Thread: Shave the neck

Originally Posted by mparker762

An electric doesn't cut the hair, it tears it. It splits and frays the end of the hair so instead of a thick hair, you've got little shredded strands which are relatively soft so you don't really feel them. I think this is related to the phenomenon where stubble is much more noticeable 20 minutes after shaving than right away when you still have a razor and lather at hand -- once the stubble dries out it's stiffer so you notice it more. This is only a hypothesis, though.

I notice that phenomenon with all wet shaving.

By experimenting I found that it seems to be caused by hot preparation. You heat up the skin and it swells. That limits how close you can shave. Later, when you cool your face down the skin shrinks back, and then you feel short stubble.

I've been able to deal with this by doing a final touch up after cooling down my skin. The stubble you remove that way doesn't show up again.

Originally Posted by ForestryProf

Being a reformed electric user (unfortunately over 25 years experience) let me suggest another reason an electric shave feels closer initially but you soon feel stubble. The damn things damage your face and cause swelling! When the swelling subsides, the stubble reappears.

Opinion only, but I'm convinced that throwing my electric against a brick wall last November was the only temper tantrum I've ever had that had a happy ending.

Ed

You may have a very valid theory there. I know any time I've ever gotten a clean shave with an electric, the abrasion made my skin feel very hot. It seems to be similar to the hot prep phenomenon I mentione above.