It seems like every year razor manufacturers are adding more blades to their razors. At first, it was three, then four, then five. They say the more blades, the smoother the shave. But maybe it’s time for a change. One company is now promising an incredibly close shave, and its razor doesn’t have any blades at all. Created by Skarp Technologies, the Skarp Razor uses laser beams rather than traditional blades to help you shave. The device uses a laser to cut incredibly close to the skin, leaving it as smooth as advertised in regular razor commercials. According to its Kickstarter campaign, the many benefits of the Skarp Razor include no more scratches, razor burns, accidental cutting, infections, itching, or irritation. Its makers, Morgan Gustavsson and Paul Binun, say the stroke is incredibly smooth, requiring little to no water. What’s more, they say you’ll no longer need cartridge replacements, making it more environmentally friendly than the two billion razors Americans throw away every year. The product has already been a hit with investors. Skarp launched its Kickstarter campaign to fund the invention on Sept. 21, and in just two days it reached its goal of $160,000. As of this writing, more than $1 million has been pledged to the campaign. So, how does this Skarp Razor use a laser to effortlessly cut hair? Gustavsson and Binun, who have been working in wavelength technology for years, say they’ve known about certain laser wavelengths that cut through dark hair for some time. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that they found the wavelength capable of cutting through light and gray hair as well. With this wavelength, Gustavsson and Binun set out to create the Skarp Razor. The molecule cuts through hair with the help of a particular set of molecules called chromophores, which are found in every hair throughout the world, regardless of a person’s age, race, or gender. One particular chromophore, they found was capable of being cut when hit with the wavelength they discovered. And when this happened, they found the wavelength could cut the hair right at the shaft at the surface of the skin, leaving a smoother cut than traditional razors, which cut at an angle. If you’re questioning how dangerous using a laser for hair removal is to the general public, the razor’s creators say the laser doesn’t emit UV rays and isn’t powerful enough to cause any harm. Its laser also doesn’t enter skin or cause the complications that might arise during laser hair removal. It has a battery life of over 50,000 hours and runs on a single AAA battery. Skarp said it already has agreements with manufacturers to produce the product, and just needs capital to begin processing the orders. That shouldn’t be a problem now that it’s easily surpassed its financial goal. Skarp Razors are slated to be delivered to early backers by March 2016. Source
