How to Shave Your Face: Here’s How and Why You Should

Having body hair as a woman is a normal phenomenon and facial hair is not an exception. However, some women reach for razors when their peach fuzz seems to be getting out of hand. To keep this in check, you need to know how to shave your face properly. 

Hairs on the upper lip and the chin are the most visited facial hairs because they seem to be more visible. But there are hairs on the side of the face that need to be shaved too. Moreover, a clean-shaven face enhances smooth and silky makeup.

Experts reveal that women grow excessive facial hair due to irregularly high levels of hormones like androgen. This condition is called hirsutism. Also, there are myths that insinuate that shaving the hair on your face will result in thicker, coarser hair.

When you shave your face properly, you’ll not only enjoy a youthful feel. You will also bypass getting thicker, coarser hair. Follow these steps to give your face a clean shave. 

How to Shave Your Face

how to shave your face

Estee Williams, MD, a dermatologist, says, “face shaving is a basic technique that can be done at home with a razor to remove surface-layer peach fuzz”.

Like I said earlier, when you know how you should shave your face and religiously follow the steps, you can be sure to get results. Shaving your face is not supposed to be anything rigorous or complex that puts you all over the place.

Moreover, the materials you need are inexpensive. They include a mild face wash or cleanser, shaving cream, a razor, and a moisturizer that perfectly suits your skin.

When you have these supplies ready, head to the mirror in your bathroom and follow these steps to achieve clear and smooth skin.

1. Cleanse Your Skin

Your skincare routine should begin on a clean surface. When you have dirt on your face, you may eventually hurt yourself as you shave off the peach fuzz.

Start with rinsing your face with warm water to open up your pores. And then, gently lather up a face wash or cleanser to balance the pores.

This process of cleansing helps to remove impurities like oil and grime that may have accumulated over the night or during the day. Moreover, if you have sensitive skin, cleansing your skin before shaving will help reduce any irritation that may arise from shaving.

2. Apply Shaving Cream

Shaving creams do not belong to only men. If you are a woman who loves to have her face smooth and clear off facial hairs, you should buy a shaving cream when next you go shopping for skincare products. Shaving creams double to allow the razor to glide smoothly and prevent skin irritations.

Apply a dollop of cream on your hand and spread it all over the area where you want to shave. Make sure you do not make a thick coat of cream on your face. Otherwise, you’ll spend the razor on scraping off cream rather than shaving hair off your face.

When you apply the cream, do so in an upward motion. That is, rub from your upward to your cheek and the side of your face. This way, you are lifting the hairs on your face and this makes it easy to shave.

3. Shave

The next step is to shave and this is the main deal. Shaving should be done carefully to avoid getting too many cuts on your face. Shave by making shorter and lighter strokes. For instance, go a little over one inch rather than long strokes from your ear down to your cheek or chin.

Also, it is better you address thicker areas of your face like your cheeks before your neck which is more sensitive. And, the thinness of the skin around the neck area makes it prone to quick cuts. To shave hair off your upper lip and jawline, blow up your cheek to aid shaving.

In between shaves, wipe off cream and hair from the razor and clean it with a cotton pad. Most importantly, you should slowly and gently shave your face along the direction of hair growth. This cuts down the chances of getting razor burns, skin irritations, and ingrown hairs.

4. Rinse Your Face

Give your face a rinse with cold water after shaving cream and hair off your face. Using cold water to rinse your face help to close your pores. Moreover, it prevents ingrown hairs and gives your face a smooth and soft feel.

Additionally, after rinsing, make sure you pat dry your face rather than wipe with a towel.

5. Moisturize

After giving your face a shave, you should generously moisturize your face to keep your skin hydrated. Shaving bares your skin, revealing a new and fresh surface. So, you should cover up with a moisturizing cream that supplies your skin with nourishment.

SEE: Best Facial Moisturizers for Your Dark Skin

Furthermore, you should use a moisturizer that works perfectly for your skin and is also alcohol-free. After moisturizing, allow your skin to soak up moisture before you apply makeup products or any other facial cream.

