A rotary electric shaver comprising: a handle assembly that houses a motor and has an upper receptacle formed by a head assembly mount that is recessed relative to a proximal end of the handle assembly; a head assembly having a circumference and comprising a cutter frame assembly including three cutters each comprising an inner cutter and an outer cutter, the head assembly further comprising a hair retention assembly, wherein the cutter frame assembly is connected to the hair retention assembly and sized such that the cutter frame assembly substantially covers the hair retention assembly, and wherein the hair retention assembly is insertable into the upper receptacle to mount the head assembly on the head assembly mount of the handle assembly; a spring seat at a central region of the head assembly mount extending into the upper receptacle; and a drive mechanism protruding through the head assembly mount and into the upper receptacle, the drive mechanism including internal gearing within the handle assembly and being operatively connected to the motor via said internal gearing, and comprising three substantially similar drive shafts in a generally triangular configuration about the spring seat, each drive shaft operatively connected to a respective one of said three inner cutters for conjoint rotation therewith; wherein the hair retention assembly comprises a tray having a base and a peripheral sidewall projecting from the base such that the base and sidewall form a hair pocket for collecting hair clippings, the base having three shaft apertures and a central bore, wherein the shaft apertures are substantially equidistantly spaced about the central bore in a generally triangular configuration that corresponds to the arrangement of the three drive shafts, each aperture suitably sized to receive a drive shaft therethrough and the central bore is sized to receive the spring seat therethrough, the head assembly being pivotably mounted on the head assembly mount such that the head assembly is capable of pivoting movement relative to the handle assembly about the entire circumference of the head assembly. a handle assembly that houses a motor and has an upper receptacle formed by a head assembly mount that is recessed relative to a proximal end of the handle assembly; a head assembly having a circumference and comprising a cutter frame assembly including three cutters each comprising an inner cutter and an outer cutter, the head assembly further comprising a hair retention assembly, wherein the cutter frame assembly is connected to the hair retention assembly and sized such that the cutter frame assembly substantially covers the hair retention assembly, and wherein the hair retention assembly is insertable into the upper receptacle to mount the head assembly on the head assembly mount of the handle assembly; a spring seat at a central region of the head assembly mount extending into the upper receptacle; and a drive mechanism protruding through the head assembly mount and into the upper receptacle, the drive mechanism including internal gearing within the handle assembly and being operatively connected to the motor via said internal gearing, and comprising three substantially similar drive shafts in a generally triangular configuration about the spring seat, each drive shaft operatively connected to a respective one of said three inner cutters for conjoint rotation therewith; wherein the hair retention assembly comprises a tray having a base and a peripheral sidewall projecting from the base such that the base and sidewall form a hair pocket for collecting hair clippings, the base having three shaft apertures and a central bore, wherein the shaft apertures are substantially equidistantly spaced about the central bore in a generally triangular configuration that corresponds to the arrangement of the three drive shafts, each aperture suitably sized to receive a drive shaft therethrough and the central bore is sized to receive the spring seat therethrough, the head assembly being pivotably mounted on the head assembly mount such that the head assembly is capable of pivoting movement relative to the handle assembly about the entire circumference of the head assembly.