Shaving with a sharp razor blade should be considered whenever you want to shave. This will prevent you from having razor burns caused by ingrown hairs after shaving. You might ask, how long do safety razor blades last?
The fact is, shaving with a safety razor blade shouldn’t be more than 3-7 shaves depending on the quality of the razor blade. Using either a cartridge razor or a single blade razor should be in the same range. However, it’s important to change your razor blade before it grows dull to prevent a bad shave.
In the same way, there are some factors responsible for the lifespan of a razor blade and these are facts the majority don’t usually pay attention to
Why Do Razor Blades Get Dull?
Most times, all razors that get dull earlier are the result of these reasons except razors that never dull like ” Infinite Razor” and others
1. Type of Hair
Your type of hair has a vital role to play in the lifespan of your razor blade. It’s either your hair is thick and dense or thin and soft. Most times, the thicker and denser your hair, the faster the razor blade wears out, while the thin and soft hair can still stay longer
2. Surface Area of Shave
Area covered by beard varies from man to man. Shaving surface area also varied due to style of shaving. The more you use your razor blade on your face, the more it wears out.
If you’re a kind that just shaves a small area of your face in a day or just use a razor to create a clean edge around your classy beard, your razor might likely last longer than someone who usually shaves the whole face.
3. Quality of Blade
This is very important to the longevity of the razor blade. The higher the quality, the more the uses. If you buy a cheap disposable razor, you will likely be changing it often
4. Technique and Preparation
It’s important that you know the techniques and how to prepare yourself for shaving to prevent rusting and warn out of your razor blade. Make sure you wash your face before shaving and wash the blade every single shave. There are many other techniques you can use in preventing your blade from early worn out
5. Storage
Another reason for the disposable of your razor early can be the result of its environment. Make sure your razor is stored in a cool and dry place where it can easily dry off. This is very important to prevent the razor blade from being rust and worn out
6. Maintenance
Maintaining your razor blade will prolong its lifespan. If you’re a type that doesn’t rinse your razor after use, there’s a liability for it to worn out easily. To preserve your razor, you have to rinse it with hot water and antibacterial soap if necessary after use.
When to Change Razor Blade?
A disposable razor is not designed to last forever, there are times you’re expected to change the blade if you want to have healthy skin and prevent irritation after shaving. The question is, what are the signs to know that your blade needs to be replaced?
Here are some basic signs your blade may likely show when it’s ready to be replaced
- Tugging
When your blade is becoming harder to pull over the skin, you should know that it’s ready to be replaced. Normally, a sharp blade should glide over the skin without adding extra force. Therefore, to escape the risk of getting nicks, rashes, and cuts, you should replace your blade immediately.
- Rust on Blade
It’s dangerous for you to continue using a blade after you discovered that it has rusted. This can lead to blood infection if you get cuts or nicks during the process of shaving. It’s therefore important for you to replace the blade immediately
- Inconvenient Shave
One of the hints that a blade is ready to be replaced is the inconvenience during shaving. You start having pains during and after shaving.
- Leftover Hair
If you can still feel some leftover hair after shaving, you need to replace your blade
How to Make Razors Last Longer
The way you preserve and maintain your razor can determine its longevity. However, there are many things you should do to prolong the lifespan of your razor blade
1. Rinse Your Blade
Make sure you rinse your blade after every use. This is important in preserving the blade from being dull and rusting. You can also make this effective by using an old toothbrush to scrub across the blade
2. Clean The Razor
Don’t forget to clean your razor properly after every single use. Lightly touch the razor with a towel to remove the remaining water droplets after rinsing. Make sure you don’t wipe it with a towel to prevent the blade from catching the threads, which can make it dull.
3. Apply Razor Blade Coatings
This will preserve your blade from the air after you have rinsed it with water. Your blade can rust if you failed to apply a coating
4. Store in a Dry Place
Make sure your razor is stored in a dry place. Don’t put it close to the shower or sink.
FAQs
How Many Shaves Per Gillette Blade?
Gillette is a big company in the shaving industry. You just cannot ignore this brand while you are shaving your face frequently, especially wet shaving. So people frequently express their interest in knowing the lifetime of the Gillette blade.
According to Gillette’s official website, Gillette fusion 5 blade lasts up to 20 shaves without significant drops in quality while a mach 3 blade can give up to 15 comfortable shaves. Fusion proglide should last in similar way like fusion 5. But remember, those all are official statement.
In practice, you might not get those big number of shaves from a single refill cartridge, especially if you have thick coarse beard all over your face. Generally you should get at least 5 to 10 shaves from a Gillette blade.
Final Verdict
However, anytime you noticed that you’re dragging a razor across your face, it shows that it’s ready to be disposed of. Therefore, don’t hesitate to replace it immediately to save yourself from irritation, cuts, and other vulnerable consequences. Paying attention to this can also prevent you from getting infections through cuts.
