Grooming

Single Blade or Multi Blade Razor

Posted on by James Smith

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Whilst some gents swear by single blade razors, others opt for multiple blades. Then there are the men who don’t give a second thought to whether they will buy a single blade or multi blade razor.

However, this is a mistake, as your choice of razor significantly impacts your shave, either maintaining or deteriorating the health of your skin, and potentially causing irritation, ingrown hair, and nicks and cuts. Here we cover all of the pros and cons of both, to help you determine whether a single blade or multi blade razor is best for you.

Single blade razors

Also known as safety razors, single blade razors are the original, classic option, dating back to around 3000BC when the gentlemen of ancient Egypt and India used copper razors to remove their facial fuzz. Of course, they looked a little different back then.

There are plenty of advantages to selecting the single blade, including:

  • They offer a closer shave, reducing your chances of suffering from a skin rash after shaving.
  • A smoother shave means fewer or no, razor burns and bumps, and no ingrown hairs.
  • Since they are generally made of steel, they can easily be recycled, making them more sustainable and better for the environment.
  • They offer increased manoeuvrability, making them easy and safe to use at all angles.

Of course, nothing is without disadvantages; however, for single blade razors, they are few.

  • The upfront cost of purchasing a single blade razor is generally higher. However, in the long term, they are the more affordable option.
  • A lot of beginners cut themselves when using a single blade for the first time. However, this can happen with any type of razor if you haven’t mastered the technique. The trick is to go with the grain, and you can say goodbye to shaving cuts.

All of the above are essential factors to consider when deciding whether to purchase a single blade or multi blade razor.

Multi blade razors

The first two-blade razor was released to the market in the 1970s, setting off a race between razor companies competing to have the most blades. Soon we were seeing three blades, five blades, and then six or even more.

Multi blade razors were marketed as being better – the more blades you have, the closer, faster, and generally better the shave will be. However, many men found that this wasn’t the case.

The advantages of multi blade razors are:

  • Thanks to the extra blades, they can cut more hair in one pass.
  • They are cheaper to purchase.

However, some things are not quite as originally advertised. Downsides of multi blade razors include:

  • They don’t shave as closely.
  • As the number of blades increases, so does blade friction, which can lead to more bumps and burns, particularly if you have sensitive skin.
  • As they are made of plastic, they contribute to plastic pollution and are less environmentally friendly.
  • Whilst many multi-blade razors have pivoting heads these days, they can still be difficult to manoeuvre at certain angles.
  • Whilst the razors themselves are cheaper to purchase, the blades need to be changed frequently, making them the more expensive option in the long term.

So which is better: the single blade or multi blade razor? As you can see, there are pros and cons to each one. If you have sensitive skin, then multi blade razors may lead to increased irritation and discomfort, and you will most likely benefit from changing to a single blade.

In addition, if you currently experience skin irritation and razor bumps with a multi blade razor, then you should also consider switching.

However, if you use a multi blade razor without any issues, then you may opt to continue using your trusty shaver. It’s worth noting that even amongst multi blade razors, the fewer blades there are, the less irritation is likely to occur.

For newbies, a single blade razor is likely to cause less skin irritation, however not sin and facial hair types are the same, so you should determine what works best for your skin.

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James Smith

James Smith is a fashion blogger and a fashion designer who often blogs about men's grooming, fashion and styling. James also love doing photography, designing and playing football.

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