Beauty Sleuth #2: Shaving Your Face Is Just For Men
“Not by the hair on my chinny, chin, chin….” Gawd…facial hair…it’s one of those things that no one likes to talk about, but frankly there is just a ton of misinformation swirling about out there on this one. I’m here to tell you that I shave my face once a week and it has made all the difference!
I first heard about it when I studying cultural beauty habits. I learned that Japanese women consider female shaving, known as kao sori, very common, and I became very curious so I tried it.
What? You say…that’s right. The soft baby hair on your face is called vellus hair and keeps your makeup from going on smoothly. It’s also unsightly depending on how much you have. Solution? Shave it off! Shaving your face (aka “modified dermaplaning or razor exfoliation”) removes several layers of dead skin and the soft vellus hairs, and encourages cell renewal, making your skin smooth and helping your makeup to go on flawlessly. Any larger eyebrow razor will do but I carry these.
How do you do it? Shave gently against the hair growth. Skin may be wet or dry (I prefer dry.). Can help to hold skin taut if it helps. Once a week is usually enough!
But won’t the hair grow back as dark stubble? No. That’s a myth. We have a certain number of hair follicles in the skin and, if you don’t destroy them with lasers, they will continue to grow in at the same rate and with the same thickness, and as the same type. That is, a hair follicle that grows “peach fuzz” can only grow “peach fuzz”. If you don’t believe me, here it is straight from the derm: “That myth exists because people mistake the wispy feeling of their unshaven facial hair with the slightly blunt feeling they experience as their hair starts to grow back in as ‘thicker,’ and the new, not-yet-sun-bleached hair as ‘darker,’” Dr. Schultz, a cosmetic dermatologist from NYC says. “So it’s more about what you’re feeling and seeing versus what is actually going on.” (By the way, that goes for shaving your legs too. It’s a myth that shaving your legs makes the hair grow in darker and stubby.)
Doesn’t it hurt? No, that’s a myth too. Get a good magnifying mirror and stand in front of it. Tilt your head in the light so that you can see the fuzzy hair on your face in the mirror. Hold the razor at a 45-degree angle against the skin, and using short strokes, shave the hair right off. It can help when doing certain areas, like near the earlobes, to hold the skin taught.
Can I cut myself? Yes. You can. If you are not careful with the razor you could get a nick.
Can I use my leg razor or an electric razor? Don’t use your leg razor. Use a razor that is small and created specifically for the face or for the bikini area. You can use an electric razor, like the Lady Remington if you have a lot of hair and it is somewhat coarse. There are smaller attachments for the Remington that are for facial hair.
Can I shave my brows too? Yes, you can. I usually use a smaller razor for that area. I like this one. It’s easy to keep up with your brow shape by simply quickly nicking those strays off with a little razor when you are checking your brows in the AM while going through your makeup routine.
Is once enough? No, the hair grows back of course. You need to keep up with it. Once a week or so works for many women. Some shave more often, some shave less often. It’s personal choice.
Do I need shaving cream or an after shave? No, you don’t need either. You need clean, dry skin (I prefer dry but it can be slight damp if you want, although I don’t get as close a shave then.) Follow your shave with a moisturizer.
A quick search of the Internet on this topic shows that supposedly both Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor shaved their faces, and more recently one of the Bachelorettes, Michelle Money, made face shaving popular on YouTube. So go ahead and try it! You will love the feeling of smooth, soft skin and the wonderful way that your makeup goes on afterwards.