When putting electric shavers in comparison with the traditional ones, the prior is definitely in the lead. With the ultimate smoothness, sharpness, and convenience, it has won the heart of almost any modern user.
However, someone new to using electric shavers might wonder why there is an issue with the sharpness after a period of use. It might be the signal that your blades and foil are in need of some replacement.
In this article, we will talk about how often you should replace the blades and foil, as well as answer some related questions.
How often should you change the shaver’s blades and foil?
How Often To Replace The Blades And Foils Of An Electric Shaver?
When using electric shavers, you don’t want to be passive about the inner system’s maintenance. Imagine waking up one day, and you pick up the shaver to quickly clean your beard noticing that there is something wrong with it.
It turns out that the blade and foil have worn out and become extremely dull. This situation is incredibly annoying, especially if you are in a rush to work but still need to be well-groomed.
You can control and prevent that problem from happening again by keeping in mind how often you should change the blades and foil of your electric shaver.
For someone who doesn’t know, foils are an essential part of any electric razor. It is a thin layer of metal that fully covers the sharp blades.
Its job is to prevent direct contact between your face and the knife-like edges of the blades, protecting the skin from getting scratched when you shave quickly.
A close-up photo of the shaver’s foil metal layer
Since the foils are only used for protection that isn’t involved in the main shaving job, it is less susceptible to abrasion. For that reason, one only needs to replace the foil once every 12 to 18 months.
On the other hand, the blade should be replaced once every few months since it goes blunt more easily. It should be 4 or 5 months depending on the frequency of use.
If you have a coarse, strong, and quick-growing beard, you may have to change the blade more often, about 3 months, for example.
Despite all the information above, you should keep in mind that this recommended time for blades and foil replacement is not the ultimate answer. It is just the most typical estimation for people who shave daily.
The lifespan also depends on the frequency of use and the overall quality of the parts. Therefore, those who don’t shave regularly might get more uses from the electric razor.
Why Do You Need To Replace The Blades And Foils Of An Electric Shaver?
There are plenty of people who have used electric shavers for such a long time but have no idea that they have to replace the foil and blades at least once a year.
Or, the worse scenario, some people even refuse to think that the malfunction of their device is due to the foil and blades’ wear-out and blame the product’s quality for any shaving issues.
If you find yourself thinking about those things, it’s time you learned more about the mechanism of an electric shaver. The abrasion through times of blades & foils is identical to that of kitchen knives that you use on a daily basis.
Even the sharpest edges will eventually go blunt after enduring constant execution of cutting, shaving, and being exposed to external conditions.
The only difference between the two is how to handle the dullness. You can reuse the same kitchen knife after sharpening. However, it is not the case with razor blades and foil. The most optimum and the only way is to get a new set to replace the old broken ones.
Besides that, worn-out blades & foils can directly affect shaving efficiency.
Due to the metal wear, the razor can not shave the skin thoroughly, leaving some spots already shaved while the others are still undone. One will have to go over the same spot multiple times and get constant bites and nicks when moving the razor around the skin surface.
Also, the friction produced when the inner metal parts contacting one another will create heat. After some time, the heat will make the metal warp and deform. The blades can eat through the foil layer and cause serious injuries to the skin.
The blades of this shaver have eaten through the foil layer
Therefore, you should replace the blades and foils regularly to improve the shave’s performance as well as keep yourself safe.
When To Replace The Blades And Foils Of An Electric Shaver?
Despite knowing the necessity of replacing the razor and foils, we sure some people might still be confused. Some can not tell when their electric shave needs help.
In this part, we will go through some common signals to help you determine the condition of your device.
The Closeness Of The Shave
A properly working electric shaver will get in close contact with your skin without causing any rash or tickling on the skin. The blades can effortlessly get to all the spots evenly, even when you don’t press any force on the device.
Blunt electric razors make the shave uneven and scratch the skin
On the other hand, if you find yourself going through the same skin area over and over again without seeing the hair going away or having to press the shaver closer to the skin, it probably has something to do with the dullness of the blades or the foils.
The Sharpness Of The Shave
Another signal that can immediately link to the bluntness of the blades & foils is the random bites when you shave.
Even when you are carefully doing the shave, you can still feel like the device starts tugging and pulling the hair out of nowhere. You might be worrying about what mistakes you have made, but it is not because you are doing the task in the wrong way.
Rather than that, it is the device’s fault. The shaver only starts yanking the hair if there are some problems in the cutting block.
The Heat Of The Shaving Head
When an electric device is operating at its full capacity, it will inevitably generate some heat. Things only go wrong when your automatic razor starts producing excess heat when nothing changes in your shaving routine.
As we have briefly mentioned above, the cause of the heat is the constant friction between different parts in the cutting block. Severe wear and tear only happen when deformed metal parts are in contact with each other.
Therefore, when you notice the shaving head gets hotter than usual, it’s time for a blade and foil replacement.
The Comfort When You Shave
Comfort is considered the easiest signal to spot. It is because you can immediately realize there is something wrong with the device if you have to try harder than usual just to shave your skin.
The inconvenience means more shaving strokes, more hand forces to press the shavers closer, and more heat in the shaving head. If you notice those things and feel like it takes more time to finish the shave, you should take a closer look at the cutting blocks.
How To Expand The Lifespan Of An Electric Shaver’s Blades And Foils?
The last question that people usually have relating to this topic is how to expand the lifespan for the blades & foils. In this part, we will list down some tips to improve the device’s quality.
- Lubricate the cutting block once in a while: The lubrication will reduce the friction between the inner metal parts. As a result, the electric shaver will produce less heat, preventing the blades and foil from wearing out quickly.
Always remember to lubricate the automatic shaver regularly
- Have a clean-up routine: The tiny hair strokes, dirt, and dead skin can build up inside the shaver and affect the performance. Cleaning your shaver after every use with liquid soap and warm water might be a good thing to do.
- Handle the device gently: People often drop the shaver to the ground or rub it too hard when cleaning. It can lead to mechanical shocks and damage the operating system permanently. Therefore, you should handle the device with more care.
The Bottom Line
This is eventually the end of our article. We hope this post has answered the question “How often to replace the blades and foils of an electric shaver?” for some people. Every 12 – 18 months for foils and every 4 – 5 months for blades.
If you still need help during the process or have something unclear about the replacement, please leave us some comments below. All in all, take care and remember to drop by in the future if you’re interested!
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