Why you should start shaving your face

Welcome to the 21st century where we have touchscreen cell phones and women are shaving their faces. Yes you read that right, women are shaving their face. Now even before the 21st century, women such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marylin Monroe did it too and their skin was flawless.

The correct term, Dermaplaning (using a straight-edge-like facial razor on skin to mechanically — not chemically — exfoliate it) benefits your skin by removing layers of dead skin in a different method than a typical exfoliation process does. The use of a straight edge razor on your face gets rid of the “peach fuzz” on your face that can rejuvenate your skin in a less harsh way than a exfoliation scrub does and reduces that chances of makeup and dirt getting in your pores. (AKA less pimples!)

I have a very low-key obsession with watching makeup tutorials on YouTube. Whether they’re actually doing a makeup tutorial or showing their haul of Sephora goodies, I love them all. So when I saw Carli Babel’s “How I shave my face” video, I was throughly puzzled and intrigued by the face shaving but was nervous of the possible complications like my hair growing back thicker and darker. After watching the video I didn’t act immediately. But the thought of shaving my face continued to linger in the back of my mind.

I already owned the disposable razors that Carli spoke of because I found that they are perfect for shaping your eyebrows too. The thought of shaving my peach fuzz keep nagging and nagging me so about three months ago, I finally took the plunge.

It was very strange.

I wasn’t sure in which direction I was suppose to use the razor based on the direction that my hair grows, but it ended up working and my makeup has never looked better. My face felt like a baby’s skin and the way my foundation and powder laid on my face made me look like I had my makeup professionally done with an airbrush machine. I don’t know what it was about those little blonde hairs that was preventing this but I’m so happy I did it.

How to do it

I highly recommend watching Carli’s video to full understand how to properly make this work. When shaving my face I start around my cheeks and near my ears, working in a downwards motion going all the way to my jaw line. Once I complete both sides, I repeat the same motion on my upper lip and around my chin. It is crucial to make sure to have a clean, moisturized face when doing the shaving to make sure that your makeup doesn’t bother your skin and that the razor can glide gently across your face without tugging or pulling.

I also recommend doing this in front of a beauty/cosmetic mirror that is small and can be closer to your face than a typical mirror. Lighting is also an important factor to make sure you don’t miss any areas and get all those little hairs.

Why you should start too

My skin and makeup has never looked better. And not only does it look better but it feels better. I was a little worried that when I first shaved my face that it was going to irritate my skin and create acne. Luckily, that wasn’t the case at all.

After my initial shaving session, I googled what could possibly happen after. I learned from an article in which a dermatologist was interviewed that people often think their hair is growing back thicker and darker but that’s not true. Many people get frightened by the feeling of the little hairs growing back thicker but in all reality it’s just the little stubble that is no thicker or thinner than the previous hair. As far as the color goes, some people do see a little bit of darkness in their new hair but that is because the previous hair was sun-bleached and the new hair isn’t.

It is also extremely important to clean the razor you use after. I suggest using a water/rubbing alcohol mixture to clean the razor and set it on a towel to air dry. Most of the disposable razors come with a plastic case to go over the top, don’t throw those out! They are crucial to keeping it clean in between uses.

Like using a razor on any other part of your body, some bad things may happen. Things such as ingrown hairs and razor burn. Although unlikely, they can happen. To try and avoid these things, be sure to have a clean face when shaving and be very gentile because the skin on your face is very delicate.

I personally have had no problems with my hair growing back faster or darker like the myths have said. If you think that you could benefit from your peach fuzz being gone, go ahead and give it a try! I definitely wouldn’t use anything more than the little disposable razors either. A standard razor that you use to shave your legs might be to harsh on your facial skin considering how delicate we treat our facial skin.

Happy shaving!

@TheTab