How Do Electric Shavers Work?
Foil Versus Rotary: What’s The Difference?
Rotary and foil shavers use different technologies, but both deliver outstanding results. Which type is best suited to you depends on a couple of factors such as the type of hair you have and your shaving routine.
How They Work
The designation Foil refers to the ultra-thin metal layer that covers the surface of the blades, making it gentler on the skin. The slots in the foil trap the hairs allowing it to shave very close to the skin, and giving you a closer shave than a rotary shaver. Foil shavers also offer a more precise finish when trimming straight edges, such as trimming around the sideburns. Foils work best for people who shave every day.
Foil shavers have blades that oscillate and that are enclosed behind very thin, steel foils that are perforated. The foils actually lift the facial hair up near the blades to give you an extremely close shave.
The term Rotary means spinning or revolving. These kinds of shavers are designed to trace the contour of the face, as you move the shaver in a circular way, the hairs will slip into the openings in the heads and get cut off completely. The circular motion makes it simpler to maneuver around problem areas like the chin and neck. These areas can be hard to get to with other kinds of shavers. Rotary shavers give you great results when you have a lot of hair growth and have to cut hairs that are a longer. They are perfect for people that don’t have a daily shaving routine, especially those that don’t shave on the weekend and then want a clean shave when Monday morning rolls around.
Rotary shavers have circular blades that spin around, and they flex in the unit to follow the outline of your face. Since the blades on a rotary shaver swivel on their own, these shavers are better than foil shavers at tracing the outline of your neck and face.
Rotary shavers make less noise than foil shavers, do better with longer hair, and offer the added benefit of letting you shave however you want – circular motion, side to side, or up and down.
Which Kind Of Shaver Is Right For You?
- Don’t shave very frequently
- Have coarse or thick hair
- Have hair that grows in a lot of directions
- Skin is not so sensitive
- Don’t like the loud buzzing sound
- Having some trouble shaving the neck area
- Shave on a daily basis
- Have really fine hair
- Have extremely straight hair growth
- Clean your electric shaver very often
- Want a really close shave
- Want even more precision
Even though most reviews state that rotary shavers are a little better for people with round faces and dense hair, and foil shavers are somewhat better suited to men with thin and light hair, it is your individual preferences that should take priority over these broad guidelines. See our top 10 electric shavers that may help you choose.
It’s a great idea to utilize the 30-day (or more) money-back guarantee that goes along with most name-brand shavers. Experts say that about that much time needs to pass for your face to become familiar with any new shaver that you buy. There’s a goodchance that you’ll notice a major change in the results of your shaving after that initial adjustment, so just keep with it for at least a couple of weeks with any new shaver.
What Kind Of Electric Shaver Should You Buy?
The brand-name shavers from Philips-Norelco, Panasonic, and Braun command a premium prices, but experts contend that their construction and their shave quality justifies a price tag that is a bit higher. These brands definitely perform better than budget brands in durability, performance, ease of use, and comfort, making them much better value in the long run. See our top 10 electric shavers written to help you decide which shaver to buy.
Most importantly, brand -name shavers are also backed-up by a decent warranty – which is a good thing, as no matter the quality of the brand, any electric shaver can have some durability concerns.