I’ve seen this question pop-up on message boards and comment sections quite often and it usually leads to an unfair, collective bashing of all electric shavers.
And I say unfair because in the vast majority of these cases, the culprit for the sub-par performance of the shaver can be objectively pinpointed and addressed.
The typical scenario involves a recently bought electric shaver that fails to perform as expected: hairs left behind, not shaving close enough, razor burn and so on. Quite often this also happens to be the user’s first experience with an electric razor, but that’s not always the case.
So if your electric shaver doesn’t shave, there can be few factors at play. Let’s check them out and see what we can do.
5 reasons why your electric shaver doesn’t shave
1. Your shaver is just plain bad.
I know this sounds pretty blunt and radical, but that’s the main cause in most of these my shaver doesn’t shave situations.
There are a plethora of electric shavers out there: different types, different manufacturers and different price categories. And some of them simply perform poorly.
For example, I mostly had bad experiences with Remington shavers and in a recent review I came across the worst performing Panasonic I have ever used.
And Panasonic is probably my personal favorite manufacturer, but this only goes to show that one should always evaluate specific models or at least a series and not the manufacturer as a whole.
The Panasonic ES-SL41-S gets two thumbs down. There are simply better shavers out there for the same money.In this case, my recommendation would be to return the shaver and buy a better one that will better suit your beard/skin type and shaving habits. You can check out our reviews section to get you started.
Here are a few additional resources you may find useful:
2. Your technique is not on point.
If you’re just starting out with electric shaving, don’t be so quick in judging the performance of your electric razor.
Electric shaving is completely different from traditional shaving, be it with a cartridge, safety or straight razor.
Your skin also needs time to adapt to the new shaving method.
Assuming your shaver is suitable for the job, some prep work and a few technique adjustments can really transform your shaving experience.
Here are a few useful guides to help you up your electric shaving game:
3. Your facial hair is too long.
All electric shavers, even high-end models, perform best when your facial hair has a reasonable, manageable length.
Also, entry-level electric shavers are best suited for shaving daily, when the stubble is short, while the more advanced ones can handle longer hairs decently.
But if it’s too long, the shaver can pull and yank the hairs and will also miss some of them, particularly the ones that lie flat on the skin. Attempting to go over those areas multiple times while applying more pressure will likely result in discomfort and more frustration.
A solution would be to shave more often or to use a regular trimmer beforehand and reduce the length of your beard.
Also, some electric shavers are better than others at shaving longer, flat-lying hairs. You can read more about them here.
4. You’re using the wrong shaver for your beard type.
Even if your shaver is of high quality and you bought it based on other men’s experience with that particular model, it may still not be the right one for you.
And I’m not strictly referring to the foil vs rotary decision. For example, there are foil shavers that are better suited for coarse, thick beards than others. Some work better for sensitive skin. Others can handle longer, wiry hairs better.
A good place to start in picking the right shaver is our in-depth electric shaver buying guide and our recommended shavers chart.
5. You need to clean and lubricate your shaver.
Finally, if you went through the checklist until this point and your shaver fails to perform as it used to, it’s time to show it some love.
Hair clippings, dirt, dead skin or lather buildups can seriously impact the performance of a shaver.
Depending on how you use your shaver (wet or dry), you may need to thoroughly clean your shaver more often.
This of course doesn’t apply to the ones that come with an automatic cleaning station — assuming you’re using it regularly.
Most modern electric shavers can be safely cleaned with liquid soap and warm tap water. Just make sure to always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning.
You will also need to lubricate your shaver on a regular basis. You can use either a light oil (like clipper oil or sewing machine oil) or a spray cleaner & lubricant. Here‘s how and when should you do it.
Depending on a few factors like shaving frequency, coarseness of the beard and the quality of your shaver’s foils and blades, you may need to replace them more often.
If you notice a significant drop in performance and shaver has a tendency to pull on the hairs, you should definitely buy new ones.
