Shavers, Epilators and Razors Buyers Guide

The most common form of trimming body hair is by shaving, using either a traditional razor or an electric shaver. Hair removal can be achieved by a number of methods but in this guide we concentrate on:

- Shavers
- Epilators
- Razors

The main reasons for using an electric shaver is for a convenient, immediate and quick shave, with the advantage of eliminating the cuts and nicks you can get from using a traditional razor.

The two styles of shavers fundamentally perform the same function and are very similar. The main difference is that men's shavers are more powerful in order to cope with tougher hair, stubble and more regular use and most lady shavers are foil action. Smaller differences are simply down to design, i.e., size and colour.

1. Foil Action:The shaver head consists of an arched foil with a cutter underneath.
There are a number of different types of foil action shavers:

Single Foil: widely used in shavers, this is just a single arched foil and cutter.

Twin Foil: the foil is arched twice with two cutters beneath effectively giving a double shave with each stroke of the shaver. The first blade and foil cuts whilst pulling the skin and hairs in order, allowing for the second blade to cut even closer.

Triple Foil: triple arched foil with three cutters, effectively shaving the surface of the skin three times with each stroke.

2. Rotary Action: Shavers with either 2 or 3 cutting heads, each made up of 90 slots arranged in a circular pattern. They catch hair growing in any direction while a spinning disc beneath cuts the hair.

3. Combination: Shavers which combine the foil and rotary action.

There is little difference in performance of the two shaving systems and the final choice comes down to personal preference and the closeness and speed of the shave that is required.

The greater the number and flexibility of individual heads, and the faster speed of the cutters, the quicker and closer the shave. As the cost of a shaver increases, so does the tendency for greater durability and better shaving performance.

There are four types of power systems:

1. Corded/Cordless Rechargeable:contains rechargeable batteries. The shaver can also be used whilst directly plugged into the mains.

2. Cordless Rechargeable:uses rechargeable batteries but the shaver cannot be plugged directly into the mains.

3. Cord Operated:needs to be plugged into the mains every time it is used. When travelling an adaptor may be needed in order to be able to plug into the local power supply.

4. Cordless Battery:cannot be plugged into mains supply and is powered by batteries only.

If you always shave using a mains power supply then the corded option will suffice. Having rechargeable batteries as an option is convenient when travelling or staying away overnight. It is then necessary to charge up the shaver before leaving home. Another alternative to having a mains supply is a shaver that runs on batteries. This does have the added cost of replacement batteries.

There is no real advantage to be gained between wet or dry shaves with regards to the final shave. Dry shaving is quicker as it requires no preparation and it can be argued that it is healthier for the skin as it doesn't remove natural moisture and oils. As wet shavers are waterproof there is the convenience that they can be used in the shower and cleaned in water. The lubrication in wet shaving assists the heads in cutting the hairs and can be helpful for sensitive skin types. Some shavers allow for both a dry or wet shave.

Shavers come with a variety of optional extras such as cleaning brushes, shaving balm, storage pouches and automatic cleaning systems. Further functions are:

Quick Charge:allows for recharging to take place in a shorter time, commonly in just a few minutes. It does not fully recharge the batteries but gives enough power for an immediate shave.

Visual Low Power Indicator: LCD display or light that shows when battery life is running low or that the shaver will need recharging. Some shavers have both visible and audible low power indicators.

Charging Indicator: a light that indicates when the shaver is charging and when the charging is complete.

Special Foils: coated foils for particularly sensitive skin types.

Pop Out Trimmer: allows for the trimming of longer and/or curly hairs such as sideburns, moustaches and beards.

Style Shave Attachments: gives specialized shaves such as uniform length stubble.

Worldwide Voltage Compatibility: allows for operation on different international power outlets, which is useful when travelling. Some shavers offer auto-conversion, which automatically adapts to the mains voltage, while others are manually adaptable.

Bikini Trimmer: for women shavers, allows for trimming of hairs in the underarm or bikini area.

Because of the different beard, hair and skin types, there is no one best shaver or overall rules to which shaver suits a particular hair type. It is very much a question of trying a shaver and seeing if it suits, and as it takes four to five weeks for the skin to get used to a new shaver, it is not till then that the results can be judged. The only general guide that can be given is that more sensitive skin types and/or coarser hair tend to be better served by double or triple head shavers.

These are slightly larger than shavers and more like hair clippers in design. They trim hair to a given length, commonly with between 4 and 8 length settings, using the same variety power systems as shavers.

Along with shaving there are also epilators available for hair removal. These are electric devices that physically remove individual hairs using tweezers or rotating discs that grasp hairs close to the skin pulling them out at their roots. This is not permanent removal, however with repetitive use new hair growth will become softer. After use the skin remains smooth for about four weeks.

As epilators remove hair it does result in some pain when used. For this reason some epilators incorporate methods of pain reduction in their design with the use of vibration or cooling.

Electrolysis pens work on individual hairs, sending electric currents down the hair roots, and with regular use will give permanent hair removal.

Some models offer a combination of epilator and shaver with the use of interchangeable heads.

If time is not so important then traditional razors give another means of shaving, and because they are smaller and the cutting blade directly touches the skin they can give a very close shave and are more versatile for shaving awkward places.

Razors are more lightweight to carry and do not need a power supply but have to be used with greater care than electric shavers because they can cause cuts to the skin. There is some preparation needed as razors are best used under wet shave conditions.

The large majority of razors used today are disposable, whether just the blade or the complete razor. Final choice of razor is very much down to personal choice- as disposable razors are relatively inexpensive, it is probably best simply to try different razors until the most suitable type is found.

As with electric shavers, there are men's and lady's razors. Although they are effectively the same they differ slightly in design, shape and colour.

There are a variety of features available with different disposable razors, the most common of which are:

Blade Only: razor in which the double-edged blades can be bought separately and replaced when needed, saves throwing away the whole razor each time. As it is just the blade that needs replacing these razor types are the least wasteful.

Replaceable Head: the razor head with blades is replaceable and the new head just clicks onto a razor arm.

Complete Razor: the whole razor is disposable and is thrown away when the blades become blunt.

Single, Twin or Triple Blades: individual razors have between one and three cutting blades, the most common are single and double bladed. The greater the number of blades, the quicker and closer the shave with each stroke of the razor.

Sensitive Skin Types: some skin types will cut relatively easily and are susceptible to rashes from shaving, there are razors designed to be kinder to such sensitive skin. With some razors this includes a strip of either Vitamin E, Lanolin or Aloe which is absorbed by the skin during shaving and helps keep the skin healthy. Lanolin is an animal extract, whilst Aloe is a plant extract.

Lubrastrip: a strip located next to the blades, which lubricates as the razor is stroked across the skin, aiding the shaving performance.

Tough Beard: have blades that are more suitable for shaving tougher than average facial hair.

Micro-Glide Protector: available with double or triple bladed razors, these are very thin strips of wire that run perpendicularly across the blades, aiding the movement of the blades over the skin and helping to reduce possible cuts.

Swivel/Flexible Heads: the heads are not fixed and the freedom of movement aids the razor in giving a close shave.

1. Choice of shaver is very much down to personal preference and affordability.

2. The more expensive shavers and epilators tend to be more durable and give a better shaving/hair removal performance.

3. For sensitive skins, shavers with double or triple heads, and possibly the wet shave option, should be considered.