Does Electric Shaving Become More Difficult as You Get Older?
If you have ever wondered if electric shaving becomes more difficult with age, then we have provided the answer just below.
The truth and reality is that any type of electric shaving becomes more difficult with age. This is especially true if you are a man who likes a clean close shave.
The reason for that difficulty is that it is because the elasticity in your skin changes. In other words when we are younger our skin is simply tighter and firmer. As the years pass slowly by, then skin ages and in effect loosens and stretches.
We lose the natural oils and moisture in our skin, and gravity also pulls the skin in a downward direction over the years.
That is why the anti-wrinkle and anti-ageing cream market is so vibrant in the UK and indeed throughout the world.
Understanding Facial Skin
In the human body there are many organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver etc. Skin is also classed as an organ, and is in fact the biggest organ on the body. The average human being has about 22 square feet of skin, weighing approximately 3.6 Kg. (That's a lot of skin)
If you peeled the skin off a human body, it would be big enough to make cover a standard dining room table.
For most people living in the UK, the majority of the skin on our body is covered up for most of the time. The face and hands are the exception to that, and it is those areas that are subject to external environments such as the weather.
The skin on the face is also the thinnest skin and especially in and around the eyes. In reality, this is the skin that needs the most care and attention, to maintain its health.
Caring for the facial skin, and that does include shaving, should be a priority for all human beings. The reality is that most men pay scant attention to their skin and especially to the skin on their face and neck.
Facial Skin & Elasticity
We don't wish to bore you with scientific explanations of how complex the make up of skin actually is. To explain elasticity though we just need to know a couple of things. The skin is made up of two primary layers:
- The epidermis - outer skin which is designed to keep water out and also as a barrier to infections
- The dermis - this layer sits beneath the outer layer (epidermis) and provides strength and elasticity to the skin. This also contains hair roots and blood vessels.
Skin elasticity is the skin’s ability to stretch and snap back to its original shape. As you age the skin starts to lose elasticity and this is known medically as elastosis. This will eventually cause skin to look saggy, crinkled, or leathery.
The older we get then the more noticeable the skin starts to become in terms of sagging and wrinkles. Hydration and moisture in the dermis of the skin helps prevent sagging.
The main cause of sagging is of course gravity. That is a force of nature that we can not control. An important tip when applying a moisturiser is to always massage in upward circular motions and never to pull the skin down.
Older Skin & Electric Shaving
When you are young and start shaving, the skin is taut and that makes it very easy to shave with an electric shaver. As we age the skin sags, and unless you deliberately stretch the skin with your fingers, an electric shaver does not really get to the base of the hairs.
This applies to the face and even more to the general neck area.
You can get most of the hair off with a good electric shaver, but invariably some will be left behind. Many older men will at that time decide to return to or start from afresh with wet shaving.
Older men will also tend to have leather type skin, a condition that has developed over the years from a mixture of neglect, the sun and general poor care.
Ladies are very good at caring for the skin,as generally speaking they use cleansers and moisturisers on a daily basis. Men, generally speaking wash their face in the morning and evening and that is their typical skin care routine.
When it comes to shaving, most men also use electric shavers. That is simply because they are fast and convenient. When they use these it is mainly for what is called dry shaving.
With dry shaving, no lubricant is applied to the face such as a soap or cream. The electric shaver is just switched on and applied directly to the skin. That can make the skin very dry and often causes irritation.
One thing it certainly does is to dehydrate the skin and remove moisture and natural oils from the skin.
Foil vs Rotary Electric Razors
There are two types of electric shavers
- Rotary electric razors
- Foil electric razors
These two types of electric shaver are both popular on the UK market.
Foil shavers are better for the skin than rotary razors simply because of their cutting mechanisms.
The foil offers a lot more protection to the skin than a rotary.
With a rotary, shown in the image above, you have several heads, and underneath those heads are blades that spin around very quickly cutting the hairs. Those work well for men with tough skin and tough beard growth.
Neither of these used as dry shavers are good for the skin. Manufacturers realised that and started to make what are called wet and dry electric shavers. With these they can be used dry, but can also be used for a wet shave.
If you own a wet and dry shaver then you can still use it for dry shaving when in a hurry. However, when you have a little more time, you can also treat yourself to a wet shave.
By applying a good quality lather from a shaving soap, a shaving cream or a gel, then you not only protect the skin, but you also nourish and hydrate it as well.
Elderly men are advised to use one of these wet and dry shavers, if they are going to use an electric shaver.
Personally we would recommend switching to a safety razor, and applying a lather using a shaving brush and some shaving cream. That way you can take a little more time and do a much better job.
You can read our article on what we believe to be the best electric razor for older men by clicking here.
3 Tips for Looking After Facial Skin
There are three important things that are required for properly looking after facial skin. These are:
- Daily Cleansing - Ideally you should wash your face in the morning and the evening using warm water (Avoid hot or cold water as neither is good for the skin)
- Daily Moisturising - As with cleansing you should also moisturise your skin twice a day, by massaging a cream into your face using an upwards pressure. There are day and night time moisturisers and you should use both
- Using Sunscreen - Nothing ages the skin like the sun and its UV rays. Sun cream should be worn every single day and not just during hot spells.
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