Who doesn’t love smooth and glowing skin? To achieve an ultra-smooth face, many of you resort to different skin hacks. But do you know shaving can also be an effective at-home hair removal option?
The best part is shaving not only removes the ingrown hairs but also exfoliates your skin, making it appear brighter and smoother.
Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of facial shaving and the right ways to do it.
Highlights:
Is Face Shaving Good For Women?
Shaving facial hair is a matter of choice. While many women are comfortable with shaving their facial hair, others fear the side effects. Some of them have notions that shaving can make their facial hair grow thicker and darker hair and in some cases may cause redness and irritation. But, the truth is shaving your facial hair can exfoliate the dry and dead skin and result in smooth skin. If your skin is smooth, your makeup application can be super easy.
However, sensitive skin might not react well to shaving, especially if you have redness or irritated skin patches. Also, shaving might not be a great idea if you have skin conditions like eczema, acne, or psoriasis. Shaving in such cases can further aggravate the condition and lead to infection.
Why Should Women Shave Their Face?
Shaving facial hair not only removes ingrown hairs, but also exfoliates the dead skin cells, which results in glowing and smooth skin. It’s an effective way of achieving soft skin at home. But, before delving deep into its benefits, let’s understand the two types of facial hair - terminal hair and vellus hair. Vellus hair [1] is the thin, fine hair covering most of your face. They are barely noticeable. On the other hand, terminal hair [2] is the dark and thick hair present in your neck, chin, lower and upper lips. You can remove both terminal and vellus hair with shaving.
Among all the other methods of facial hair removal, shaving is considered to be the most easy, fast, and effective method. The process is pain-free and lasts up to a few days, depending on your hair growth rate. You can use either an electric shaver or a disposable shaver to shave your face.
What Are The Best Ways To Shave Facial Hair?
Unlike men, women need to follow a different shaving process to remove their facial hair. It’s completely different from how you shave your legs or underarms. The skin on your face is different from other parts of your body and hence requires extra care. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
1. Wash Your Face
Before you start shaving, make sure to wash your face thoroughly to remove any dirt or makeup. In case you get a shaving cut with your razor, this can help you prevent any irritation or inflammation on your skin.
2. Exfoliate To Remove Dead Skin
To experience a smooth shaving, use a gentle scrub to remove dead skin cells. Exfoliating also helps in preventing ingrown hairs.
3. Hydrate Your Skin
Hold a hot damp wash cloth close to your face for about 2-3 minutes before you shave. This will help to hydrate the skin and soften the hair follicles resulting in a smooth shaving experience. Alternately, you can also rinse your face with warm water before shaving.
4. Apply Shaving Gel
Use a shaving cream or a shaving gel in the areas where you want to shave. The shaving gel helps to retain the moisture and allows the razor to glide smoothly across your skin.
5. Choose The Right Tool
Pick a straight edge single blade sharp razor to shave facial hair. A sharp razor pulls out the hair with easy strokes and ensures smooth shaving, minimizing the risks of nicks and cuts. Also, keep a separate razor for your face and ensure you do not use it to shave other body parts of your body with it. This will ensure the razor stays sharp for a longer time. Remember, a blunt razor can give you more razor bumps, razor burns, and nicks.
6. Mind The Strokes
Be mindful with the razor strokes while shaving your face. Give it a light downward pressure keeping the razor at a 45-degree angle. Keep the strokes short and steady to avoid any skin irritations. Always remember to shave the hair in the direction they grow. [3]
7. Don't Forget To Moisturize Your Skin
Make sure to rinse your face and moisturize it using an oil or cream immediately after you shave . Avoid applying makeup right after shaving.
8. Know The Best Time To Shave
Ideally, you can shave immediately after taking a shower or even during your shower. During this time, your skin remains hydrated and the hair softens which makes the process of shaving easier and smoother.
SkinKraft Tip:
How frequently you should shave depends on the individual's hair growth. Shaving your face twice a week should serve the purpose. But if your hair grows faster, you can shave every one or two days.
The Dos And Don'ts Of Face Shaving
Do’s
- Always hydrate your face before shaving. This will reduce friction and prevent skin irritation.
- Always shave your face in the same direction of hair growth to keep the irritation at a minimum.
- Always use a wet cloth to clean your face gently. This will keep your hair soft.
- Always rinse the razor after each stroke.
Don’ts
- Never use the same razor on your face that you use to shave your legs or underarms. If you use the same razor, your skin might get a prone infection.
- Don't forget to moisturize. Else your skin may turn too dry.
- If you have sensitive skin or any serious skin condition, do not go for shaving.
Benefits Of Face Shaving For Women
If your skin is ready for exfoliation, then you may experience several benefits of shaving. These include:
1. Smooth skin:
Apart from hair removal, shaving also removes dead and dry skin, debris, excess oil. This will ultimately make your skin more fresh, bright and glowing.
2. Easy to apply makeup:
Shaving will make your makeup application smooth and make it last longer.
3. Cheaper method:
When compared to other methods of hair removal like waxing, shaving is a cost effective option and can be easily done at home.
4. Skincare products are more effective:
Shaving your hair exfoliates the dead skin cells from your face. So, when you apply any skincare product, it easily seeps into your skin deeply and works wonders.
Side Effects Of Shaving Face For Women
1. Dry and itchy skin:
You may notice dryness and itching or flakiness immediately after shaving, if your skin is too dry. However, you can avoid these easily by moisturizing your skin immediately after shaving.
2. Damaged skin:
Nicks and cuts during shaving are common. However, in some cases, these may lead to stinging or bleeding. Razor burn is common too.
3. Pain:
Shaving terminal hairs can cause painful bumps at times.
4. Five o’clock shadow:
If you want to shave terminal hair, you may need to do it more frequently. If you have too many dark hairs, you may see a shadow under the skin after shaving. This is often known as a five o'clock shadow.
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If you’re looking for a cost-effective, painless and effective method to get rid of your facial hair, then shaving is worth a try. Besides removing hair, shaving can remove dead skin cells, excess oil, and dirt from your face, leading to a glowing and smooth skin. But before you consider shaving, make sure you understand your skin type. In case you have sensitive skin or any skin concern, do a patch test first. Also, if you notice increased hair growth on your face, make sure to consult your doctor to identify the causes.
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