As has alreay been mentioned, there is a break-in period when switching from one shaving method to another. When I first switched to a Norelco from blade I was also unimpressed - irritation, feeling of not getting a close enough shave, etc. (I've noticed the same thing just switching from one brand of an electric shaver to another.) After a few weeks my skin and beard adjusted to the new method, and these days I would not go back to the world of styptic pencils, nicks and occasional sleep-induced bloodlettings. It may turn out that you prefer a blade razor, but you will not get a fair assessment of an electric shaver until you've used it for awhile.

Ditto what Rampo said about giving it time for your face to adjust. I have several Braun electrics (home and travel) and while they do not shave as close as I can with a blade, they don't nick my sensitive skin. Electrics are very nice for travel as you don't need to trot out shaving cream and use a sink in order to shave. Very helpful when doing USA-Europe flights and heading straight to work. Ever try shaving with a blade in an airplane bathroom? Good luck.

I too have a Braun Activator and I find that it works fairly well. It works better than my prior electrics.

When I was doing my research prior to buying the Activator I was highly skeptical of the rotary electrics because of their "lift and cut" claims. People who get ingrown hairs (aka razor bumps) really shouldn't be shaving too close anyway, because shaving the hair to "below skin level" just gets you that much closer to not having it grow out correctly. I find with my Activator I can get as close or rough a shave as I want, and there's no shaving cream mess involved.

I find that the Activator holds enough charge for a 4-5 day trip, so I very rarely carry the charger with me.

I think the bottom line is that a razor is an extremely personal choice for us guys, sorta like... uhhh... nevermind. :D

Three week break in period? I felt like I got a better shave this morning (second shave) as compared to yesterdays first ever shave. I tried loosely running the razor over my face, as compared to pressing firmly on it. I had less irritation this morning which was ^ ^ .

Does anyone still use shaving cream with their electric razor? I wonder how well that could work...

I love my self-cleaning Braun. It's great. I've been using it for 2 years now. I think the cleaning/charging part of it has gone kaput but the shaver itself still works perfectly.

For some reason I was having a bad go of it with the Mach3 so I switched to electric. I was getting TONS of skin tags on my neck. It was revolting! I kept snipping them off (yes, it hurt, and yes, it bled ... a lot) and finally made an appointment with a dermatologist as my neck was getting like 15 of these stupid little things. But then I switched to the electric and magically they all healed up within 10 days, never to return!

OTOH, I bought the same razor for my partner. He has a coarser, darker beard than I do. It doesn't work as well for him. He now alternates between a Mach3 and the electric. He prefers the Mach3 when he wants a closer shave. He can't get a close shave on his neck with the electric.

During the switch to the electric you'll need to be patient. It takes about 14-30 days for your skin to adjust and then it will work well after that. I don't know if going over it with a Mach3 after you've used the electric will impede the adjustment or not, but that's what you may need to do.

As for razor burn, as the above poster suggested, use Tend Skin!! It truly is the CURE for razor burn. It will absolutely vanish and never return. Just make sure to apply it after you skin is completely dry or it will sting really bad, but if your skin is dry then it doesn't feel like anything. It's a wonderful product. You can get it at Sephora or online.

I use shaving cream with my Panasonic wet/dry razor but I'm not sure I'd try it with a non-waterproof razor.

My newest Norelco is designed to be rinsed clean, but I'm not sure if it's definitely designed to go into the shower or be used with shaving cream or the like. I haven't changed from my usual pattern of dry shaving after the shower.

I looked up the manual. It suggests best results are with a clean, dry face. So even though this unit rinses clean, it probably isn't a good idea to shave wet or in the shower. (This only refers to mine, one of the Norelco SpeedXL models.)

I've been using a Mach 3 basically since they came out, and although I'd like to switch to an electric (convenience factor mostly ... not having to use shaving cream saves time and money), my employer requires all employees to be clean shaven, to the point that I have to shave every day, or I have too much stubble.

Given this, and given the "break in" period for electric razors ... am I better off just sticking with the Mach 3?

great - another religious argument - blade versus electric. :p

I'm an electric user - been using one for 10 years or so since I got one for Christmas. I think it's very handy for traveling, and after a few months Mrs. GopherPuckGuy couldn't tell the difference between the blade and electric. (It does not matter what I think!)

I think you'll like the electric after the recommended break in time.

Cheers

Well I'm five days into my break in period and after shaving, I feel terrific. The razor is missing less hairs on my face and I'm beginning to optimize the way I shave.

FWIW, I did hear somewhere that using an electric razor causes wrinkles sooner than shaving with a blade.

Does this stuff really work that well? I get a horrible razor burn, and the dermatologist recommended some sort of steroid based cream. She said, however, that I can't use it more than a couple times a week, and it doesn't help that much.

BTW, I use a Shick Quattro razor - it is pretty good.

Yes!! I can't say enough good things about Tend Skin. It's well worth the $16 for a bottle. Definitely give it a try before trying the steroid cream, though it sounds like you've got such a severe case that a prescription might end up being necessary. Still, give Tend Skin a try; it should help!

Maybe you'd be better off switching employers. But back on point--to reinforce the idea that you'll just have to try it to see if it works for you, I'd point out that I don't even use the Mach 3 as the older style Sensor Excel works better for me. Wait until vacation time rolls around and try a new method for a week or so...

Well I am nearing Week Two of my journey and it is amazing how well the Norelco works! I still have to take care of the area directly under my sideburns with my razor, but I am loving the electric! ^ ^

I use both. I have a Panasonic. It takes a while to get used to the electric, but I like it. You have to think a little bit differently when using the electric. For the best shaves, I still use the Mach 3 Turbo. I don't bother taking the electric when I travel. But I like the convenience of being able to shave anywhere/anytime at home with the electric. I just dry-shave with the electric. When I'm done, I wash the grill and blades with anti-bacterial soap.

One adjustment that you noticed too is that you don't have to press hard with the electric and you don't want to press hard with the electric. It can take several passes to get an area tidy. If you press hard, you'll get skin irritation. It's more of a light touch.

-David