While this is a very specific suggestion for my type of facial furniture (I grow a big bushy full beard), do read on as some of it applies to general shaving.
Goal: A full-to-clean quick shave that doesn’t wear out your tools
I have since come to love my full beard; I don’t like maintaining a clean shave because it’s too much daily work, and it also just dries my skin. However, there are days when it must all come off--- think a client presentation, or a really hot day (haha). So the specific situation is a lot of hair that needs to disappear quickly.
The next consideration are the tools. Given my goals on cutting back expenses, having to replace shaver heads is something I would rather not do, and you’ll see that this is a problem when some tools meet my facial hair.
Buying Guide
I won’t be covering epilators or hair removal creams, but really just shaving.
- Razor: This is the most common of course, but as anyone has tried to shave from full beard, it takes a very LONG time. This is the first big issue. The second is that by the time you’re done, you will have dulled the blade. Though this is still needed if you want a very clean shave: there will be another blog post on the cheapest solution for this.
- Electric Shavers: Thanks to the influx of no-name China brands, it’s no longer hard to look for these. In this regard, I would go for newer models that are rechargeable as these will have better battery life. I would still also go for a stable brand (think Xiaomi or Philips), so that you can get head replacements. This is the one big issue: the heads do get dull (and in the same context as blades: thick growth is difficult for these shavers). Of course, positives for these are the ease of shaving and the risk of cuts is almost nothing compared to traditional blades. You can also find those that are good wet and dry, though this is not a big function for me as I find dry shaving to be better.
- Clipper: This is basically because what works on your head will work on your beard. That being said, most of these are built for head hair, so clipper heads are quite big. The biggest positive is how well they clip thick hair. They won’t give you a close shave, but they’re good at shaving 90% of what protrudes.
The Clipper-Electric Shaver Routine
So as you will have guessed, my routine is such:
- Get a 90% shave using the clipper. This takes me around 45 seconds. You can get through it quickly because the clipper doesn’t get stuck, and you’re not trying to be careful: there are no exposed blades. I use a Philips BT7225 which will get its own review post, but I love the battery life on it! I haven’t charged for around 6 months already for shaving every week and a half.
- Finish with an electric shave to get it cleaner. Again this takes me around 45 seconds. Electric shavers make quick work of what the clipper leaves. And as opposed to starting with a clipper where hair does get stuck, at this length, it’s a breeze. I use a Xiaomi Enchen shaver, another good battery life shaver: I probably charge every 3 months or so.
This routine gets me my goals. I’m done shaving from a full beard in around 2 minutes, and it’s a good no-stress comfortable shave. Again, no worries about nicks or hair getting cut. It’s the sort of routine you can add to your prepare-for-work and it has little impact over days you don’t shave.
Second, the tools are good. Previously, I would have to change my Xiaomi Enchen shaver heads every 2 months. I have not done so since putting in the clipper step. Clean up for me is just shacking and tapping the heads of both tools in the sink. It’s particularly easy for the electric shaver as the short short hairs come off easily.
VERDICT:
■■■■ Near perfect
Again, this is my case, but having tried a lot of routines before, there’s a reason why I stuck to this. The biggest bad side is that you’re using 2 tools, but what I get is that the tools will last me longer. As I said, I have not yet needed to change any heads. And most importantly, I have yet to find a routine that beats that under-2-minutes shave.