snormr's Full Review: Braun Syncro 7526 Electric Shaver
Hi, everyone. This is the first review I have posted on Epinions, so bear with me. A bit of caution...this is very long. Sorry. I will get better as I write more :)
BACKGROUND: I am 36 years old and have been using electric razors for the last 13 years...so I like to think I know a bit about them. I also have the worst face for shaving -- very sensitive skin...with a very tough beard.
SHAVING WITH BLADES: I plain ole gave up on them. I used to use a blade...but never had good results. I ended up shaving my face no less than twice...sometimes three times. I would shave down. Then I would shave up. Then just for good measure I would go sideways. My face was always red and irritated..and never got the close shave I was looking for. It did not matter if it was a single blade disposable or one of the newer premium-priced three place jobbies. The results were the same. If this sounds like you, please read on.
SHAVING WITH ELECTRIC RAZORS: I bought my first electric razor, a double-cutter Braun with a pivoting head, 13 years ago. I was fresh out of college and could not believe I dropped $100 on an electric razor. But wow...what a difference over the blades. It got the smooth shave I was looking for...but sure was making my neck red and sore. Until....
Now repeat this over and over and over: I WILL USE A PRE-SHAVE! A pre-shave? What in the world is that? This, my friends, is the key. Everyone on here that said they get a sore face and especially neck...I can almost guarantee one of two things. 1) You are not using a pre-shave or 2) You are not shaving properly. Could be both.
HOW TO SHAVE WITH AN ELECTRIC RAZOR: Okay...here is the deal. Wanna know how to use an electric razor? First, buy yourself a pre-shave liquid or lotion. There are very few choices. Williams Lectric Shave is the most popular out there. You will find it in any supermarket or drug store with the after-shaves. My favorite is the Williams Unscented Lectric Shave...but they just discontinued it. The Original formula is also very good, but I was not as fond of the scent. The Original is still plentiful and easily found.
I have found out that having my skin clean and dry before applying the pre-shave pays huge dividends. For me that means shaving after my shower. I just wash my face with soap in the shower. After my shower my skin is kind of dry feeling...which is perfect. Apply your Lectric shave (you can be moderately liberal with the application). Wait for it to dry on your face (only a few seconds) or fan it dry with your hands and you are in business. It is isopropyl alcohol based, so it dries quickly. I sometimes have to shave in the evening when my skin was much more oily. It just does not do as good of a job. Trust me on this.
Some keys you have to learn about electric razors in general. More pressure does not necessarily yield a closer shave. Light pressure with even strokes is what you are after. In fact more pressure will just make your face irritated. I often use my other hand to kind of pinch the skin between the razor and my finger and that really helps. Braun suggests this in their manual as well. I usually go sideways on my neck from ear to chin...then finish going up and down from neck to ear. I do not shave in both directions...but more lift or guide the razor back to near the starting point and repeat. What you are really trying to do here is go against the grain of your beard...not with it.
If you have had a bad experience with any electric razor, make sure you wash your face with soap and water, let it dry, use a pre-shave, then try again. The results will be much better. Wash your face with some plain water when you are done and I think you will be impressed with the results. I love the pre-shave so much that I just bought 2 cases of the discontinued Williams unscented from www.shavers.com They are not going to be available for long..but you will always have the Original formula.
Are you still with me? So where is the information on the Braun 7526, right? Okay okay...here you go.
It is wonderful...period. I loved my original Braun. I used it for 9 years...before it pretty much broke. But that was over 3,200 shaves on one razor...with original batteries.
Then I bought a Panasonic Linear. It claimed it had super fast moving heads. It was much louder than my Braun...and did a good job...but only lasted 3 years…and the fast moving blades were tougher on my face than the Braun.
I decided to go back to a Braun...and chose the 7526. If you are considering the 7526, it is because you want the self-cleaning. Is it gimmicky? Yep. Does it work? You bet. I have a 21 month old and a 12 week old. My mornings are crazy as it is. Kids are running around everyone. Does saving 2 extra minutes from having to manually clean my razor really mean a lot to me? Absolutely! Every minute counts for me. The razor is a bit loud...but who cares? Stop shaving at night when everyone is sleeping. Or close the door. It cleans and dries (yep, dries) the razor in less than 15 minutes. If that is not fast enough, then you have to plan accordingly. I clean mine as soon as I am done shaving...and it is ready to go the next morning. Just pop it head-first into the base, lock it in, and press the button. It takes care of the rest. I can not believe how good of a job it does. The inside of the razor is spotless when it is done. I am not kidding. Every teeny little piece of hair is gone. The blades sparkle...and the cleaning liquid also lubricates everything. The hairs are collected in with the liquid. Over time the liquid evaporates and the hairs overpower its ability to clean...so you change the cartridge. Mines lasts about a month. I have heard people complain about the price. I believe they are $6 a piece. $6 a month to get back an hour of time? $6/hour is barely minimum wage. If you want cheaper, higher a high school kid to clean it for you -- or look at a non self-cleaning razor.
The first time I shaved with the razor, I was stunned. It was the closest shave I ever had -- w/out a single stubble anywhere to be found on my face. I have owned my razor for 3 months now and it shaves as good as it did when it was new. Sure the base is a bit big and bulky..but I have plenty of space on my counter...so it does not bother me.
I just can not figure out why people give this a bad review. I still maintain that people who have a poor shaving experience with an electric razor do not have the proper technique.
As I eluded to earlier, if you only come away from this review with one thing.…it should be this: USE A PRE-SHAVE! You will wonder how you ever did without it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 125 Noise Level: More quiet than most
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