best razor for weird beard?

September 29, 2010 3:10 PM

What sort of electric razor works best on a beard that grows in all kinds of directions?

I got my boyfriend an electric razor for his birthday, and he's finding that it doesn't cut all the hairs - his hair grows in swirls; I call it "Van Gogh head". He has a few days to either return it, or exchange it for a different one. Would a rotary razor work better on his unruly chin?

posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 to clothing, beauty, & fashion (12 answers total)

You need electric clippers and a comb. but nothing works better than a tight comb and a good pair of shears.
posted by parmanparman at 3:12 PM on September 29, 2010

I have this issue and use a rotary razor - I have to use it for a longer period than normal (maybe 5-6 minutes) to get everything cut, but it works. It takes a few weeks for your skin to get used to using it, so give it a while.
posted by uaudio at 3:29 PM on September 29, 2010

I vote yes on the rotary.
posted by rhizome at 3:36 PM on September 29, 2010

hey just to be clear - he wants to end up clean-shaven
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:54 PM on September 29, 2010

It definitely takes time for your skin to get used to an electric razor, and I found that they work a lot better if you're meticulous about shaving each and every day. Which I'm not. So I went back to standards.

But when I did use an electric: I have a patch of beard hair that reverses direction and swirls, kind of like you're describing, and I found a rotary to work better than the kind with two grill-bands.
posted by penduluum at 4:24 PM on September 29, 2010

thanks for the responses! keep them coming!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 7:55 PM on September 29, 2010

Why wouldn't a chemical depilatory be better than a razor?
posted by Bruce H. at 8:11 PM on September 29, 2010

I've used a Braun non-rotary (foil) electric for the last six years (model 7526 - not that they make it any more, but their other rotary shavers are similar.) I also have the crazy beard: many, many hairs that grow in irrational directions if I let them. For a clean-shaven look, it's good after a couple of passes if he's not prone to ingrown hairs. If he is, then prepare for either an every-other-day shave or lots of irritation - really, using the beard trimmer attachment gives me so much less trouble at the cost of a constant 1-day stubble. I had a rotary Norelco before this that was absolute crap, fwiw.
posted by sysinfo at 10:22 PM on September 29, 2010

Also, if there's a chemical depilatory that's suitable for regular beard/mustache use, sign me up. Seriously.
posted by sysinfo at 10:23 PM on September 29, 2010

The rotary has worked the best for me. One thing I do to make the process more thorough (and reduce razor burn) is to move in short, straight 1/2 inch strokes. That seems to greatly reduce the burn. If there's still some stubble left I do another straight short stroke on that patch in a perpendicular or opposite direction. The short strokes mean it's possible to go over an area several times without irritating it.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:23 AM on September 30, 2010

thanks everybody, he took it back and got a rotary. Here's hoping it works better!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:46 AM on October 1, 2010

so just to follow up, nope, the rotary didn't work any better - and he says it hurt too, so it's been returned. ah well, so much for that little experiment.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:12 AM on October 14, 2010