In A Hurry? Our Top Picks:
- Gillette Cartridge For Head Shaving
- Standard Cartridge For Head Shaving
- Safety Razor For Head Shaving
If you have already taken the plunge, or are even thinking about taking the plunge, to completely shave your head bald, I fully and completely recommend it.
As a fellow man that has been now shaving my head completely bald for a number of years, its by and far the most liberating feeling that one can ever occur – especially if they feel like they are lacking in the hair growth department.
Here are a few razors that will help in getting the job done:
1. Gillette Cartridge For Head Shaving
My personal pick for the best razor to shave your head is going to be a cartridge based razor.
However, I don’t like going with the rigid ones that you can pick up at the grocery or drug store for a couple of bucks. Or even the ones that you can get through a monthly subscription box model either.
The problem with these razors, and why I tend to avoid them is that they are stiff.
When shaving the surface of your head, which for simplicity sake, is basically a ball – a razor that doesn’t glide with the surface of your scalp is going to be a bit of a challenge.
Its not to say necessarily that those cheaper razors don’t deliver an adequate shave, they do, we are simply saying that if you can buckle down and pay a few extra bucks, then we fully recommend that you use a cartridge razor with a swivel head like the Gillette ProFusion with the Flexball Handle.
We found that time and time again, this razor delivers not only a really close shave when going over the contours of your scalp, but also delivers the shave in a rather efficient manner.
While most cartridge razors may leave you with a few patches of missed hair either along the top of your head or directly behind your ears, the Flexball handle by Gillette does a terrific job at getting all the hairs in these hard to reach places or extremely rounded areas.
To date, I have never nicked myself in the head with this razor (I shave my head 3 times a week). If there was any sort of irritation with this razor it comes with trying to shave daily rather than every other day.
2. Standard Cartridge For Head Shaving
While we fell in love the Flexball handle provided by Gillette, your typical budget cartridge razor still can provide a shave for your head – it is a razor after all.
However, without the ability to glide over the contours of your head effortlessly, more often than not you will need to make at least two passes with this razor type when doing your regular shave.
This required second pass will of course increase the duration of the time you set aside to shave your head.
While this may not be an issue for some men, others will find the required time needed to be a morning or weekend productivity killer that is taking away from other pressing needs (hey those extra 10 minutes start to add up!).
Now if you are going out of town on a business trip, or perhaps need a disposable razor over at another place, this will at least get you by.
If this is your first time every shaving your head, or something that you want to begin doing regularly, we simply wouldn’t recommend a stiff cartridge based razor – simply that its not too forgiving in nature and will inherently require multiple passes.
If you are on a shoestring budget this can get you by, but there are just simply better alternatives out there.
3. Safety Razor For Head Shaving
Without a doubt, the double edge safety razor is for experts only. While there is a huge resurgence within the world of traditional wet shaving – which is a great thing, using a double edge safety razor on your head should be approached with extreme caution.
Now without a doubt the absolute cheapest way to shave your head regularily will be through the use of a double edge safety razor.
These razors, when compared to the more expensive cartridge or electric counterpart, are dirt cheap.
But the problem with such a low cost option, is that there is a huge responsibility on the part of you in order to make the tool to perform as adequately as possible.
You see when using a double edge safety razor, you are required to always have the blade at about a 30 degree angle (cartridge razors are preset to this angle), any more or less will deliver a less than effective shave that will either leave you bleeding or your skin to be highly irritated/razor burn.
Due to the fickle nature of the double edge safety razor and the simple fact that your head is round and not one completely flat surface, the chances of you nicking your self continuously while using this tool will leave you in extreme discomfort.
Now, I don’t want to scare any sort of seasoned wet shaving experts out there from using this method – there are in fact plenty of bald guys out there that use a DE razor on a daily basis and have no problem with it whatsoever. We just simply recommend that you better know what you are doing prior to whipping out a DE razor and attacking your scalp for the first time.
As we will cover in a bit, a quality DE razor requires that you have the appropriate supporting cast of tools – therefore you will want to make sure that you have a shave brush and a quality shaving cream to help deliver a comfortable shave, along with a solid aftershave balm that will leave your head feeling both smooth and refreshed after your shave.
