I have to admit I was skeptical.  Having preached and personally enjoyed the benefits of shaving with a blade, I thought electric shavers were second class.  I didn’t think they could match the closeness of wet shaving and even more so… hypothesized they were probably irritating to a man’s skin.

Turns out I was wrong. Yes… it happens. When I was recently sent a gaggle of electric razors by an innovative company called AXIS, this Grooming Guy took it as his civic duty to give this shaver genre a test drive. Compare fact vs. fiction as in the end, Grooming Lounge is a company dedicated to offering the myriad of grooming solutions available.  If something works, we want to give men the option of benefiting from such a solution.  Be it blade, electric, solar and so on.

Well… it turns out that these AXIS electrics worked really well for me.  In fact, most days you’d be hard pressed to tell the whether I had gone electric or used my reliable Mach III. With this information in hand, I decided I had to preach to the people.  Let guys know that using an electric is a legitimate option.  So, if your curiosity is peaked, here are some tips for starting the “buzz” right:

1. TIME TABLE: Before you venture into electric territory, it’s important to know that your face will take two weeks before it totally adjusts to using an electric razor. During this period, the oils on your face will blend with the oils on the shaver to achieve optimum smoothness.  If you’re giving electric a shot, you gotta’ stick with it for a few weeks or you won’t reap the long-term benefits.
2. CLEANSE THAT MUG:  Just like when using a blade, it’s important to give your electric a clean surface to work with.  To make this happen, be sure to cleanse your face prior to shaving with a gentle facial cleanser. Such cleansing will remove impurities and soften facial hair.
3. DA GRAIN, DA GRAIN:  Whether your facial hair is straight, curly or coarse, learn what direction your hair grows in by rubbing your hand over your face.  Then, gently pull the skin away from your face and shave against the direction of growth.  If you opt for a rotary razor, make circle motions with the shaver head across your face.
4. GOOP CAN STILL HELP:  While not as product intensive as shaving with a blade, there are some products available to improve the effectiveness of an electric shaver.  These products are applied to your face just prior to shaving and help ensure a smooth experience.  Examples include Jack Black Electric Shave Enhancer, Grooming Lounge Beard Master Shave Oil and Anthony Logistics Electric Pre-Shave Solution.