Some things in life are just part and parcel of sharing your home with someone else. Someone always leaves the cap off the toothpaste; someone always leaves the toilet seat up; and someone always ‘borrows’ a razor when they’re out of options.
If you’re a man living with a woman, the chances are you’ve gone for a shave only to find your razor on the side of the bath. In an instant, you realise your razor has been used to shave legs!
As well as it being annoying, sharing razors has the potential to be dangerous.
There’s an important reason why men and women shouldn’t share razors
Men’s and women’s razors are designed in a slightly different way. In most cases, razors for women are designed to cover very large areas in big, sweeping strokes — perfect for shaving legs. Men’s razors, on the other hand, are designed to cover the smaller, more uneven surfaces of the face. A lot of modern women’s razors feature a soft, sculpted grip for comfort and a swiveling head to help negotiate ankles and knees; this makes them unsuitable for shaving faces.
Sharing razors can be unsanitary
Even the smoothest, pain-free shaves can result in tiny nicks — many of which are invisible to the naked eye. These microscopic openings in the skin can allow bacteria to enter, which can lead to potentially serious infections if not dealt with quickly. If bacteria lurk on a used blade after someone else has used it, infection, warts or various fungal conditions can be spread relatively easily.
Don’t get your razors confused
Fortunately, it’s actually very easy to ensure a man never uses a woman’s razor — and vice versa. Have you ever wondered why razors for women are usually brightly coloured? If you’re sharing a home with other male adults, however, you should take a few extra steps to make sure your razor never falls into the wrong hands. For instance, ask every male in your home to choose a colour. Some razors are available in black, blue, grey and various other colours, so this shouldn’t be difficult. If other colours aren’t available, try labelling each razor with some coloured tape.
Just like your toothbrush, your razor should be yours and yours alone.