10 Electric Shaving Mistakes You Must Avoid for a Better Shave

Are you sure you’re using your shaving device the right way? Because if you’re struggling with shaving, be that electric or manual, there’s a good way you’re making a few mistakes.

Let me share a scary stat with you: a research published in the Journal of Dermatology found out that only 13% of men prepare their skin before an electric shaving session.

Also, this research further revealed that the cause of skin irritation, dryness, razor burns, nicks or tugs are actually caused because of two reasons: skin disease and poor shaving technique.

Therefore, you can understand how important it is for you to learn the electric shaving mistakes so that you can drastically improve your shaving experience!

Common Electric Shaving Mistakes You Are Making Everyday

Mistake #1: Not Prepping the Skin Properly

A major mistake that most men skip due to the morning rush is not prepping the skin before a shave.

Pre-shave routine includes a thorough cleansing that removes all the residue from the skin and beard roots.

This not only softens the beard and renders each glide a smooth one without any tug or pull, but also adds a protective layer to the skin.

With a proper preparation, you’ll be able to get even closer shaves and the experience will be a much soothing one!

Mistake #2: Using the Shaver on Wet Skin (if it’s Not Waterproof)

Not all of the electric razors out there are waterproof and it’s a common mistake men make by gliding over wet skin with a shaver that’s meant to be used only in dry modes.

This jeopardizes the integrity of the device and if there’s any leakage, the electronic components might malfunction very soon.

It doesn’t mean I’m encouraging you to avoid a good facial wash and lubrication of the skin before a shaving session.

Instead, mop up your face gently after a thorough wash and apply a little amount of shaving lotion to make the glides smoother.

Mistake #3: Applying Too Much Pressure

Shaving with a foil or a rotary razor might generate the feeling of applying a lot of pressure to grab every bit of your flat lying hair from the roots.

But that’s really not how it’s done if you know the correct methods. Most of such advanced electric shavers require a gentle press on the skin.

The rest of the shaving actions are automatically done by the cutting elements. Of course, the cutting efficiency will depend on your shaving animation and grain movement.

But the moral of the story is, don’t press the razor too hard against your skin as it’ll not only cause redness, but also might trigger allergic reactions if you have sensitive skin.

Mistake #4: Moving the Shaver Too Fast

Another common mistake a lot of the grooming enthusiasts out there make is moving the razor around the face way too fast.

Such motions don’t allow the cutting elements sufficient time to pick up on every bit of facial hair and you’ll end up with tons of unshaved patches here and there.

The trick is to be patient and take things slow. This way, your shaver will get sufficient time to grab a larger portion of your shaving area at the same time.

It will reduce vigorous and extended scrubbing animations over the skin and prevent any sort of irritation that faster movement might arouse.

Mistake #5: Ignoring the Direction of Hair Growth

An important element of efficiently shaving with an electric device is to understand the direction of your facial hair growth.

Every individual has their unique pattern and there’s no universal law of electric shaving you can follow for a closer result.

Instead, try to assess which way your facial hair is growing out and shave toward that grain. It’s the kindest approach you can make to keep your skin healthy.

While going against the grain can give you close shaving outcomes in a faster time, this isn’t a practice I’ll recommend for you since it has the potential to cause ingrown hair.

Mistake #6: Neglecting Shaver Maintenance

Owning an electric shaver can sometimes be compared to having a low-maintenance pet. No matter how little time you’ll have to invest in the upkeep, there’s no way of avoiding it entirely.

The way these electric razors are built, they demand a certain extent of maintenance on a regular basis.

Particularly, cleaning the cutting elements and lubricating the blades or the motor are the most basic forms of maintenance you must practice after each shaving session.

Otherwise, your blades will dull out faster, the motors will soon start to bottleneck and as a whole, you’ll lose out on shaving efficiency and the device’s durability.

Mistake #7: Shaving Sensitive Areas Without Lubrication (if Needed)

Whether or not you apply shaving lotion or lubricant on your facial regions while shaving is basically up to your preference.

But not using lubricants on the sensitive areas, especially the neck, makes you more susceptible to irritation and redness.

It’s the case even for men who don’t have sensitive skin. Yes, you can easily apply cold water to soothe your skin right after, but applying shaving lotion on the neck spares you a lot of trouble.

Because no matter how much you’ve made skin to foil or rotary head contact on your neck, some portions never strengthen up and making the area greasy is the ultimate shaving solution so far.

Mistake #8: Skipping Post-Shave Care

Developing a habit of following through a post-shave routine is just as important as a pre-shave routine, even though your shaving session has already been finished.

But without a post-shave care, your skin will remain dry from all the scrubbing actions using the sharp and agile cutting elements.

Also, there’s a higher risk of developing allergic reactions or agitation for men who don’t perform a routine after each shave.

Things like cleaning out the face, moisturizing the skin, applying disinfectant lotion, and avoiding alcohol based solutions are prime examples of healthy after-shave care!

Mistake #9: Using a Dull or Outdated Blade/Foil

Does your electric shaver tug or pull during each shave and you’re still pushing your way through with vigorous, high pressure scrubs?

It’s probably due to your dulled out blades or worn out foils that’s costing the efficiency as well as skin comfort.

You may want to replace these two parts in particular every 6-12 months depending on your shaving routine and the razor’s brand.

If such replacement doesn’t improve your situation, then you may consider buying a new electric razor because your older one has probably reached the verge of its death.

Mistake #10: Not Choosing the Right Shaver for Your Skin and Hair Type

Not all electric razors are to be used on particular skin or facial hair types. For example, the devices that work great on feeble hair won’t necessarily perform well for black men.

In the same way, elderly men have feeble skin and therefore they require a device that caters to such needs and at the same time lighter in weight for easy maneuvering.

Teenagers or beginners would require something that’s simple to use and without much complicating features while being gentle on their fine, newly growing facial hair.

And definitely, sensitive skin demands unique devices with hypoallergenic coating and balanced cutting actions to prevent their skin from allergic reactions.

Therefore, it’s highly important to learn what ‘you’ precisely require out of your shaver because there’s a good chance you’ve picked the wrong shaver for your skin and hair type!

Final Thoughts

By this endpoint, you’ve been introduced to the 10 most common shaving mistakes frequent groomers tend to make that weigh down their shaving routines.

I’m sure you’re already familiar with a few of these but being able to avoid all ten will work wonders for you!

It’ll not only enhance the shaving experience with your premium razors, but also the affordable ones will start functioning much better as a whole.

My advice for you would be to remember these 10 mentioned mistakes and avoid them at all costs. Practice always makes things better!