Final word
Regardless of your preference, all shaving methods have their pros and cons and you’ll be making some compromises either way.
However, a radical stance resulting from a bad experience will certainly not help you in finding the cause of the problem and addressing it.
In the case of electric shaving, most of the time it’s just a matter of choosing a suitable electric shaver and making a few adjustments to your technique.
Hopefully this post will help you improve your shaving experience with an electric razor and actually benefit from what they have to offer compared to traditional shaving: speed, comfort, and an adequately close shave.
I bought a new series 5 some 3 months ago and it stopped working.If I try to turn it on a little alarm with 3 signals goes off with an orange display of what seems to be a symbol of a small orange lock
What is this mean?
Hi Peter,
You have accidentally activated the travel lock on your Series 5. To unlock it, press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
Its locked. Try pressing and holding on/off button for three seconds
Just like a car only sticks to road as well as its tires allow it, a rasor can only shave as well as its foil & cutter does.
I bought a Braun 3050 recently and found it works marvelously well. Then I got excited and started to shop ahead of time for replacement parts. I found the replacement Braun foil (32B) a bit expensive so I went on eBay to find cheaper generic options. And I found items there 2x to 3x cheaper. But you know what? They require also 2x to 3x longer shaving time to get to the same result.
When it comes to replacement foils & cutters, cheap chinese knockoffs are not worth it.
Sad but rasors follow the same patterns as any other industry (cars, printers…): the initial item is sold cheap. But replacement parts are way overpriced.
In fact, replacement part prices should be the object of a comparison survey on this site 😉
Hi Christian,
Thank you for your comment.
That is true, the availability and the cost of replacement parts are important. In fact, it is a topic that I cover in every review and comparison on this website.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
I’ve been using a Braun Series 5 (5190cc) razor for several years. Nine months ago, it stopped shaving as close, at times pulling hair as it tried to cut. I replaced the foil and cutter, but the performance was not much better. It still took me 2-3 times as long, was much rougher, and someone painful to shave; problems I never had during my first couple years with the shaver. I recently replaced the foil and cutter again, but the performance is as bad, if not worse. Both times, I used Braun replacement part 51S, but neither cut my facial hair anymore. What is happening??
Hi Robbie,
At this point it’s clear that the replacement head wasn’t the culprit. I think it may be related to the motor; precisely, it is held in place by a couple of brackets and if a screw becomes loose or something breaks, the motor cannot move the blades efficiently and the performance suffers quite a bit. Also, some of the plastic parts that connect the shaft of the motor to the blades may break or wear out (although it rarely happens). If you have some experience, you could try to take it apart and have a look. If that’s not an option, you should send it to a Braun service center, but it may be a costly option since your shaver it’s probably out of warranty.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
I have a Phillips 9000 series rotary shaver (exact model S9311/27). I’ve been using it daily for full face and neck shaves for about 6 months. I regularly clean this shaver.
So, I’m over 50 and I have a lot of grey hairs in my facial hair. Lately I’ve noticed that, for some reason, the black hairs on my face are clipped first and then the grey hairs. In order to get all of the grey hairs I have to pass the shaver several dozen times over my face. This is frustrating for me and doubles the time for a shave. Maybe it has something to do with coarseness difference between black and grey hairs. It’s weird because I don’t remember having this issue in the early days and months of using my shaver. I have always used a Philips rotary shaver and was previously happy with the shaving performance of these products. Any suggestions?
You have written a great article, Thanks.
Hi Ron,
Many thanks for the comment, glad you found the article useful.
Grey hairs are simply depleted of pigment, so they aren’t necessarily coarser and more difficult to cut. In my opinion the length, direction of growth and the area where they grow affect shaving to a higher degree. It’s the outer shell (cuticle) that gives the hair its strength and the general consensus is that grey hairs aren’t any different than dark hairs in this regard.
Also, during those six months, it is unlikely that your facial hair has suffered significant changes; on the other hand, the blades of the shaver do wear out in time, so that may also be the cause of the problem (some of the newer products don’t last as long as the older ones according to some users).
