Skarp Laser Razor – A New Era for Shaving?
We are always on the look-out for new and innovative hair removal devices and techniques, and when we heard about the Skarp Laser Razor prototype our ears pricked up with anticipation. Is this the beginning of a new era for shaving?
The Innovators and the Idea
Morgan Gustavsson MBBS is the guy who invented and patented IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) technology and has been thinking about inventing a “laser razor” since 2001, way before a laser wavelength was even available for this type of device.
Morgan joined forces with Paul Binun in 2013 and between the two of them (with help from a team of advisors and backers), they seem to have created the prototype for a laser razor, and according to their tests it actually works!
The laser razor would provide a super close shave with no risk of cuts or irritation and could be used wet and dry.
There would be no need to buy blades or cartridges, or any other shaving accessories, creams and soaps.
In addition to being a great cost saving after the initial investment, the laser razor would also be extremely environmentally friendly. Sounds pretty amazing!
How Does It Work?
The idea behind the laser razor is quite simple: shave without the need for a blade.
Shaving is the most popular, most accessible and easiest method for removing hair from the body but it comes with the possibility of quite a few irritating side effects, including nicks and cuts, razor bumps and other types of skin irritations.
Replacing the blade with something that will cut just as effectively, but will also eliminate all those side effects, sounds like a dream come true. Basically all the great parts of shaving are still there, and all the annoying parts are eliminated.
No wonder that there is a lot of talk about this laser razor: if Morgan and Binun can pull this off then it will revolutionize the world of shaving!
During Morgan’s research and tests he discovered that all humans, regardless of age, skin tone and hair color, have a chromophore (a particle that absorbs certain light wavelengths) that can be cut if it is struck by a certain light wavelength.
This discovery allowed Morgan and Bunin to concentrate their work on recreating this light wavelength and passing it through a razor-shaped device, and making sure that it would cut hairs but not penetrate the skin.
The device is to be created using a strong, hard optical fiber that allows the wavelength to pass through when it is in contact with the skin.
This fiber is a brand new creation so there isn’t really any knowledge on how effective it will be, how safe and how long it will last.
So, while Morgan and Bunin have a solid idea and prototype in hand, they won’t be able to see how effective it will be until they can produce and test a certain amount of razors.
Does It Work?
Does it work?This is the main question really: does this laser razor work and is it worth all the hype that has been created around it?
According to Kickstarter it doesn’t, and they suspended the fundraiser (as a side note they had already raised over $4 million with an initial goal of $160,000 before it was suspended).
This is apparently due to Kickstarter’s stringent rules on only allowing fundraisers for objects that will actually work according to plan. (In Kickstarter’s words the Skarp is “in violation of our rule requiring working prototypes of physical products that are offered as rewards”).
While the Skarp laser razor sounds amazing on paper, the video that the guys provided to prove the efficacy of the prototype isn’t very convincing.
The razor seems to hover over an area of skin and removes about 3 hairs in the space of a minute, one of which only comes off after some tugging. I can understand why Kickstarter wasn’t convinced, but I can also understand why so many people pledged towards the fund.
Maybe the idea needs a lot more work, and maybe the prototype isn’t as effective as it could be, but there is so much room for growth! Morgan and Bunin have no problems answering a plethora of questions about the device and explaining how it works in detail.
Worried about a burning hair smell? No need to as the device slices hairs and doesn’t burn them.
Thinking of cost? $189 doesn’t seem like too much when you realize that the device will work for approximately 50,000 hours and that one AAA battery will give you a month of use before it needs replacing.
Worried about burning your skin? The laser literally only cuts hair and cannot penetrate the skin, unlike laser hair removal. The device has also been created so that there is no way the light can come in contact with your eyes.
It’s also small enough to travel easily, and can be used both in the shower and dry. The Skarp group have moved their fundraiser to another platform, Indiegogo, and have already raised nearly $400,000 at time of print.
So it’s pretty obvious that people want to believe in this product. It appears that Morgan and Bunin have everything planned out: they just really need the capital to create the first set of marketable laser razors.
They seem to be very confident in their ability to pull this off and provide the population with a revolutionary type of razor.
Here you can watch a video of the Skarp Laser Razor:
