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Was a foil shaver snob for years... clippers won me over last week | Barbers - Opinions Matter

Was a foil shaver snob for years... clippers won me over last week

I've been doing hot towel shaves with a straight razor for about 8 years now. Always thought foil shavers were the only way to get a close finish on bald heads without irritation. But last Tuesday I had this dude come in who's been getting his head shaved at a shop in Denver for 6 months. He told me his barber uses a cordless clipper with a zero gap blade and never touches foils. I tried it on him with my Andis Masters set to zero... and man, his head was smoother than my usual straight razor work. No bumps, no burn, and it took half the time. Now I'm thinking about offering that as an option for clients who hate the hot towel routine. Anyone else ditch foils for clippers on dome work?

3 comments

3 Comments

cole_hall5mo ago

I always thought foil shavers were the only way to get a close finish on bald heads without irritation" - I gotta push back on this, respectfully. I've been doing dome shaves for 5 years now and tried clippers after hearing similar stories. Every time I use them on a bald head, I get feedback about stubble within a few hours. Foils are slower, sure, but they get me that baby smooth finish that my regulars expect. Maybe it works for some guys, but I've had clients come back complaining about clipper burn on the crown area where the hair swirls. I'm not saying your experience is wrong, but in my chair the foils still win for keeping guys happy between visits.

tyler_burns665mo ago

You mentioned guys coming back complaining about clipper burn on the crown area where the hair swirls - that's actually something I've noticed too but never had anyone else point out. So here's my real question: have you ever tried using a foil shaver specifically going against the grain on those tricky spots like the crown and the base of the skull? I ask because I know some guys swear by doing a quick pass with the grain first then against it, but I've had mixed results with that method. Seems like no matter what I do I still get some irritation around the occipital ridge no matter what tool I use. Just curious if you've found a trick for that specific area with foils that actually works.

morgan5125mo ago

My barber buddy Dave swears by doing a light warm towel press on the occipital ridge before using foils, and it totally changed his results there. He had the same problem where no matter what he tried, guys would come back red and bumpy until he started doing that. It reminds me of how people complain about razorburn on their neck and never think to soften the skin first, like when you shave your face and skip the hot towel step. That stubborn spot is a pain because the hair grows in all directions, and it's directly over bone with no cushion. So yeah, warm it up a bit, let the foil glide instead of scrape, and you'll probably see less irritation.