How Often Should You Replace the Blades and Foils of an Electric Shaver? Learn the Magic!

You probably wonder a lot about your electric shaver blade and foil replacement because finding the most suitable time for that often eludes most of us.

I get asked this question a lot: how often should you replace the blades and foils of an electric shaver? This got me thinking, there’s no definitive answer!

But, there are certain general guidelines to follow when it comes to blade and foil replacement, something like a rule of thumb.

In this article, I’ll teach you the ways these elements wear off, the basics of replacement, methods to check whether you need a replacement and some generic schedules of popular electric razors.

Why Do Blades and Foils Wear Out?

There are a number of reasons behind the wear of your electric shaver blades and foils. Identifying those causes will help you prolong the life of these elements!

• Regular Shaving: Of course, if you shave regularly, your cutting elements are bound to wear off and there’s nothing to do about it. That’s how things are meant to work.
• Improper Shaving Techniques: If you’re not using your electric shaver the right way, the foils and blades will lose their agility sooner than normal. So, you should master your device and guide it in the most efficient way!
• Lack of Maintenance: Remember, your shaving device requires a certain degree of care and maintenance to ensure longevity. Clean and maintain regularly and you’ll find the cutting parts lasting much longer!
• Storage Issues: No matter how robust your electric razor might feel, it still requires a safe storage space. That storage holder needs to be firm and airtight. Otherwise, your device will be vulnerable to damage, both from external pressure and from the air that tends to harm metals like foils or blades.
• Cheaper Parts: It’s ideal for you to purchase replacements from the official vendors. Otherwise, aftermarket cheap alternatives are rarely of the same quality as the original and you’re going to see the wear off only after a few shaves.

You should prioritize mitigating the mentioned causes, at least the ones that are possible for amendment.

General Guidelines for Foil and Blade Replacement

Here, let me expose you to the general guidelines you need to remember and most likely follow to replace the blades and foils of your electric razor.

Precaution

It’s better to check with your manufacturer’s instruction to mark the optimal schedule for a cutting element replacement.

Some devices like Braun Series 9 or Panasonic ARC5 have built-in technology that pops an icon on the display to tell you that the blades and foils need replacing.

Also, as mentioned earlier, consider purchasing manufacturer-approved parts as these offer better shaving experiences, last longer and complies with the build quality of the instrument.

Prepare the Shaver

As preparation for the replacement, turn off your electric shaver and disconnect the charging cord from it.

Make sure it’s completely turned off during the process. Depending on your device, the instructions may be as follows:

• Pressing the release button up front or on the sides
• Pulling or prying off the foil head
• Some devices requires unscrewing

Once you manage to remove the head, your first part of the replacement would be completed.

Replace the Foils and Blades

Now that the foil head is removed, you’ll have to remove the blades as well. Some devices like the BaBylissPRO FoilFX02 situate their blades on top of a spring.

Others install the blades beneath the foils as a part of the entire shaver head. That might have a specific mechanism for removal, or you may need to unscrew the blades.

Depending on your replacement parts (as you can buy the entire head or only the elements), get rid of the older bits and install the new ones.

Make sure everything is properly aligned before placing the head back on the handle.

Clean the Shaver Before and After

It’s essential that you clean your shaving tool beforehand and also, upon installing the replacement foils and blades.

In addition, there’s a requirement for you to lubricate the cutting elements right after replacement to reduce the early friction.

Go for a Test Run

Once all settled, try out a test run. First, turn the razor on for around 10-20 seconds to see if the blades are oscillating perfectly.

Then, pick out an area that could be shaved and press the shaver gently to let the foils and blades do all of the work.

If your replacement has been perfect, you should see that your shaving tools feel very sharp and energized, just like a new one would!

Proper Disposal

You cannot simply throw away the older blades or foils. These are sharp objects and you should dispose of them responsibly to avoid accidents.

Wrap these cutting elements inside a wrapper and throw them away at the designated spot for metal recyclable objects.

How to Check If Your Blades or Foils Need Replacing

If you own an average electric shaver that doesn’t tell you when to replace your foils or blades, I’ve got you covered. Here are the major signs notifying you to go for a replacement very soon:

• Check for Reduced Performance: Firstly, notice if your shaver is underperforming. That could include more uneven shaves, unshaved patches, hair dragging or pulling, less cutting efficiency and an overall decrease in shaving quality.
• Increased Skin Irritation: Another telling sign of blade and foil wear is an increase in skin irritation or burning during and after shaving. You can properly maintain the device and check whether the problem persists. If it does, then it’s time to replace those old cutting parts.
• Visual Inspection of Foils and Blades: Even visually inspecting the blades and the foils can tell you a lot about its lifespan. For instance, a worn-off foil will have degraded color and sensitive skin-friendly foils will show lost coating chunks. Additionally, the blades will also show bend, faded tones and even corrosion.
• Unusual Sounds or Vibrations: The most common telling sign is the unusual noise made by the motor or excessive vibration of the handle. You have to perform a thorough maintenance till you realize the blade or foil has worn off. Once that’s confirmed, you can conveniently settle for new parts. But if the issue persists, then it could be something more concerning that requires attention.
• Shaving Head Feels Hot: In general, the shaving head or the foil elements will get hot to a certain extent if you’ve kept it operational for a few minutes. But heating up to the point of burning your skin tells you there’s something very wrong, and the most frequent solution is a replacement.
• Increased Hair Build-Up or Poor Cleaning: Sometimes, you’ll notice that your razor is causing more hair build-up inside the foils or around the blades more frequently than it used to. On top of that, your cleaning jobs will get increasingly difficult as the residue will turn more rigid during removal attempts. This is another sign of replacement duties.

If your electric shaver is showing any one or more of these signs, you should know that the foils and blades need to be replaced very soon!

Shaver Models and Replacement Schedules

In this section, I’m going to give you a general idea of replacement schedules for some of the most common and revered shaving devices in the market.

Final Thoughts

I hope I was able to answer the question ‘how often should you replace the blades and foils of an electric shaver successfully.

In this article, I thoroughly explained why foils and blades wear off over time and the procedure for a healthy replacement.

Additionally, I’ve guided you on how to locate whether your device is demanding a cutting element replacement and the general schedules you can follow as a structured reminder.

If you have any further queries on this matter, feel free to drop a comment on our article or directly email me, I will gladly be of your service!