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
Hi–My issue is similar to Ron Kieley’concern. I had always used a Norelco triple header with good results. Then, when I started getting grey hairs, it wouldn’t shave them off. It didn’t matter how many times I went over them. They just would not be cut. Backwards. Sideways. In circles. It didn’t make any difference. New shaver heads and blades didn’t help either.
So I switched to a less expensive Braun. Same results. I’m going to try a pre shave product and see if that helps, but i doubt that it will.
Have you found out any new information on this subject? BTW, the result is the same, no matter what part of my face or neck I try to shave…
Hi Steve,
I’m afraid I don’t have any other info apart from what I already mentioned in the previous comments. You didn’t state the exact model of your Braun shaver, but if it’s a basic one like the Series 3, that one can have some issues with shaving difficult facial hair. Using a good pre-shave can often help — I recommend the Speick Pre-electric Shave, it’s the best I’ve used so far.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
I speak only from my own experience, and this might be different for some other men or even in general: My grey hairs are much stiffer than my other hairs. This is the case both on my head (where it is a real annoyance because the grey hairs stick up straight while my other hairs lie where I comb them and so necessitate an extra step for my barber or me) and my face. However, I have not had any special issues with shaving the grey hairs, the only thing I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older is that the ratio of black to white dander that comes out of my shaver’s reservoir continues to shift more to the white.
Thank you for the comment, John. Grey hairs can feel wiry and drier (which could explain why some stick up straight) as there’s less sebum produced compared to dark hairs. It shouldn’t make a difference when actually cutting/shaving grey hairs as you’ve also noticed.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
Excellent synopsis – and I would add, reading on many DE forums, the vintage of the shaver. Multiple comments to the effect “I tried an electric in 1954, and it was awful.” No doubt.
Absolutely, I’ve come across them as well. And it’s unfortunate because these comments can make someone steer clear of electric shavers without even trying one.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
My Braun series 5 has just gone completely dead it won’t charge or sow any lights is this the lead or razor. I have had it quite a few years. Thank you
Hi Ken,
Sorry to hear that. In these situations it’s usually more advantageous to just get a new one — repairings in Braun service centers are usually very pricey and since you’ve had your Series 5 for several years, the warranty will not cover the costs.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
Hi. I bought my wife the YES! It worked several times and died. The shaver is charged before use for 2.5 hours. She loved it but now what must be done? She cleans it after each use, hasn’t gotten it wet or miss-used. The light flashes when turned on but the heads don’t move to shave. I purchased it at BED BATH AND BEYOND. Thanks, Larry
Hi Larry,
Can you provide the brand and model name of the shaver? Also, if it has been recently purchased, the shaver is still under warranty, so you can have it repaired (or replaced).
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
I bought a cheapo Braun mobile shave for my OH as his first electric razor. It literally removed zero hairs, he tried on short hair, longer, coarse beard and I even tried on my arm very fine blond hair to see if it would work at all and it didn’t. So I sent it back for a replacement, and the second one arrived today and is exactly the same! I appreciate it’s super cheap but is a known brand and gets good reviews so I wonder if it’s a matter of technique? I’ve even watched YouTube videos of similar ones and feel like my OH is using it the same way so I’m v confused! Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks
Hi Harriet,
Sorry to hear about that. Can you share the exact model name of the Braun shaver you bought? I must say that if it’s a single foil (travel) shaver, the performance will generally be quite poor. Also, fine, thin and longer hairs on the arms are actually more difficult to cut for a foil shaver as they must poke through the perforations in the foil — so ideally, the hairs should be short, straight and stiff.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
Hello,
I am wondering if you know whether a Braun system 123 Universal, model 3509 can still be repaired? The on-off switch has stopped working. Thanks.
Hello Paul,
It’s a long shot, to be honest. Your best bet would be to buy another one in working condition and take the required part from it and replace the faulty one in your shaver.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
Hi. Very educational article- thanks!
I have a Panasonic ER-GB40 which is c4 years old. It is running, but slowly and too slow to use. I’ve checked the contacts and given it a full overnight charge. Theres def no hairs caught in it, but its not even running at half speed. Is it possible that ‘slow’ is a battery problem in which case I’ll order a new one? I don’t want to order a battery if that’s not the likely fault! Thanks
Hi Dave,
Thank you for your comment.
Usually in this situation, it’s either the battery or the cutters. Increased friction between the blades can actually slow down significantly an electric razor/trimmer. And that happens when the blades are worn out (and need to be replaced), are extremely dirty and gunked up or when they haven’t been lubricated (which can increase the wear). Panasonic actually recommends oiling the blades before/after each use.
Try applying 3 drops of light oil (clipper oil, sewing machine oil) on the blades, spaced evenly, then let it run for a few seconds to distribute the lubricant. Make sure the cutters are dry before lubricating them. See if that makes any difference to the performance of your trimmer.
If not, it’s probably the battery which in this case is rated at 3 years service life.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
I have a Remington PF7300 and the trimmer blade no longer gyrate to cut. What is the problem & can it be repaired? Thanks
Hi Anthony,
The trimmer is made out of a pair of blades, a static one and an oscillating blade that moves and shears the hair against the static blade. There’s a linkage between the motor and the mobile blade and most of the time something happens to that and the motor can no longer transmit the power. It can be anything from a broken plastic part to a loose component. But it’s really difficult to say exactly what’s wrong.
You could try to take apart the trimmer yourself and see if you can spot the problem, but there’s no guarantee that it can be fixed.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
I’ve been through so many electric shavers I’ve lost count.. A cheap one will last maybe a month before it stops cutting. The very best shaver I got – a top of the line panasonic – lasted an entire 6 months. At this point it does nothing but polish the beard.. I’m reluctant to toss it as it was so expensive.
I’ve found replacement foils to be worse than useless – often being *worse* than the ones they replace (and the panasonic foils cost more than some entire shavers!). There seems to be no quality control on them.
I can’t wet shave every day as I get terrible rashes from it.. so I end up with stubble most of the time. Am looking for a shaver that will last.. hence finding this site.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, Tony. I highly recommend reading my guide on finding a suitable electric shaver as there are lots of aspects to consider.
You’re not the only one having issues with the quality control of replacement blades. Unfortunately the best you can do is buy them from a reputable seller and really hope for the best.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
“Return the shaver” – I paid £190 for a shaver from shavers.co.uk and the first shave was absolutely atrocious, and they said I couldn’t return it as I’d used it.
The returning procedures/campaigns are usually handled by the manufacturers themselves, not the shops. Braun, Panasonic and Philips have their own programs in various countries that require registering your product on their website in a given timeframe after the purchase in order to take advantage of the returning policy.
The terms and conditions are specific to the country and there might be some shaver models that are excluded from the program. The manufacturer website should provide all the details.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
Just bought a Braun 3000s for my husband. His beard was a bit long as someone stole his razor in his assisted living facility. The motor runs but it doesn’t shave anything I even tried it on my legs. Nothing. What’s wrong.
Hi Joan,
Electric shavers are designed to shave short facial hair, so they won’t work if the hair is excessively long. Also, an electric shaver should not be used below the neck as it will not work properly for shaving body hair. So make sure that the hair is relatively short (if your husband’s beard is too long it should be pre-trimmed before using the 3000s) and always go against the grain using short, controlled strokes.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
hello there,
I have got a Braun cooltec shaver for about 3-4 years. recently it started automatically and when I put it in charger it was silent. then sudddenly it stoped turning on( just for 3 seconds it turns on with the lock light and then turns off and will never turns on). I have changed the battery but it does not change the condition. what is probabley the root?
