How Often Do You Change Your Razor Blades?

I have a confession: Until yesterday, I’d never changed a razor blade.

I’ve owned two razors in my life, both of them electric Norelco razors like the one pictured here. I used the first one from around 1997-2013, at which point I upgraded to a cordless version. I’ve used that version ever since (7 years).

I know that replacing razor blades is a thing, but I’ve always associated it with traditional razors, the kind you see on commercials. It never occurred to me that I could–and should–replace the blades on my electric razor.

However, for many years my neck has gotten really irritated whenever I shave it. Megan noticed it recently, and she asked when the last time was that I replaced the razor blades. To her horror, I told her I never had.

As I now understand it, I’ve been shaving with dull blades for years. They still cut my hair, but at times they’re probably pulling out the hair instead of cutting it. And while I have cleaned my razor, there’s a certain accumulation of dead skin that never really goes away unless you replace them. Kind of gross, right?

So last night was the first time in 7 years that I’ve shaved with new blades, and it was pretty incredible. I still experienced some slight skin irritation–I think that’s more about my skin than the razor–but it was significantly less than normal. I’m definitely looking forward to my next shave, and to not waiting 7 or 16 years to replacing the blades again.

How often do you replace your razor blades, especially if you use an electric razor?

4 thoughts on “How Often Do You Change Your Razor Blades?”

  1. I have had cordless/rechargeable razors for the past number of years. I switch them every 5 years. I could replace them more frequently, but am just too lazy to get to it. I don’t change the blades, because the batteries only keep charging well for about 3 years, and then they need to be plugged in to work, so I need a new razor anyway.
    Also, the last time I was going to just get new blades, I saw that the model I had didn’t have the blades for it anymore. Often the blades are close to the same price as a new razor. So all of these things together just get me to get a new razor.

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  2. I like the Mach type razors. Built solidly and you can replace the blade cartridges as you like. Depends on how thick your hair is. Thin hair doesn’t wear blades as much.

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