I use an electric shaver. I had a lot of hassle a few years ago when I believed that Philips shavers were genuinely washable and broke five. Since then, I've reverted to brushing them clean, and am getting good service from one again. (It may just be that my bathroom is too humid and too badly ventilated; I'm also now keeping my shaver in the bedroom again.)
Old-fashioned safety razor, which I love so much. I do my legs in the shower with sopa and water about every other day and change the blade on the razor every couple of weeks.
Tried electric razors and various disposable razors and yeuch to them all.
Disposable 2-blade razor (when this pack runs out I'll get a new replaceable-head one), with shaving gel, over the sink or occasionally in the bath (my facial hair is sparse enough for this to be feasible).
I moved to those from back-and-forth foil-type shavers early in adulthood when I decided that the rotary action might suit me well, since my previous problem had been that I had to point the foil shaver in every possible direction during my shave or else there would inevitably be some awkwardly angled hair that survived the onslaught.
(I use the washable kind, and unlike gerald_duck, I find that they are actually washable without breaking all the time.)
Multi-blade razor with changeable heads. With face wash of the sort that's supposed to gently dissolve pore blockages. Generally in the shower, sometimes with the water on, sometimes with it off. Occasionally in the sink.
I shave my face in the shower, with a disposable razor that has 2 blades, using liquid soap or shampoo.
When I shave my legs, I do it in the sink so I can see what I'm doing. If it has been less than about 3 days since the last time I shaved them, I use either liquid soap or shaving foam. I use one of the 2-blade disposable razors, or a 4-blade one with changeable heads. (What matters to me is the number of blades and the shape. Sometimes when I can't find the right kind of replacement heads, I buy disposables.) If it has been more than 3 days since I shaved my legs, I use shaving foam OVER a layer of liquid soap, and a razor with changeable heads.
I have an electric razor, and also a pair of Gillette Mach IIIs. There's also a beard trimmer.
For the face: which one I use depends on how much I can about getting a clean shave and how much I'm prepared to tear my face up. The electric razor doesn't get a good shave but it doesn't draw blood either and is gentler on my face. One of the Mach III's is for when I need a clean shave. One thing I notice is that using the electric razor several days in a row leads to it getting less and less effective, like the stubble gets more resistant to it - a good wet shave will reset this.
I've experimented with various foam etc. options. I have a fancy badger-hair brush which is pretty good and goes well with shaving soaps or shaving creams - if you like premium products with added scents this is very nice. However I discovered that facial cleanser, used a lot thicker than for washing (but still foamed up), makes lovely shaving gloop, so I tend to use that. At a pinch, any liquid hand soap will do. Wet shave is at the sink. Ideally, straight out of the shower - however if the shower's been too hot then I need a sit down straight out of the shower instead.
I've tried using an old-school safety razor, and it doesn't seem to suit me. I have weirdly variable manual dexterity where I can be klutzy at some things and good at others - this is one of the klutzy things for me. I'm too much of a chicken to play with a straight razor.
For other areas - apparently there's a recommendation that you should have a different razor for your body than your face, so there's another Mach III. This does for arms, legs, chest-and-belly and if I'm feeling really enthusiastic (or hoping to wear clothing that demands it) the shoulders and tops of the shoulder blades. Here, just water will do - in the shower is often good, sometimes a bit of soap helps things along. If the body hair has been allowed to get too long, giving it a preliminary go with a beard trimmer (in the dry) makes shaving go a lot easier. Alas there is no good way for me to shave my back.
In my experience, the face is the worst place (of all the places I shave) to shave, the place where I'm most likely to draw blood, the place where I'm mostly likely to get uncomfortable burny sensations later.
I don't shave at present, last I did was before moving from Boston. But, previously:
I started out with an electric rotary shaver that worked well. I also tried the long-half-cylinder-guard electric dry shavers but they would sometimes catch my skin. My hair got too thick though and also grows quickly: an electric shaver's guard mesh is too fine for my thickest hairs and it doesn't shave closely enough for me to not have stubble by the evening.
I tried cheap disposable razors for a while. They were adequate but not great. I then had success with an old-classic-style safety razor, the kind with the changeable two-sided razorblades. A side would last me a week or so. I'd use hot water at the sink and some shaving cream: a fairly solid one I'd put a piece of in a little pot and lather up with my badger-hair brush. After shaving I'd use some non-fancy aftershave. After a few months of that I then switched to a straight razor, one with easily changed blades.
For both the safety razor and the straight razor I ended up strongly favoring Feather-brand blades that I'd order from East Asia, which are breathtakingly sharp compared to the competition I tried.
After all the effort to select and experiment I keep all the kit in a box in the attic but I expect that by this time it'd take me some time now to relearn how to shave with a straight razor quickly with few injuries. Still, it was a pleasant routine and it gave a really good shave: I hope someday to have non-rushed mornings and resume the habit.
This means the electric rotary type which otherwise I favour cannot deal with the long facial hair I have when I do shave. I used to use the beard trimmer on an old and otherwise inadequate electric razor to cut it back to where the rotary could deal with it, but I realised recently the electric clippers I use to shave my head are very good at this job - quick as anything. The clippers are cheap Wahl ones which I've had for about fifteen years; they appear to be pretty indestructible but they do need a bit of oil if it's been a while since they were used.
