find that they are much more gentle on the skin than rotary shavers. Quite often, men who have suffered with terrible shaver rash from rotary shavers find that it almost goes completely when they begin to shave with a foil shaver. For that reason, any man with sensitive skin should seriously consider investing in a good quality foil shaver.
Which Foil Shavers Are Best? The Top 5 Foil Electric Shavers
There are quite a few excellent foil shavers on the market. They have varying features so rather than try to recommend a single foil shaver, here are five of the best (in no particular order).
The Series 3 range of shavers from Braun has an excellent reputation, and is very popular. Probably the best selling model in this range is the 380s-4. Customers generally find that it gives a good shave, and there are countless reviews from customers who found that they no longer suffered with shaver burn after switching to it.
the 380s-4 isn’t the most feature-packed shaver on the market, but it’s simple, robust and a good performer that is available for a very reasonable price.
Whilst the 390cc-4 doesn’t offer much different than the 380s-4 in terms of shaving, what it does throw into the equation is a very handy “Clean and Renew” charging station. What this does is automatically clean, dry, lubricate and charge your shaver at the touch of a button. It takes a special cleaning solution that also kills 99.9% of bacteria on the shaver.
Of course, this means that it is a bit more expensive than the 380s-4 model, so if you don’t think that you’d make good use of this feature then it would probably be better to opt for the cheaper model and save yourself a bit of money. But if you think you’d like to come back to a clean and lemon-fresh shaver each time you shave, then the 390cc-4 would be a good choice.
The Braun Series 7 is the most advanced and most expensive of their shavers. It has excellent reviews and a great track record in giving a friction and irritation free shave, however it does come at hefty price. Even discounted, this shaver sells for around £150. If you really do want the best of the best, then the Series 7 is for you, but personally I think that the 380-4s, at a third of the price, is a much more enticing proposition.
Braun might be the market leader in foil shavers over the West, but Panasonic lead the pack in Asia. Whilst they might not be as popular over here, Panasonic shavers do still tend to be very well received by the people who buy them. Often cited comments include a close and gentle shave, but people also enjoy their simplicity. The ES-RT51 is certainly a bargain. At less than £40 it isn’t going to break the bank, so if you’re a sufferer of sensitive skin and you don’t have a lot of money to spend, this could be the model you want to go for.
The ES-RF31 isn’t laden with gimmicks and features like other shavers in its class, Panasonic seem to have taken a much simpler approach with their shavers. They’ve poured all of their research into designing a robust and powerful shaver that concentrates on giving a close and gentle shave. If you want a simple, workhorse shaver and you’re tired of the gimmicks, then you’ll want to take a good look at this shaver.
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