We’ve seen hair clippers that use integrated lasers to create highly-visible guides for more accurate shaving. Which is cool, because it has lasers. But only half-cool, because it doesn’t use laser to slice the hair off your face. Not the case with Skarp, a shaving razor that will obliterate your facial hair using awesome lasers.
No, it’s not a joke. It uses, pretty much, the same tech as laser hair removal systems, except they seem to be targeting a (newly-discovered?) different chromophore than traditional laser hair removal, so the tech is expected to work with beards, moustaches, and all the other hair that grow on your face. That chromophore is supposedly shared by every human, regardless of age, gender, or race, so the laser should be able to cut facial hair indiscriminately.
Skarp takes on the traditional shaving razor form factor, so it should feel no different to use than your favorite Gillette model. Instead of touching your face with the blades, though, you simply run the Skarp across the surface, allowing the low-power laser to shoot at your facial hair, clearing your face as it hits each one. Since you’re not using blades, there are no scratches, no razor burns, and no itching. There’s also no need to use water or shaving cream to soften up the hair before shaving. The lasers they’re using, by the way, will have a life of 50,000 hours and draw power from a single AAA that will last about a month of use.
A Kickstarter is currently running for Skarp. Do note, the guys don’t have a working prototype to show for now, so proceed with caution if you want plan to put in a pledge for one. Price starts at $139.