So, you have a tough beard? See our recommendations for the best electric shaver for thick facial hair.
Why is it that some men can grow the mightiest of beards and others simply cannot? Well it actually comes down to science of course.
Not being able to grow a beard is not a medical condition, it simply is a reaction to how sensitive you are to testosterone.
Which depends on your parents. Yep, it is all genetics. Testosterone is the hormone that gives you all your manly attributes. We all have similar amounts of testosterone.
Some of us are just more sensitive, allowing the growth of thick beautiful beards.
For those of you who do not have this ability to grow nice looking beards, don’t worry, those who are more sensitive to this hormone are also more likely to go bald. So, a little trade-off.
Tips for Shaving Thick Facial Hair
There are some things you can do to make shaving easier if you have thick or coarse facial hair. These tips will help you get a closer shave and give you a more efficient routine.
Take a warm shower
Before you shave take a warm shower and be sure to wash your face like you normally would. When you do this, you strip the natural oils away from the facial hair which allows them to absorb water.
When they absorb water, they are softer which allows them to be cut easier. This will hopefully lead to a more efficient shave and a closer shave.
Shave down with a trimmer first
When you are looking for the best electric shaver for thick facial hair be sure to look for one that comes with a trimmer. Many offer this feature built right into the shaver however some brands offer this as a separate attachment.
Which will probably work just as well. But when they are built into the shaver you don’t have to worry about losing it or forgetting it when you travel.
Use this trimmer to do a first pass across your beard, especially if you haven’t shaved in a couple days. This will reduce the amount of time it takes to get your close shave since the trimmer will take it down closer to the skin.
Electric shavers are not meant for long stubble so using the trimmer first will keep you from getting frustrated and using too many strokes to get a decent shave.
Use a pre-shave oil
After you have shaved down with a trimmer apply your favorite pre-shave oil. It only takes a few drops to cover your beard. Allow it to soak into your beard for a minute or two.
This will help soften your beard hairs and make it easier for the electric razor to cut them with each pass. You can even use a shaving cream or soap on top of the beard oil if you want additional comfort.
If you get a razor that allows a wet shave, then this is perfectly fine. Many of the razors below also have a cleaning feature in the charging station. Which will help remove any built-up pre-shave oil that might be left on the razor.
Keep in mind that shaving with an electric shaver will never get as close as wet shaving, however if you are looking for convenience and not wanting to sacrifice much there are plenty of great options below.
Top 3 Best Electric Shaver for Thick Facial Hair
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Besides being known as one of the best electric shavers in general the Braun Series 7 is our pick for the best electric shaver for thick facial hair.
The Braun Series 7 is hard to beat in general. This razor will definitely cut through the thickest beard.
It has three different power settings. This allows you to increase the power to plow through the thickest parts of your beard. There is also sensitive setting that turns it down for any of your problem areas.
With 4 different blades and a powerful motor this razor can help you get a fast, efficient shave. Within the head and it’s parts, it can contour in 8 different directions. This allows the razor to really hug your face.
You can see many customers who have reviewed this shaver and have thick hair and say it has not problem at all cutting it.
The Series 7 also has a sonic vibration technology that will help lift your hairs giving you a close shave with an electric razor.
This also comes with an alcohol based cleaning solution which will keep your razor working well if you decide to use a pre-shave oil!
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We like the Arc5 from Panasonic as another candidate for best electric shaver for thick facial hair because of its power. This razor boasts a fast 14,000 cuts per minute motor that is sure to get through any thick areas of your beard.
It also has 5 blades offering one of the most efficient shaves out there. This razor has an automatic power sensor to help adjust the power when going through the toughest parts of your beard. This may or may not be great, if it works like it is supposed to it should be fine however, we feel like having control over the power would be more beneficial.
This razor is a little more expensive so you might not get the same value as with the Braun Series 7 but when you combine the blades with the motor you get 70,000 cuts per minute, cutting right through your facial hair.
This razor doesn’t have as many customers talking about their thick beards but has about 6,000 less reviews in general however, they are there. One guy claims it is the best razor he has owned in his 45 years of shaving!
Overall, you are ultimately paying for the clean and charging station at this price tag. You can get the same razor without the docking station for about $80 less.
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The suspension on the foil head on the Series 5 will really allow this shaver to get close to your skin. This is the main reason we are recommending it for those of you with thick beards.
This electric shaver is also 100% waterproof so if you want to shave in the shower after your beard hairs have softened up from the water absorption you can! This might be the way to go if you have a really thick beard. Hop in the shower after you used your trimmer to shave down.
If you are looking to save a few buck over the Series 7 and not lose much performance this could be the way to go. It still have many of the same features including its own clean and charging station.
You just won’t get the intelligent sonic technology or wet & dry shaving capability. However, electric shavers tend to work better on dry faces before you shower anyway so this really isn’t a huge deal.
Braun really excels in thick or curly hair of if you only shave every other day and have a little stubble grown out. You may just have to go over certain spots a few times like areas where you have softer hair growth.
Again, you will see a handful of reviewers talking about their thick hair but this razor just has overall less reviews than the popular Series 7.
