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It’s not that anyone needs to shave their body, but if you do use a razor, it’s with the desire for smooth (and unscathed) skin. According to board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, the best type of razor isn’t something overly fancy. You don’t need much investment for a close and clean shave.
Experts in This Article
board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut and associate clinical professor in dermatology at Yale School of Medicine
board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York
In an episode of Dear Derm, Dr. Gohara mentions that as a “very hairy person” she shaves every day, even though she doesn’t have to. Nonetheless, she takes a less is more approach when choosing a razor.
“Number one, don’t use a razor that has a lot of blades on it,” says Dr. Gohara. “Just one or two blades because that minimizes irritation. And number two, always remember when you do shave to actually use shaving cream.”
Now, I’ve have enough scaly dry shaves to know how necessary it is to prevent strawberry legs. But if you’re someone who picks razors of the three-to-five blades variety (and honestly, that’s largely what’s offered), it’s wild to think we could’ve kept it simple the entire time. In fact, when I checked in with Nava Greenfield, MD, of Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, she generally agreed with Dr. Gohara’s advice that the best type of razor isn’t necessarily one with a trillion blades.
“This depends on your skin,” says Dr. Greenfield. “Some skin types would do best with a single blade razor, if you are prone to ingrown hairs.”
What’s most important, says Dr. Greenfield, is that you’re not using the same dirty blade time and time again. If you don’t, you can get a bacterial infection called folliculitis (aka what looks like a pimple with hair) where bacteria causes inflammation around your hair follicles. Likewise, if your skin is prone to ingrown hairs, you can also develop bumps if the razor cuts too close to the skin. Basically, the hair won’t properly grow out, causing those painful ingrown hairs that can be hard to treat.
“Change the blade after every shave, make sure the blade is clean before you use it, and don’t shave over cuts or sores on your skin which can can delay the healing process and even may leave some scars,” says Dr. Greenfield.
Totally fair. This means you might want to stick to multi-blade packs or cartridges so you don’t reuse the same blade a trillion times. You could stock up on a 100 pack of Taconic Shave Twin Blade Razor Cartridges with Lubricating Strips ($28) if you want to go with refills. And FWIW, Gilette Daisy Women’s Disposable Razors ($13) were always an old mainstay of mine. And as far as shaving cream goes, Dr. Gohara recommends Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter, a super smooth, pleasant smelling salve that’s only a cool $7.
Ultimately, we respect if you continue to go with the blade count that works best for you (or if you let your leg hair grow long and luscious). But if ingrown hairs are getting you down, it might be time to streamline to your classic twin set.
Want to learn more about getting the silkiest skin all over? Check out Dr. Gohara’s shower routine:
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