More Blades Equal a Better Shave

In general, yes, say shaving experts. Five blades is the current gold standard among razor makers, engaged in a blade arms race.

Blade design: Bic’s Hybrid 4 has flexible blades designed to adjust to the contours of the skin.

But blade design may be as important as blade count. Bic’s Hybrid 4 razor has four blades which are “flexible,” and designed to reduce nicks and tugging. “You think of a car, each wheel can absorb the shock of a bump in the road independent of every wheel,” says Ed Dougherty, category president of global stationery and shaver for BIC Group. The design is intended to reduce nicks and tugging, he says. Gillette’s battery-operated Fusion ProGlide five-blade razor features thinner, finer blades the brand says glide through hair with less tug and pull, plus a micro comb that guides stubble to the blades and a trimming blade with anti-clogging rinse slots.

The battery-powered Hydro 5 Power Select razor from Schick, which is owned by Energizer Holdings Inc., features variable speed vibrations and five blades that have “skin guards” over each blade. “The skin guards prevent skin from getting jammed in between those blades,” says Patrick Kane, senior brand manager of Schick Hydro.

Water Temperature Matters

It does. splash hot water over the face or, if there is time, wrap a towel soaked with hot water around the face. Hot water softens the keratin, a protein, within the hair shaft “so your razor will cut the hair more effortlessly,” says Christopher Harmon, a dermatologist in Birmingham, Ala.