No hair, and no blood!

I have detested blade razors for years. I have always ripped my face to shreds, or broken out. If I wasn't covered with blood there was a rash or a million zits. It was a lousy site. All through high school and college I could just put off shaving. I don't look good with a beard, but I could be scruffy for a week and then shave just fine.

Well in "the real world" I need to be clean shaven every day. Shaving every Friday is still part of my routine, but now I've added shaving on Saturday through Thursday as well. This constant torture on my face was just miserable. Even with aloe shaving gels my face was not saved. The solution was to get an electric razor.

I shopped around for a while when looking for a razor. Some of my big concerns where over the effectiveness of the razor, and the comfort. I have tried several razors in the past and found that they either pulled at my face or took years to actually cut anything. I also wanted something that would keep my fast growing hair short for at least the majority of a day.

I found that many of the razors that didn't use round heads (the ones with multiple metal mesh covered strips) didn't give me the close shave that the round Norelco style razors gave me. However I found that a lot of the lift-and-cut razors were pretty harsh and didn't cause bleeding or acne, but could still induce an irritating rash.

What I settled on was the Norelco Spectra. The reader needs to know that this model is the base model in the Spectra line. The only difference between the different models is the controls and information supplied to the user. Each one uses the same cutting system and the same razor heads.

All the razors also share in common the clippers. On the back of the razor is a trimmer which pops up and can be used to trim the side burns or a mustache. Heck you could do a pretty good job of shaving off the bulk of the cat's hair with these if you wanted to. Even so I have resisted the temptation to try them of my teddy bear hamster and simply rely on them for keeping my hair from swallowing my ears.

What are the differences then? The controls and the displays (not to mention the color). The Spectra 8825XL is the base model: it has one light, one button, and a dial. The one light shows if the razor is on, and if it is done charging (when it blinks). The button is rather easy to understand: push once to turn on, again to turn off. The dial is the tricky thing.

The dial controls the sensitivity. Norelco realized that some people have extremely sensitive skin and need a razor which can be adjusted. Well this dial allows you to select from a rather broad spectrum of sensitivity levels from "normal" to "sensitive" (the levels aren't named, they are merely degrees between the two points).

As I mentioned earlier I get butchered by razor blades but this razor, even on the "normal" setting, is great. I generally have no problems with the blades on this razor. However there are days when I turn up the sensitivity to get a softer shave. What is actually happening is the tension of the springs is being altered. When the setting is on "normal" the springs are tight and don't have much give, posing a rougher shave. On the "sensitive" setting the springs are looser and have more give, but the heads don't stay as close to the skin and hence it generally to get a satisfactory shave.

Of course if you are spending ten minutes shaving on the "sensitive" setting you'll look great with the nice blue-purple razor. It's a great looking razor. The smooth curving shape fits well in the hand and it's a good weight. If you aren't using the razor it comes with a nice little travel pouch which holds both the razor and the power cord which is used to charge the Nickel-Cadmium battery.

In general Nickel-Cadmium batteries have memory problems and won't last more than about a year before needing to be replaced, however this one starts out strong. I only have to charge the razor every couple of weeks. One thing that people using razors like this one should remember is that it is best to charge the razor completely and then run it down completely before charging it again. This will postpone the memory effect and prolong the life of the battery.

Given the great razor heads and the long battery life of this razor I am completely happy with my purchase. I have been using this razor for about six months now and couldn't be happier. It is a simple razor with basic controls. If you are looking for more information about battery life or digital displays then get a more expensive Spectra, if you don't need those features then save some money and get the same shave with this excellent razor.