The Real Reason You Should Never Share Your Razor With Someone

When you share your home, your bed, and your life with someone, it can sometimes be hard to draw the line between intimacy and straight up invasion of space. This holds particularly true when it comes to items in the bathroom, specifically his or her razor. Sharing razors isn't like borrowing someone's shampoo or deodorant. No, borrowing your partner's razor, even if it's just for a quick swipe over a stray patch of hair, should never be done.

Staying away from your partner's razor is a matter of safety. "Women's razors are designed to help shave large surface areas whereas men's razors are made for shaving their face," says skin specialist, Dr. Whitney Bowe to InStyle. She adds, "The handle found on women's razors usually contains a grip and a curve to provide comfort when shaving at an angle, and although some men's razors have a pivoting cartridge, almost all women's razors have a pivoting cartridge that helps make the shave easier for those curvy and hard to reach areas like the ankles and knees," she explains.

In addition to increasing the risk for irritating nicks and cuts, sharing a razor can also put your health at risk. Bethanee J. Schlosser, director of the Women's Skin Health Program for Northwestern Medicine, tells Women's Health about the risks of sharing a razor that can't be seen until symptoms start to appear. "Sharing of razors has also been known to cause transmissions of fungal infection — specifically tinea corporis, known more commonly as ringworm — and bacterial infections,” she says. Building on the topic of health risks, Bowe cautions readers of InStyle, "...if there's blood on the razor from a previous cut, it could result in transmitting blood viruses."

Sharing your home with someone is a beautiful and connected experience. Going forward, just be sure you're taking all sanitary precautions and avoiding potential health risks when it comes to sharing certain toiletries.