Electric Razors
The
electric razor (also known as the electric dry shaver) has a rotating
or oscillating blade. The electric razor usually does not require the
use of shaving cream, soap, or water. The razor may be powered by a
small DC motor, which is either powered by batteries or mains
electricity. Many modern ones are powered using rechargeable batteries.
Alternatively, an electro-mechanical oscillator driven by an
AC-energized solenoid may be used. Some very early mechanical shavers
had no electric motor and had to be powered by hand, for example by
pulling a cord to drive a flywheel.
The
first electric razor was patented in 1928 by the American manufacturer
Col. Jacob Schick. The Remington Rand Corporation developed the
electric razor further, first producing the Remington brand of razor in
1937. Another important inventor was Prof. Alexandre Horowitz, from
Philips Laboratories in the Netherlands, who invented the very
successful concept of the revolving (rotary) electric razor. It has a
shaving head consisting of cutters that cut off the hair entering the
head of the razor at skin level. The major manufacturers introduce new
improvements to the hair cutting mechanism of their products each few
years. Each manufacturer sells several different generations of cutting
mechanism at the same time, and for each generation, several models
with different features and accessories to reach various price points.
The improvements to the cutting mechanisms tend to 'trickle-down' to
lower priced models over time.
Early
versions of electric razors were meant to be used on dry skin only.
Many recent electric razors have been designed to allow for wet/dry
use, which also allows them to be cleaned using running water or an
included cleaning machine, reducing cleaning effort. Some patience is
necessary when starting to use a razor of this type, as the skin
usually takes some time to adjust to the way that the electric razor
lifts and cuts the hairs. Moisturizers designed specifically for
electric shaving are available.
Some
modern styles of electric hair clippers include bulk hair clippers,
which are used to remove a bulk of the hair being shaved; main hair
clippers, on which guards are attached to achieve a perfect length all
over the head; and mini clippers, which are used to trim the edges of
the haircut.
