Fully "Bic'd" with Electric Razor
The completely shaven down to the skin, stubble-less, clean look has always been my end game but one i don't feel i've successfully enjoyed until recently for many reasons. Your head is a pretty big surface area and unless you're Frankenstein's monster it's not flat. Unlike when shaving your face, you cannot see most of your head in the mirror. Lastly, one of the benefits of a shaved head should be the incredible ease of maintenance. If the upkeep process results in spending more time than you would washing, drying, combing, and styling hair then fuck it - become a hair farmer.
This year i finally found the right tech that works to meet all my specific head shaving needs: The Braun Series 3 electric shaver. Now i'm no corporate shill and i am not someone with much brand loyalty in any setting but after years of trial and error and internet research and review reading i am just so impressed with this razor and feel the need to help others find something that works without having to do all the legwork i did.
Basically the same shaving unit comes in multiple tiers of accessories packaging to make the various "versions" of the Series 3 you may find. i'm pretty minimalistic and i just wanted the simple razor, i didn't want the big cleaning unit out in my bathroom somewhere or any of the other shit that others may really dig. i just wanted to use it and throw it into my vanity drawer. i am OK with things in any color as long as that color is black so the simply packaged version was perfect for me - black with a cord that can be attached for charging.
Why not use a razor (disposable or otherwise)? Well they are messy with all the shaving cream/gels, you have to do it too frequently (every other day or so or my stubble has grown too long for them), it's a time consuming process (unless you're OK with cutting yourself), and add up all the blades and gels and water and dammit if i wanted all that headache i'd just grow hair. Electric razors catch most of the stubble to be emptied and rinsed out and last for many years.
Why not clipper? Well i've used clippers for decades. Depending on the length you keep your head shaved at you can go a week or more between clipping (since they can handle any length) and one set, even of the cheap kind, can last you years. i've tried the full gambit and clippers are great but i always craved the completely clean shaved cut ultimately. Clipper standouts over the years however have been the Oster Classic 76 (you can't really beat this quality, longevity, and cut - bonus: in silver it also looks like a lightsaber handle) and the Wahl Balder (supper close shave for a clipper, almost as close as a razor... almost). Also, unlike with electric razors when using clippers you have the trimmings just falling freely so there is a need to vacuum or sweep after use adding to overall time spent. i don't like trying to just shave over a sink because although the trimmings are small - with amount and frequency i feel it is too much to ultimately put down the drain for overall plumbing care.
i've tried many of the 3-circled rotary style electric razors and they never did a good job for me. i found myself going over my head many times to get it all clipped and that was quite irritating to both my skin and sense of efficiency. Although my head is quite round the foil style electric razor works best for my skin and hair type. Not only does the Braun Series 3 have two pivoting foils that flex to the head very well with minimal pressure but in-between the foils is a mini-clipper strip that cuts longer hairs/stubble. This is the incredible combination that not only gets a gentle and quick shave but allows me to go longer between shaves - hence the low maintenance aspect of care it allows.
The Braun Series 3 is easily opened for cleaning and can also be rinsed under water. Although i probably charge it more frequently than needed i easily get three head shaves out of a charge (i've never run out of charge, i just end up plugging it in after about three uses). i originally saw no need for the retractable clipper/trimmer that slides up the back of the unit but have used it many times, particularly for those sometimes tough to get stray hairs around your ears. Lastly, the power button is set into the handle perfectly so while it's still easy to engage it is not in the way while shaving and the unit can be thrown in a backpack, bag, or suitcase when traveling without needing to be in any kind of case and there is no fear of it getting accidentally switched on (two weeks of being thrown into a bag strapped to the back of a motorcycle has proven this in the field).
i hope this is helpful in all your head shaving needs. i am not trying to market anything, just trying to pass on some good news from my decades of looking for a great and low maintenance shaved head.
