h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is there really any difference between men's and women's razors? I often use a men's razor, but find I get more nicks that way. Why is that?

No idea, but I never cut myself shaving, and my stupid bloke always cuts his face. I should lend him mine.

I think that is more about where the skin is more rough. Your legs have to go through more(pun intended) than your face.

i heard that mens were sharper and so give a cleaner closer shave. so it lasts past that 5 o'clock shadow. maybe thats why they get more nicks.

here in nz the better women's razors have a very different shape from the men's, which makes sharing legs soooooooo much easier - but i don't think there's much difference in the actual blade area - although has anyone else noticed how they keep bringing out "revolutionary" new razors which only differ from the last model by having an extra blade? when will the madness stop?

It's not madness, but it's not sanity either: it's marketing. Similar developments occur in most near homogenous products - just look at soap powders, for example. Once razor manufacturers reach a point where there's no marketing advantage to be gained by adding more blades, lubricating strips, etc, they'll just come up with a 'breakthrough' innovation which means they can start ditching the superfluous junk and differentiate their product again e.g. "Now so sharp you only need two blades!"

But us ladies also shave "other" areas, where the skin is even more delicate that on the face. I don't even nick myself there. And my stupid bloke says that he cuts his face worse when the blade is blunt.

Yeah, I also thought about that. And I don´t really know why. But the bluntness will of course make you cut yourself more. Personally I use an electrical, I don´t like having knives that near my throat. Especially when I´m not quite awake.

The more blades thing does seem stupid. Why doesn´t one of them just skip right to the "now 10 blades" thing and get it over with. But I must admit I found it funny when they advertised for these revolutionary new lady shavers. The revolutionary was that now you could buy them in white, pink and blue Women, tsk tsk.

Now with three blades, cut you once, cut you twice and cut you even deeper - how macho can you be -= dare you use our razor, guarunteed rusty and septic - are you man enough

But has anyone ever been brave/criminally stupid enough to try and use a straight-razor?

At least once in every man's life there should be a morning where basic hygene becomes a harrowing and nerve-racking experience, the aim of which is to remove all the hair from one's face whilst keeping your throat in one piece.

My (now dead) Grandad used to own one. As it had become something of an antique, the razor was passed down into my side of the family as an heirloom. And do you know what? I was dumb enough to try and use it one morning.

Believe me, it's the ultimate extreme sport.

Men's razors have to navigate through sharper angles than a woman's. I've seen very few women's razors with the pivoting blade as a result. You can buy a men's razor that doesn't pivot. I made that mistake... once.

Has anyone ever bought the one with the flexible blade? What a terrific invention... the plastic bends in, causing the blades to angle out to a right-angle to your face, causing maximum damage. I think the dad used one in that scene in Poltergeist where he removes all of his facial flesh.

And yes, I made that mistake too... once.

*still trying to imagine people "sharing" legs* - see post 5 above.

No offence meant span! It happens to all of us, but that one's a gem!

Call me stingy, but for some reason mens disposables are cheaper than womens. I'm not willing to pay more for pastel coloured plastic, so I use the butch variety on *my* baby soft femine skin. Can't stand a pivot head, never know which way ther damn thing is going to go.

One situation where men have it better than women: men if you think a facial cut bleeds a lot; you should try one on the back of the leg! there's a moment in many teenage girls' lives when they're stuck in the bathroom, steadily dripping gore into the bathmat and thinking "So this is it, I'm going to die"

Men's hair is apparently thicker than women's hair, so that may make a difference. In electric razers, for example, the little holes are different sizes for the two sexes, such that a man would find it very difficult to use a woman's razor.

Unless he's still at the bum-fluff stage!

oops!!!!!!!!

oh no!



of course i could always pretend that here on the other side of the world we all share our legs all the time...

sharing legs, sounds good to me, could i borrow a nice long pair. preferably freshly shaven

(not that i should make comments as my spelling is the worst)

Well, I wax, cos it lasts longer and most of the grow-back is fine and not stubbly. But then I get blobs where the hair grows back under the skin...

agcB

well I don't wax, so I wouldn't know, but reading a terrible women's magazine the other day (for my uni course, honest!) they said to use an exfoliating scrub to stop the hair from doing that Dunno if it works though...

It's a damned good job that no one has bothered to come up the idea of beard-removing wax. Personally I'm not fond of spending the start of my day looking into a sink full of blood whilst screaming "Aaaarrrrggghhhh! My upper lip's come off! It's in the sink somewhere!"