SO very off-topic!

Okay. So.

I'm pretty much a newbie around here, but I have a question with which some of you could really be helpful:

When a young guy (like almost 14) is first starting to shave that peach-fuzzy-yet-driving-his-mother-nuts mustache and GACK!beardy-thingie, is a standard razor/shaving cream combo better, or will an electric razor do the job fine?

I'm asking because my older son is going to start shaving (for the price of a special Pokemon card, which he's already received), and I don't know what kind of equipment he needs. My husband uses an electric, my father has used both, but neither are much help because that initial shave was fifty-million years ago for both of them.

So, any parents who've recently dealt with this or any young-ish guys who've had to manage it themselves, thoughts? Opinions? Help!

I use both. I like my heard trimmer BC its fast and easy. Never cut myself with it either. I think my first time was with a razor but that was about 8 years ago.

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I use an electric shaver. Does it's job just fine. You don't want to get a cheapy though.

Teach him how to shave old school - there may be times he cannot use electric razors. :)

Mine is a whal from Walmart. I think it was about $50. Had it for 4 years.

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Razer/shaving cream.

The only thing that gets a smoother better feeling shave in my opinion is the old style knife blades that barbers used to use.

I have always used an electric beard trimmer with out any guard so it's as close to skin as needed. I would like to use a razor so I don't have to shave daily but my skin doesn't agree with razors.

your husband should square him away

Thank you, everyone! At this point I'm feeling the electric razor love which fits into my husband's wheelhouse, so I think we may start there. But yes, Dr. Del, we'll also touch on the old fashioned method in case he's in some area where the electric razor is less than helpful ;)

As for my husband squaring him away, they have completely disparate genetics, so I'm kind of just working on a consensus mode. My husband is fine with that :)

electric, just because i hate it when my beard grows out and it itches. i haven't used a razor in 3-4 years since i got my $20 electric shaver.

Let the boy grow some wiskers and wear em proud. oh and throw out the pokemon cards too lol.

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Razer/shaving cream.

The only thing that gets a smoother better feeling shave in my opinion is the old style knife blades that barbers used to use.

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My boyfriend uses a straight razor, on his head too! It terrifies me, but he says he'll never use anything else again.

*I am not recommending this for the novice shaver we're talking about!*

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Originally Posted by dillan2020

Let the boy grow some wiskers and wear em proud. oh and throw out the pokemon cards too lol.

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I'm 20 and I still play pokemon and have my cards..

If its peach fuzz, i would go get it waxed...it would be great entertainment to watch it happen lol!! For peach fuzz an electric will work fine, and it's easier than a razor. I use a razor and shave in the shower, no shaving cream.

Razor and some good shaving cream!!

Just grow a beard. Shavings sux no matter what you use.

let that little dude grow a manly beard. shaving sucks. beards kill. :gj:

Heh heh heh... no folks, no beard. For one, this is peach fuzz and it just has to go. It's already crept from his upper lip to under his lower lip and on his chin. For another, the child and I discussed it and he agreed he'd shave if I got him this Very Special Pokemon Card, which I did. The bribery has been accepted already ;)

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Originally Posted by dillan2020

Let the boy grow some wiskers and wear em proud. oh and throw out the pokemon cards too lol.

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Negative. SELL them. Lots of them have significant monetary value; throwing them out would be wasteful. That, and if the kid's going to play a CCG, it should be Magic; it's the original, has the best designers working on it, the best art on the cards, doesn't have a "kiddie" feel to it, and has the most robust and well-defined rules. It's a superior game, no questions asked. :)

To those suggesting not to shave it: do you remember what those little scraggly pseudo-staches looked like at 14?!

I use a razor and shaving cream because I have very thick facial hair and I have never been able to find an electric shaver that didn't rip my face to shreds and hurt like hell. At 14, I think I used a razor with no shaving cream to do the quick little clean up on my lip. At whatever point it started to irritate my skin is when I added shaving cream.

If the electric razor is the way you get him interested in it then go for it, but he should know how to and try to use a regular razor also. IMO it is much less painful and kind of a satisfying, manly experience.

I am old school razor and shaving soap with a brush. I use oil too sometimes. It is simple and gets closer for me than any mechanical razor.

Razor and shaving cream. Never have tried electric and don't want to really.

Have him use Gillette and he'll be the best that the ladies can get! :gj:

Im kidding. I use Gillette bc the Patriots stadium is Gillette Stadium. :rofl:

Let him try both and see which one feels better to him. It all depends on the person and their skin. Some people say razors suck and electric gives them a better shave but I am the complete opposite. Electric trimmers leave my face feeling raw.

I echo the sentiment that everyone should know how to use your standard modern safety razor blades for shaving. Quality 3-bladed razors are pretty optimum, extremely easy to use with shaving cream from a can.

Straight razors/shaving soap/brush are kinda cool, but very few people use them anymore. They do kind of make a neat gift to someone in their late teens/early twenties as a coming-into-true-adulthood gift though.

Electric shaving equipment comes in so many varieties these days I wouldn't know where to start. It's neither cheap nor permanent, you won't get 5 years of use out of an electric razor most likely.

An easy choice would be a gillette (or equally good quality) 3 bladed razor handle with replaceable razor heads and some shaving cream.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I use Gillette bc the Patriots stadium is Gillette Stadium. :rofl:

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Same here, Gillette fusion I believe it's a five blade.

I'm 15, use a Gillette fusion and refuse to use an electric. I prefer a razor by far, and they're smoother by a lot. Blades can get expensive though.

I use both. If I don't shave for a few days and end up sporting a beard, I have to trim it down with a trimmer then on to the best a man can get Gillette.

personally I have used both. I like the eletric shaver ( mine was a chargable so I could shave while in the shower if i wanted. but I us the razor at home mostly cause it closer. I just go against the grain to get it as short as possible most the time . or by night fall my wife asking if I even shaved ( when she seen me doing so that morning)
but get him the eletric and buy a disposable razor and shaving cream as back ups. and point out a small amount of cream goes a long way. and if he prefers the blades.( my advice is if it feels like it pulling the hair then time for new blade. ) I shaved my self dry,wet, with and with shaving cream, I done the electric with and with out the aftershave lotion. lol

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Originally Posted by Rob

Same here, Gillette fusion I believe it's a five blade.

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I think mine only has 3 :/

Thank you all so much :)

Well, we went ahead with the electric for starters, and if he doesn't like it I'll pass it up to my husband (who needs a new electric anyway) and move to the razors and shaving cream. I'll get him some of those regardless, so he can give that method a shot if he'd prefer.

Shoot, it's his face. He'll figure out which methodology he prefers.

And y'all, if he wants facial hair someday when he's actually capable of growing some (IF -- his genetics for that are wildly mixed), he's welcome to it. But at 14 it's just not there. He's got time :)

A rusty Buck knife should do the trick!

j/k...keep it old skool (but not too old)...nice Gillette Fusion and some Barbasol shave cream. Get a mirror you can stick to the shower wall and have at it! Shaving while you're in the shower is soooo much better than shaving over a sink...

Hair Conditioner also works really well in a pinch if you run out of shaving cream...

I only ever rough out my beard with the electric. Unless it something fancy I've got "don't GAF" beard and my 6" goatee hangin' out. But, I do keep a manual razor in handy in case it's fancy dinner with the wife or something super family oriented.