Last updated on May 11th, 2020 at 02:35 pm
Electrical shavers are efficient and less prone to injuring your skin, unlike conventional safety razors. Perhaps it is the reason why they are embraced by many. Electrical shavers are either Rotary or foil shavers. We shall examine their differences in the article.
What’s the difference between a foil and rotary shaver?
The difference between rotary and foil shavers is how the shaving head looks and works. Rotary shavers consist of three independent circular rotating heads placed in a triangular fashion. The shaver has lines where the hair goes through before it’s cut by the rotating blades.
Foil shavers, on the other hand, use metallic foils to cover its shaving blades. The foils have tiny holes that allow hair to enter the shaver. The oscillating blades behind the foils move back and forth to cut the hair without abrading your skin.
The oscillating blades in a rotating shaver make it easy to combine a wide range of stroke directions without tugging on hair follicles while the back and forth action of foil shaver blades make the gadget only ideal for linear up and down strokes.
What is a foil shaver best used for?
Foil shavers are particularly best for individuals with sensitive skin. The metallic foil creates a protective sheath between your skin and the fast-moving blades. The foil is reputed to be soothing to the skin’s surface.
Also, the straight line up and down or sideways also the shaver to follow the grains of hair for closer and more efficient cutting.
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If you also have a hectic work schedule, a fast shave would be accomplished by a foil shaver as opposed to a rotary one due to the amount of time required. Also if you require a close and precise shave this is the shaver for you. The way it gently plucks hair from your skin allows for the precise clean shaver.
What is a Rotary shaver best used for?
Granted the design, this shaver is ideal for shaving contours. Particularly, its circular motion allows you to navigate the neck region and jawline that wouldn’t be properly covered by foil shavers straight line shaving action. Rotary shavers have wheels with blades in them. These blades spin under the shaving head allowing hair into the shaver to be cut.
The oscillating heads also mean that the precision of the shaving isn’t as accurate as foil shavers since hair isn’t pulled. On the other hand, using a rotary shaver would mean investing a lot of time shaving.
If you have thick, long hair and rough skin, a rotary shaver comes in handy. Also if you don’t want a close shave, rotary blades cut your hair while leaving some hair, unlike clean foil shavers.
Foil vs. rotary for the head: Which should I choose?
Here are some factors you should consider when choosing the perfect shaver for your skin.
How sensitive is your skin?
If you have sensitive skin, a foil shaver would be the best due to its ability to cut close and still prevent skin irritation. Rotary shavers, on the other hand, may cause irritation due to their angular blade nicking. Use rotary shavers if you have tough skin.
How fast do you wish to shave?
If you have a busy schedule and want a quick shave, foil shavers would do it. These shavers vibrate at around 14,000 cycles per minute of operation a far cry from rotary ones. This results in cutting more hair in a short time. Rotary shavers, on the other hand, require precise shaving and time to cut as much hair.
How close do you want to shave?
On the other hand, If you seek a clean and precise shave I’d suggest a foil shaver. You will get that clean shave faster. Rotary shavers are great if you don’t want to shave everything but are just keen on smoothly trimming the hair. They can still give you a clean shave but you will have to use more strokes.
Great contouring when in a rush
For contours, rotary shavers definitely do a great job. Rotary shavers often have more advanced contouring systems making it easier for them to adhere to the curves on your features when shaving. This could give you an upper hand when shaving fast.
Check this too: Best electric shaver for women’s pubic area
How long is your hair?
For long hair, a rotary shaver is more efficient. This means that foil shavers are efficient for daily shaving needs (due to less hair) while their rotary counterparts are ideal for occasional shaving.
Foil shavers are noisier than rotary shavers
Foil shavers, unlike rotary, have a reputation for making lots of noise owing to the vibration and cutting mechanism. The efficiency of cutting a lot of hair is off-set by the noise that may be irritating especially in a household where you wake up early to shave while others are still asleep. If you want a less intrusive shaving then rotary shavers are ideal.
There is no doubt that both the rotary and foil shavers have lots of similarities. However, each shaver has its own pros and cons depending on the user’s requirement. Before embarking on purchase it is wise to weigh each against your intentions.