My 26-year-old mentally handicapped son has a very dense and coarse beard. We have tried numerous electric razors for him, but none of them shave him close enough. My husband occasionally will use a safety razor to get a close shave for him, but one of my son's educational goals at home is to independently shave himself--which means that a safety razor is out of the question.
We even tried dipilatories for a while, but those, too, seemed to weaken in effectiveness after the first application or two.
Do any of your husbands have a similar issue with their beards? And have any of them found a really good electric razor that is EFFECTIVE? At this point, I'm tired of buying razors, no matter what the prices are, just to have them end up not working as well as we'd like them to. (My son leaves for school in the morning with a not-too-close shave and returns in the evening looking like he's got a three-day growth on his face!) Please help! Thanks!
Lazor hair removal might be tramatizing for him, I dont know his condition. I know it was a goal for him to be independent from you shaving his face. Would he be intrested in going to a barber for a shave?? Hope you find the razor you are looking for. Good luck.
Instead of a commercial retail product, have you asked your hair stylist for their suggestion? Hair dressers and barbers have access to professional grade products that main-stream comsumers don't have access to or don't consider/know about. Your hairstylist might be willing to get the razor for you with their beautician's license through a beautician's supply store.
Otherwise, perhaps you want to consider getting your son lazer hair removal sessions. Supposedly, hair can be permanently removed or signaficantly reduced in thickness. Haven't done it myself, so I don't have first hand knowledge..
I agree with Karen ask your barber/stylist what they recommend. You can probably find what you need at Sally Beauty supply or some other beauty supply store.
I have an uncle who is mentally handicapped and in the same boat as your son. He uses his electric shaver every day, but once a week he goes to the barber shop for an old fashioned shave. This idea may work for your son too. At the shop my uncle goes to they even use hot towels, and he feels like he is being pampered the old fashioned way.
I'm sure you will find the right electric razor for your son! Good luck!
Morning S.;
I've only found that Norelco gives me the shave that is close,
but, as far as I know, all electric shavers will let the
beard grow tough by the afternoon.
Good Luck
B. C
My husband has similar complaints. He had a Braun (medium grade as far as price) he loved it after he replaced the heads. My 'little' brother broke the bread trimmer so we upgraded to the Braun 360, which has become mine for shaving my legs because he hated it and continues to use the medium grade Braun even without the beard trimmer. So I would suggest the Braun, but buy a replacement head/set first off.
Good luck!
p.s. Braun is really nice, too, because they have the system that cleans itself!
I am not sure this helps, but have you thought of electrolosis? Maybe if you have the hair removed permanently by laser, you won't have the frustration. I know that this is a big, permanent decision, but if possible, it could save money in the long run and not impair his sense of self-accomplishment. Good luck!
S.,
This may sound silly to some, but if his hair is a dark color then laser hair removal would offer a permanent solution. The treatment does sting a bit at the time but it only stings for a day or two. Since he has very dense hair it might require a five or so treatments at a local spa. Facial hair is very resilient so he may have to return in a few years for a touchup. I've had laser treatments and this is what I would do IF I had a similar problem in my family. And it is not that expensive. Best wishes,
L.
Depending on your son's level of handicap he might be able to learn to use a safety razor with supervision in the beginning and maybe no supervision later on. My 32 year old son has a similar problem with his beard, which seems to run in the family since my husband and older son have tough beards that defy electric razors. My younger son learned to use a safety razor and after several weeks of being supervised while shaving we left him to shave himself unsupervised and he is doing a good job without injuring himself in the process. So if your son is high functioning and is able to do a good job of handling brushing his teeth on his own and bathing himself he might be able to master the safety razor.
My husband has a very tough coarse beard and he has found that the only electric razor that seems to work for him is the Panasonic ES 8087 Wet/Dry (he shaves in the shower). We do have to order replacement parts about once a year.
Good luck!
