There’s nothing quite like a close shave with a sharp shaver, right? But if you haven’t gotten a close shave lately, it might be because your shaver is dull. How can you tell if it is, though?
Your shaver is dull when the blades pull the hair out of your skin rather than cut it. You will still have stubble after shaving, and it drags rather than cuts. You might need to replace your shaver when your skin is irritated after shaving.
If you’ve experienced these signs, you’ll want to head to the nearest drugstore for a new pack of shavers. But first, read through this article, as it will discuss these signs in more detail.
1. The Blades Pull Your Hair Out of Your Skin
If you shave your legs, you know the pain when your shaver pulls a hair out. Dull blades cannot cut cleanly and will pull hair out of your skin. A sharp blade doesn’t do this. The reason is that a dull blade can’t lift the hair high enough to cut.
Blades that do this tend to have nicks, known as a “wire,” along the edge of it. The holes along the blade don’t lift the hair up to cut it, but the blade that makes contact with the hair pulls out the hair still in your skin.
This can make shaving a very painful process, and if this happens every time you shave, it’s time to throw it out.
2. The Shaver Drags Rather Than Cuts
A dull shaver drags along the skin, while a sharp shaver cuts while you move it along your skin. As we discussed, blades can get nicks and chips that can cause a shaver to drag on your skin without cutting your hair. This results either from use or a flaw in the manufacturing process.
The only thing to do with your shaver when it has nicks or chips in the blades is to throw it out.
Are there other reasons why your shaver drags rather than cuts? The edge wears off whenever blades are used long enough due to corrosion from water, and your shaver cannot give you a clean cut.
While you can sharpen blades on some shavers, most are disposable and should be thrown away.
3. You Still Have Stubble After Shaving
A clean cut without stubble shows that your shaver is still sharp. But if you see stubble on your face, legs, or armpits right after shaving, the blades are dull and should be replaced. If the blade on your shaver doesn’t lift up the hair at the skin level, bits of hair will be left behind.
A brand-new shaver glides along your skin, taking off every bit of hair in the process. After using your shaver for a while, it might cut some of the hair, but it usually leaves more than it takes.
This is a great time to replace your shaver.
4. Your Skin Is Irritated After Shaving
Do you have more red splotches on your skin than normal after shaving? This could be a result of a dull shaver. Or it could be a combination of a dull shaver and residual bacteria on the blades. As you use your shaver, it picks up dead skin and oils from your skin. If this sits on your shaver for any time, bacteria can grow and infect you.
When your shaver is dull, it’s more likely to scrape skin cells. And if it’s not cleaned after every shave, bacteria can quickly multiply. If you injure yourself, you could get an infection or, at the very least, a rash.
What To Do if Your Shaver Is Dull
You’ve now figured out that your shaver is dull. So what do you do? That depends on your shaver. If it’s made to be disposable, you can throw it out and use a new one. However, if it’s reusable, then the blades can be replaced.
But you won’t be able to sharpen the blades because they’re already at their thinnest. It would be pointless to try sharpening them.
Conclusion
A dull shaver can be annoying at best. But, surprisingly, you can cut yourself easier with a dull shaver than with a sharp one due to how much firmer you need to press for it to cut your hair. The chips in the blades could catch your skin, leaving bacteria and pain in its wake.
It’s better to have a sharp shaver, so replace it today if you notice any of the above signs.