I use a double-edged safety razor. Double-edge razors have the advantage that the blades are a standard design, so you are not locked into a particular vendor in the way that you are with cartridges. Consequently the blades are pretty cheap, around 20p each, and since my beard is quite fine each blade lasts a couple of months. Mostly I just use water, but if I missed a day or two then I might use shaving gel (but not King of Shaves as I don't like the smell). It took a little while to learn to use the double-edged blades — I had a few cuts in the first month.
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no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 09:38 pm (UTC)Tried electric razors and various disposable razors and yeuch to them all.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 09:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 10:31 pm (UTC)I keep thinking an old-school safety razor might be the way to go, but don't have the tuits to try it.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 10:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 11:18 pm (UTC)I moved to those from back-and-forth foil-type shavers early in adulthood when I decided that the rotary action might suit me well, since my previous problem had been that I had to point the foil shaver in every possible direction during my shave or else there would inevitably be some awkwardly angled hair that survived the onslaught.
(I use the washable kind, and unlike
no subject
Date: 2016-08-13 07:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-13 12:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-13 08:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-13 11:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-14 03:23 am (UTC)When I shave my legs, I do it in the sink so I can see what I'm doing. If it has been less than about 3 days since the last time I shaved them, I use either liquid soap or shaving foam. I use one of the 2-blade disposable razors, or a 4-blade one with changeable heads. (What matters to me is the number of blades and the shape. Sometimes when I can't find the right kind of replacement heads, I buy disposables.) If it has been more than 3 days since I shaved my legs, I use shaving foam OVER a layer of liquid soap, and a razor with changeable heads.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-14 02:33 pm (UTC)For the face: which one I use depends on how much I can about getting a clean shave and how much I'm prepared to tear my face up. The electric razor doesn't get a good shave but it doesn't draw blood either and is gentler on my face. One of the Mach III's is for when I need a clean shave. One thing I notice is that using the electric razor several days in a row leads to it getting less and less effective, like the stubble gets more resistant to it - a good wet shave will reset this.
I've experimented with various foam etc. options. I have a fancy badger-hair brush which is pretty good and goes well with shaving soaps or shaving creams - if you like premium products with added scents this is very nice. However I discovered that facial cleanser, used a lot thicker than for washing (but still foamed up), makes lovely shaving gloop, so I tend to use that. At a pinch, any liquid hand soap will do. Wet shave is at the sink. Ideally, straight out of the shower - however if the shower's been too hot then I need a sit down straight out of the shower instead.
I've tried using an old-school safety razor, and it doesn't seem to suit me. I have weirdly variable manual dexterity where I can be klutzy at some things and good at others - this is one of the klutzy things for me. I'm too much of a chicken to play with a straight razor.
For other areas - apparently there's a recommendation that you should have a different razor for your body than your face, so there's another Mach III. This does for arms, legs, chest-and-belly and if I'm feeling really enthusiastic (or hoping to wear clothing that demands it) the shoulders and tops of the shoulder blades. Here, just water will do - in the shower is often good, sometimes a bit of soap helps things along. If the body hair has been allowed to get too long, giving it a preliminary go with a beard trimmer (in the dry) makes shaving go a lot easier. Alas there is no good way for me to shave my back.
In my experience, the face is the worst place (of all the places I shave) to shave, the place where I'm most likely to draw blood, the place where I'm mostly likely to get uncomfortable burny sensations later.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-15 09:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-15 11:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-15 11:50 pm (UTC)I started out with an electric rotary shaver that worked well. I also tried the long-half-cylinder-guard electric dry shavers but they would sometimes catch my skin. My hair got too thick though and also grows quickly: an electric shaver's guard mesh is too fine for my thickest hairs and it doesn't shave closely enough for me to not have stubble by the evening.
I tried cheap disposable razors for a while. They were adequate but not great. I then had success with an old-classic-style safety razor, the kind with the changeable two-sided razorblades. A side would last me a week or so. I'd use hot water at the sink and some shaving cream: a fairly solid one I'd put a piece of in a little pot and lather up with my badger-hair brush. After shaving I'd use some non-fancy aftershave. After a few months of that I then switched to a straight razor, one with easily changed blades.
For both the safety razor and the straight razor I ended up strongly favoring Feather-brand blades that I'd order from East Asia, which are breathtakingly sharp compared to the competition I tried.
After all the effort to select and experiment I keep all the kit in a box in the attic but I expect that by this time it'd take me some time now to relearn how to shave with a straight razor quickly with few injuries. Still, it was a pleasant routine and it gave a really good shave: I hope someday to have non-rushed mornings and resume the habit.
Faces are an awkward shape.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-16 03:47 pm (UTC)This means the electric rotary type which otherwise I favour cannot deal with the long facial hair I have when I do shave. I used to use the beard trimmer on an old and otherwise inadequate electric razor to cut it back to where the rotary could deal with it, but I realised recently the electric clippers I use to shave my head are very good at this job - quick as anything. The clippers are cheap Wahl ones which I've had for about fifteen years; they appear to be pretty indestructible but they do need a bit of oil if it's been a while since they were used.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-24 01:22 pm (UTC)