If you are thinking about using a DE razor either for your face or head, we do recommend that you definitely check out either the 34C HD or 23C by Merkur. Both of these razors have their own set of benefits which we outline in our detailed reviews of quality safety razors.
4. HeadBlade Razor
A relative newcomer to the field when compared to the cartridge and double edge safety razor stalwarts, HeadBlade is essentially a Hot Wheels car with a razor blade attached to it – after saying that, it almost sounds like a childhood nightmare.
What’s cool about this razor blade system is that it takes all the guesswork out of the other tools covered.
By and far this razor is geared towards both novices and experts alike. If you are looking to get a quick shave in during the morning hours, or perhaps even while you shower, this glide system that uses miniature wheels to roll along your head will ensure that the blade will get a clean cut at a very efficient manner.
If there is absolutely one downside to this product is that it’s a bit on the smaller side, therefore if you have huge hands you may find that it gets a bit cumbersome to handle, especially if you are trying to use it in the shower while your hands are either wet or sloppily coated with a shaving cream of your choice.
Now if there is one “gotcha” if you will for this product, its going to be the proprietary blades. Therefore if you love this product you will need to get the blades specifically made for this system.
Of course this is no different than using your favorite cartridge based system.
But the main advantage that a cartridge based razor has over the HeadBlade is that it can also be used on your face or the rest of your body – the HeadBlade is specifically made for your head.
Read the full review here.
5. Skull Shaver
While we were just covering the unique cartridge based system provided by HeadBlade, you will be surprised to find out that another company also makes an electric shaver that is specifically for your head.
This rotary based system will deliver a close, although not as close as a cartridge based shave, in an incredibly quick time frame.
While personally I prefer to shave my head once every other day, this electric shaving system designed specifically for your head will allow you to shave daily – with maximum comfort.
Now as far as speed is concerned, your typical rotary based electric shaver will contain three rotating heads. This electric shaver contains four rotary heads which will make quick work of your head in about 2 minutes – how’s that for efficiency?!
But here’s the kicker:
Of all the options we have outlined so far, this is by and far one of the most expensive of options. The head shaver listed above retails for about $199– which is a large step up from the Flexball provided by Gillette.
Therefore this system is more of an investment than some of the other options out there. However, with about a year of use though, you should be able to quickly recoup the costs when compared to steep price demanded for cartridge blade refills.
Replacement heads for the four rotary head system are available – which is cheaper than most cartridge based refills!
Lastly, electric head shavers like the one listed above do accommodate for both dry and wet shaves – so its up to you whether or not you prefer to use a shaving cream when going over your head.
Don’t Forget The Shaving Cream
Whether you are using a cartridge, double edge razor, and to some extent a electric shaver, a quality shaving cream can make a world of difference when it comes to different.
If you are jumping in to the completely bald look for the very first time, you may be unaware that dandruff can still actually exist for men who shave their head completely bald.
Yes this may sound completely strange, but the fact remains that when you shave your head, you are effectively exfoliating your entire scalp which can lead to dryness.
This post shave dryness can be further reduced with the use of a shaving cream that doesn’t come from a can.
A traditional contains several oils that provide a slick lubrication that will provide a closer, yet more comfortable shave compared to a canned shaving cream that is loaded with harmful chemicals.
Just don’t forget a shaving brush!
Aftershave Balm Is As Just As Important As A Shaving Cream
If post shave irritation is still a concern, we recommend that you also pick up an aftershave balm.
Unlike your traditional aftershave splash that likely contain alcohol, aftershave balm provides a soothing relief from your shave.
Just a little bit of this solution will help to close up your pores to prevent acne or infection on your head along with making your head look even in tone and healthy. Don’t worry, your head won’t be shiny, oils from a aftershave balm typically dissipate about 15 minutes after application.
We’re Done! The Complete Guide To Shaving Your Head With A Razor
Yes, that’s just about everything you need to know and all the options that exist for shaving your head completely bald with a razor (or electric razor) of your choice.
Simply put, if you want a wet shave that will get all the tough to reach areas of your scalp, then we highly recommend picking up the Gillette ProFusion with the FlexBall. On the contrary, if efficiency is what you are looking for (hey the head has a lot of surface area), then an electric shaver made specifically for your head is likely going to be idea.