BR
Hi Adel,
By the look of it, the culprit could be a faulty logic board. It would be really difficult to pinpoint the exact cause without the proper tools and expertise. That said, a Braun service center will probably charge quite a lot and it’s probably not worth it. So unless you can get it fixed at some local electronics repair shop, you’d be better off buying a new shaver.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
So I have a Philips shaver with three circle blades and I have the Braun with the foil, I’ve used both and they both don’t take away the hair, they are still new but I was expecting a good shave and have not gotten one yet
Hi Charles,
It would be helpful to also know the exact model names of the shavers. That said, since this is I assume your first experience with electric shavers, make sure the following things are in check:
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
I have purchased a braun series 6 type 5762 razor and for the life of me can’t workout or find anything on the 08-3DBT blades heights/pictures from the user manual p14. Can you remove parts or is it to do with pressure? Please help.
Hi Benjamin,
I’m not exactly sure that I understand correctly what you’re trying to do. The 08-3DBT is the stubble trimmer head that you can use in place of the regular foil head. Both are friction fitted to the shaver.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
Hi, I have used a Philips shaver for years but finally it gave up with an electrical fault. As I could not open it I could not say exactly what went wrong. I have now replaced it with a Philips Series 3000. My issue with this is that the blades rotate very slowly in comparison to previous shavers and do not know if this is a design issue or my shaver is failing to charge correctly. I have checked the output from the charger and it shows the 15V DC. Even after charging the indicator is just a stretched circle of light. I would expect this to fill when fully charged but the instructions do not mention any indication of when it is fully charged. Is the slow rotation a “FEATURE” of this model or is it faulty.
Hi Mike,
Current rotary razors are fitted with motors that run at a slower speed (the blades rotate at less than 1000 revolutions per minute). Your older shaver might have been faster, particularly if it only operated corded. As long as the LED indicator is green, the battery should have enough charge.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
hey my panasonic Arc5 electric razor was hell expensive and its only ever worked to shave my face and neck at all if i use the flick out bit on the back for cutting lines and stuff i assume its for, the actual foil part your meant to shave with has never shaved my face or my kneck even with my fairly thin and short style of facial hair like its not even stubble i wanna get stubble tbh but yeh this thing just wont shave im wondering if there may been a manafacturing issue with mine and something isnt right cos it hasnt worked since day one so i just use the bit on the back which is getting annoyingn sometimes painful on some areas. I wish i could just use it how its meant to be used, is it maybe cos my hair is to think and not thick enough even though its short enough for sure maybe its not thick enough im not sure. Also if thats the case would i be better of with a circle rotating electric shavor or is should the foil type be fine and somethings not right possibly. thankyou. p.s f&ck it was expensive hope i can get it to work for me.
Hi,
It’s highly unlikely that you got a defective unit, although not entirely possible. If your facial hair is so soft, you’ll have a hard time cutting it effectively with any type of electric shaver, be it foil or rotary. The Arc 5 is hands down one of the best out there, but if the hair is so thin and soft and can’t poke through the foil, it won’t get cut. I think you’d be better off with a face trimmer that uses shearing blades and gets fairly close. Foil and rotary shavers are effective on short, but coarser stubble that can be captured by the shaving head.
I would consider something like the Philips OneBlade or the Braun Series XT5 (XT5100) if I were you.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu
I bought the Braun Series 7 7085cc and I have to run over the same patch of hair multiple times to get it to shave even a little. It’s completely ineffective and doesn’t really get my stubble or my moustache at all unless I go really slow multiple times. I feel like I must be making some dumb mistake because its working so terribly, am I just having some issue I’m not noticing? Thanks so much.
Hi Benjamin,
The 7085cc is part of the new Series 7 generation that replaced the old Series 7. It’s not as good as its predecessor, but it should still give you a decent shave provided the stubble isn’t very long (try shaving every 2 to 3 days) and you’re moving the head against the grain and keeping the skin taut. You may need to adjust the strokes a few times so that you always go against the direction of hair growth. I also recommend using a pre-shave lotion, many users doo seem to benefit and they’re cheap and easy to apply.
Sincerely,
Ovidiu