Women Are Shaving Their Faces. Here's What You Need To Know

Why Should You Shave?

Things you need to know before shaving your face

Men aren’t the only ones who shave their faces. Many women do, too. It’s important to know how to shave facial hair properly to prevent skin irritation, razor burn and ingrown hairs.Shaving facial hair is completely your choice. What matters most is how you shave. You shouldn’t shave if you have any active acne, rashes, or cuts on your face, which can cause further irritation and infection. Keep in mind the skin on your face is sensitive, which means the chance of causing irritation when shaving is higher.Women shaving their faces is nothing new. But despite the fact that the technique has been around longer than probably you and I have been alive—combined—there’s still a lot of confusion about the how and why. And if you’ve heard talk about dermaplaning, you might have even more questions—for one, is there even a difference between the two?Unlike shaving, which can be done at home with a razor to remove surface-layer peach fuzz, dermaplaning involves a dermatologist or medical esthetician carefully scraping your face with a surgical scalpel to remove hair, peach fuzz, and dead skin cells. Basically, shaving is the cheaper, easier, DIY option and dermaplaning is the next-level, more thorough option. Make sense? Cool. Now let’s get to the other questions you probably have about shaving your face.Many women have long touted facial shaving, an at-home, less intense version of dermaplaning. It is the practice of using a razor to shave the peach fuzz and hair off of your face in pursuit of hair removal and smoother, exfoliated skin.There is no shortage of online resources singing the praises of face shaving. But there are, of course, plenty of questions to be asked about the procedure.First, we’d like to say that you don’t have to shave off excess facial hair. Many women don’t care about it that much, and they go about their lives looking fine as hell! But if you are thinking about shaving it, there are some benefits you can get aside from getting rid of that fuzz:Shaving also clears your skin’s surface: That means you can apply makeup and skin cream more effectively.Shaving often gets rid of dead skin: This makes your skincare a hundred times easier, as you don’t have to exfoliate as much.Shaving makes your skin smoother: Who doesn’t love that?The usual dangers of shaving also apply: accidentally cutting yourself, ingrown hairs, and so on. Thankfully, there are plenty of aftercare products you can use to take the load off! You can also look into advanced medical procedures like dermaplaning; which is shaving via your dermatologist.Shaving has absolutely no effect on the rate of regrowth, the color, or the thickness of the hair. Although it may feel a little stubbly, the hair is not actually thicker at all. So then, why have we been taught since puberty that this is the case?What you are feeling is the blunt shaved edge of the hair instead of a thin pointed end that’s the natural shape of a hair strand. Other than chemical processes, like when you get your hair colored or a perm, nothing can change the specific hair texture you’re born with (other than sneaky hormones).They’re developed specifically for the face. A man’s razor is designed to tackle tougher hair, they’re extremely sharp, and more durable. Which means you’ll decrease your chances of causing irritation and ingrown hairs. Just make sure to shave in the same direction as hair growth, and limit the number of passes. Go slowly and carefully and don’t use a dull razor.Keeping things specifically bacteria and dead skin separate is a good way to avoid irritation and potential infection. If you use the same razor you use on your body, you put yourself at risk of nicks and cuts, which can cause inflammation and irritation and can lead to scarring and ingrown hairs, she warns.Dermaplaning, which a lot of women are talking about right now, is an in-office procedure that’s more about exfoliation than shaving. It’s not something you should ever try at home. Dermaplaning uses a specialized scalpel, held at a 45-degree angle to the face, to mechanically remove the superficial layer of dead skin cells.Yes, shaving your face can have skin-smoothing benefits. But the friction and micro-damage it imparts on the skin can cause pesky ingrown hairs. Shaving in the same direction in which the hair grows helps prevent irritation. She recommends washing gently with a washcloth, or regularly using your Clarisonic to keep ingrowns at bay. Don’t use in-grown products meant for the bikini line for your face.Shaving your face can have skin-smoothing benefits. But the friction and micro-damage it imparts on the skin can cause pesky ingrown hairs. Shaving in the same direction in which the hair grows helps prevent irritation,it's recommends washing gently with a washcloth, or regularly using your Clarisonic to keep ingrowns at bay. Don’t use in-grown products meant for the bikini line for your face.If you’re looking for a simpler way to remove patches of facial hair without suffering through painful weekly upper lip waxes, with skin-smoothing benefits as a positive side effect, shaving your face might be worth a try. If the more intense skin-rejuvenating benefits of dermaplaning sounds more like your goal, see a plastic surgeon or derm who performs dermaplaning to see if the procedure is right for you.Apply a warm compress to the face by dampening a towel with warm or hot water and pressing it on skin for at least 2 minutes. This will open the pores and soften the hair for a cleaner shave and a reduced risk of ingrown hairs.Dispense a quarter-size amount of a good-quality shave gel into hands. Rub together and then apply to the face. It's important to choose a moisturizing shave gel over soap. As you shave, you remove the top layer of skin as well; the shave gel acts as a barrier to prevent razor burn. Choose a more feminine scent so the shaving experience doesn't seem so inherently masculine.Use a new, sharp razor, and begin using a downward stroke in quick, short movements to remove the hair. While you may be tempted to stroke upward for a closer shave, shaving in the same direction as the hair growth to decrease the risk of ingrown hairs, something to be especially careful about when shaving the face.Rinse away the shaving cream when finished shaving. If there's any irritation, apply a 1 percent hydrocortisone solution.Shave frequently. Once you've shaved, the new growth will appear as blunt-edged stubble and may be highly noticeable. Add shaving to your skin care regimen daily if necessary.Use another method of facial hair shaving if you cannot shave often; waxing and plucking both remove the hair from the bottom of the shaft, resulting in slower, finer growth.Do you need to shave your face? Absolutely not. But just be realistic about the results. If you’re looking for a deep exfoliation and smoother skin, visit your dermatologist for an in-office dermaplaning treatment. And if you want to remove coarse, full-grown hairs from your face, Many doctor actually doesn’t recommend shaving and instead suggests trying another facial hair removal option.So, when to shave? If you’re looking to get rid of the vellus hairs that can get in the way of a smooth foundation application or make your skin look a little lackluster. However! If you have sensitive skin shaving your face can cause irritation and should be avoided.