

Most of the differences between men’s and women’s razors have a specific purpose. Which Razors Should You Buy? Ivanova Tetyana/ The lubricating strips are a useful feature, but typically the razor outlasts the strip so they are only good for the first shaves. These features help protect from cuts when shaving around the contours of the ankles, knees, and other sensitive areas. This lubrication can come in different forms, like bars of shave lotion that sit around the head like a donut or gel strips around the blades. Lubricationįinally, women’s razors usually have built-in lubrication, whereas most men’s razors don’t (or have a very small lubrication strip). Men’s razors have a flatter shape, usually with zero arc to the handle, because the way you hold the razor when shaving your face while looking in the mirror doesn’t require it. Women’s razors usually have a bigger arc so the head of the razor won’t block their view. When women shave areas like their legs, bikini, and armpits, it’s important that they can see what they’re doing without their hand or the body of the razor getting in the way.

In addition to differences in the grip of the handle, the handle curvature, or arc, is also typically different on men’s and women’s razors. A man doesn’t need to grip his razor in as many positions if he’s just shaving his face. Women need to change the position of their razor grip more often to reach different body parts. Women’s razor handles have a rounded shape that’s easy to grip from all angles. Handle Shape Flower Studio/Shutterstockīecause men and women tend to shave different areas, their razors also have different handles. This means that in addition to paying more for razors, women need to replace their razors or blades more often.

The blades on women’s razors also get dull faster, since they use them to shaving much larger areas. In fact, the blade exposure of a men’s razor can lead to more cuts if a woman uses it on her body. Women’s razors don’t need the same angle to get through softer body hair. Men’s razor blades have a greater angle, so they’re better positioned to cut through dense facial hair. However, the blades have different angles. Men’s and women’s razors generally have the same kinds of blades, and you can find similar numbers of blades in each razor type. A wide paddle-like head with a ring of moisturizing compound might be just perfect for shaving your legs, but a complete pain to use to shave facial hair on account of how unwieldy the larger head is. This aspect of the razor definitely impacts performance. The square heads of men’s razors are better suited to the shape of the face. On a woman’s razor, you’ll find a more rounded head, which can easily navigate contours like an armpit or the back of a knee. The approach a man uses to shave his face may not work as well on a woman’s underarms or legs. When women shave, they’re often navigating different parts of the body than men are. While anyone can shave any body part with any razor, people tend to use razors in gendered ways.
