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> When he analyzed the SEM images and movies taken during the cutting experiments, he found that chips did not occur when the hair was cut perpendicular to the
by AnonC 4y ago
> When he analyzed the SEM images and movies taken during the cutting experiments, he found that chips did not occur when the hair was cut perpendicular to the blade. When the hair was free to bend, however, chips were more likely to occur. These chips most commonly formed in places where the blade edge met the sides of the hair strands.
Extending the life of a razor blade sounds nice, but cutting hair perpendicular to the blade means shaving against the grain, does it not? I don’t want to handle the pain of doing that on the first or second pass while the hair is still long enough (like a couple of millimeters or longer, which cannot be trimmed using a trimmer and needs a blade). But shaving against the grain gives the smoothest skin texture (at the risk of causing ingrown hair, which for me is quite rare).
What I’m saying is that I’d rather the blades dull and need replacement sooner than put up with the burn and pain caused by shaving against the grain from the get go. A few passes with the grain and perpendicular to the grain (sideways) helps the “against the grain pass” be less painful and provide a smoother result.
I’d still love a blade that lasts longer though.
- eru 4y agoYou could use two different blades for the different tasks?
- rowanG077 4y agoInteresting shaving doesn't feel painful at all to me. No matter which way I do it. Well unless I cut myself.
- XorNot 4y agoMy problem is I have sensitive skin, and don't feel the cuts at all - which happen much more easily when the blade is slightly dull. Shaving against the grain is a sure fire way to have folliculitis for the next couple of days - as it is I really can't clean shave every day if I want to actually look presentable.
- cevn 4y agoDouble Edge shaving solved a similar problem for me. I used to get irritation every time I shaved ATG but that was because I was hitting the wrong side of my face with 5 blades.. Now I can shave easily ATG just by using light pressure and doing WTG first.
- GekkePrutser 4y agoWow for me even trimming it hurts so much I can't sleep well the next night
- nvahalik 4y agoThere are some good videos out there that can give you good tips for avoiding this. The two biggest things for me were using a shaving oil rather than a cream, and shaving first with the grain and then across. The latter required more time as my facial hair is very thick and the “direction” seems to change a lot on my face.
- echelon 4y agoI think it's genes that determine the shaving pain threshold. I can shave with a dull blade, completely dry, against the grain, in any direction, and it doesn't bother me a bit. Occasionally I'll cut myself and not notice. (I don't use a dull blade since it's not efficient, but I'll use one if nothing else is available.) If it is gene based, I'm not sure if it's something that moderates pain tolerance, hair / keratin composition, or some combination. I can grow a really thick beard, fwiw.
- Gigachad 4y agoSwitch to double edge razors and you won’t care about the blades again. They only cost a few cent when they aren’t wrapped in a proprietary plastic holder.
- dragontamer 4y agoI think they're more commonly called "safety razors", at least in the USA. They are $10 for 100-blades, extremely cheap, very sharp, very good at cutting. I highly recommend them. I only shave twice per razor. Some people shave once-per-razor (throwing away a blade each day). Its just 10-cents a blade after all...
- oriolid 4y agoOpen comb double edge razor lets the blade to reach hair without bending them as much. I'm not sure if it's that or something else, but double edge razors are less irritating than anything else for me.