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Byronsays
I must admit I do like to grow a holiday beard during my annual leave but it does start to annoy me a couple of months later (along with the comments from my workmates). My beard is naturally thick and so it usually takes a lot of hacking away at it to remove it, a rather lengthy process.
Beard oil is something I never really thought of and will have to give a go. Definitely I could make my life a bit easier with a pre-trim first but as I’ve been thinking a lot about getting an electric razor recently, this guide helps out a great deal.
Thanks.
Jeremysays
Hey Byron,
Glad you found this post helpful on dealing with your thick beard. Like you said, giviing it a pre-trim will certainly help your electric razor do it’s job.
If you decide to get one please let me know which one you go with and how you like it!
Bobsays
Needed this! i’m not even 20 yet but my facial hair has been growing all over the place and never where I’d like. the main issue I’ve been having is finding the right shaver for me. I began shaving within the past year or so and after buying about 3 useless shavers, I was almost about to give up completely. I think I have a better idea of how to properly take care of my ‘wannabe beard’.
Jeremysays
Hey Bob,
I’m glad you enjoyed this post, when you are first starting out shaving and getting used to your beard it can take a few tries and different types of shavers to find the one that you like and that works well with your type of beard.
Let me know how it goes!
Tumelo_M.says
Thank you for the good advice.
I’ve just started using electric shaver and I love the convenience. I will definitely get some of the pre-shave oil you recommend. I’ve been shaving wet but I’m interested in seeing if the pre-shave oil will help reduce shaving rash.
I get shaving rash a day or two after shaving and it can get quite irritating. Do you have any recommendations for that?
Jeremysays
Hey Tumelo, there are several things you can do to help reduce irritation if you have sensitive skin. One is use an electric shaver so you are off to a great start!
You could try shaving every other day if you are able to. Have a look at my article I wrote about those with sensitive skin, it has a few more recommendations.
Millasays
I am looking for an electric shaver for my hubby as a present. I don’t think he has thick beard, but it all looks untidy as his current one probably is not good enough for a close shave.
Based on your reviews, would you say the Braun Series will be the best solution for him? I must admit I don’t know much about shavers and would like his beard to disappear overnight, ha ha, but he said he finds it easier not to shave everyday and he is happy to keep it trimmed quite short.
Would love to hear your suggestion,
Milla
Jeremysays
Hey Milla, if your husband doesn’t like to shave everyday then any of these electric shavers would actually be great for this. They all have pop-up trimmers on the back which are great to do a first past on a longer beard that hasn’t been shaved for a while.
If you would like to see even more comparison’s, check out my top 10 electric shaver guide.
IllusiozTansays
Thanks for the info shared on shaving the thick beard. I don’t have the thick beard,but I will recommend my friend to have a look on it. He might like to find out more about the pre-shave oil.
I like the design of the Panasonic ES-LV95-S Arc5 razor.The flexible micro-foil patterns on the head caught my interest as well. I believe this feature allow the user to have cleaner shave.Out of these three shavers, may I know which one generates less noise?
Jeremysays
Yes a pre-shave oil would definitely be great for your friend. The Arc 5 is great but the Braun Series 7 is probably going to be your best bet overall for your friend with the thick beard.
Riaz Shahsays
Hey Jeremy,
This is golden info man, thank you very much for writing this. I have an electric shaver but I didn’t know how to properly use it.
Everytime i shave, it feels itchy to my skin as compared to using blade shavers, why is that so? I know that not using hot water is one reason because my beard was dry but is there another possible reason maybe that I may be missing out on?
Jeremysays
You are welcome Riaz! Have you cleaned your shaver in awhile? If you don’t keep it clean bacteria can grow and could possibly cause irritation.
You might also try using a pre-shave oil to help reduce any irritation either before or after you shave as it provides a nice moisture for your skin.
wagreatstuffsays
I am not lucky enough to grow a ‘proper beard’ and if I tried it will just be a goatee. So disposal razor is more than sufficient. Once in two months, I will go the barber for both haircut and a proper shave.
But my brother-in-law may need this review because his thick stubble needs a good trim!
Jeremysays
You are lucky not having to shave frequently. I know many guys who wish they didn’t have to shave. I sure would appreciate you showing your brother-in-law this post and hearing what he has to say about it!
Kevinsays
Hello!
I’ve recently been growing my beard out, and it’s getting to the point where I think I need to shave it.
My problem is I didn’t know what products to buy for shaving my beard because I’d never grown it out before.
Now that I just so happened to find your page. I now know what products to go buy to shave my beard. I think you were very informative and helpful.
Witch out of your 3 razors do you think is the most worth it?
Jeremysays
Hey Kevin,
The Series 7 is hard to beat. It is on the higher end of the spectrum but Braun really outdid themselves with that model. It is an upgrade from their previous 790cc model and worth every penny.
jeansays
I personally love my Karmin t7
Jeremysays
Thanks for the comment Jean, we will add the to the list to be reviewed!
Arunsays
Nice list Jeremy can you suggest which is best for thin stubble. Braun is good but it is too expensive for me.
Jeremysays
Hey Arun, thanks for stopping by. If you are looking for some decent electric razors at a lower price, you could check out my post here, there are 9 different razors some even under $50.
jacksonsays
Hey, thanks for sharing list with details.you can also check an awesome list of 2017 best electric shaver