People with sensitive skin may find shaving creams irritating to their skin. They can rather opt for shaving gel or oil. If you will be using this, ensure you get a non-comedogenic oil to prevent skin breakouts like blackheads and acne.

Benefits of Shaving Your Face

benefits of shaving your face

Occasionally getting a face shave comes with lots of benefits that make your face smooth and soft. These benefits include:

Provides a clean surface for makeup

When you shave excess hair off your face, you provide a clean canvas for a flawless face beat. It removes hair, oil, and dead skin cells that may obstruct achieving a seamless finish. Moreover, it provides exfoliation benefits and allows makeup products to have a long-lasting adherence have on your face.

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A face shave gets rid of dark hairs

Sometimes we see dark hair sprouting on different parts of the body especially around the face. When you get a shave, it removes these hairs and makes your face smoother and clearer. Also, it gives you a well-defined complexion with a soft appearance.

Opens up your skin to skincare products

Clearing your face of peach fuzz opens up your skin pores to receive the active ingredients in skincare products like face serums. These products have anti-inflammatory and oxidation properties that are beneficial for clear, glowing skin.

It puts less stress on your face

Besides shaving your face, other removal methods of facial hair include waxing, dermaplaning, and hair plucking. But, among all these methods, shaving your face is the easiest and safest method to get rid of facial hair.

Furthermore, because it is less painful, it doesn’t put pressure of any kind on your skin.

It improves self-confidence

People who are very conscious of the appearance of facial hair and how their faces look will do themselves a lot of good with a face shave. If a smooth face will make you happy, then, you should have your face shaved. And, enjoy the lift it gives your face.

Side Effects of a Face Shave

Skin injuries

When you use a razor to shave your face, getting nicks and cuts is almost inevitable. Also, if severe, these injuries may bleed and sting when you rinse or moisturize. Skin injuries tend to happen more if you use a blunt tool or do not wet your face before you begin shaving.

Dry and flaking skin

If you naturally have dry skin, shaving your face can expose your skin to more dryness. Consequently, your skin may begin to itch and flake. However, it is possible to avoid this by applying moisturizer after a shave.

Hair regrowth

Shaving your face will result in frequent hair regrowth. Therefore, you have to make a steady and regular routine of shaving your face. This also happens when you shave your face the wrong way and with the wrong tool.

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Helpful Tips

  • Do not use the same razor you use for other body parts like your legs
  • To avoid infections, do not share a razor with another person
  • After about 5-8 shaves, you should replace your razor except it is an electric razor
  • Exfoliate your face with a chemical exfoliator to give you a closer look at the root hair and a cleaner shave
  • Have it in mind that you will need to have frequent shaves because of subsequent regrowth
  • Shave your face with a sharp razor. A blunt razor will result in skin irritations and ingrown hairs
  • Remember to shave your face in the direction of hair growth
  • Before you give your face that shave, be sure you do not have any skin blemish like eczema or acne. Shaving skin with blemishes can cause complications
  • Do not shave your face in a rush else you’ll be giving yourself cuts and nicks
  • If you have sensitive or dry skin, make sure you do apply some shaving cream before you shave your face. This lessens your chances of having skin irritations

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to shave my face?

Yes, it is. When you observe peach fuzz that obstructs your picture of silky, smooth skin or flawless makeup; it is okay to reach for a razor.

However, you shouldn’t use the same razor you use for shaving your legs on your face. A leg razor may be too sharp for your face. Because the skin around the face is quite sensitive, you should use a separate razor to also avoid getting bacteria onto your face.

How often should I shave my face?

This depends on the result you want to achieve. But, you definitely do not need to shave your face every day. If you want a completely hairless face, you may shave once in two or three days.

Pay attention to your hair growth. Take note of how long it takes for your hair to grow. When you know this, it will be easy to decide the number of days interval you should have between each shave.  Moreover, excessive shaving rids your skin of layers of skin cells.

Will shaving my face cause regrowth of thicker hair?

No, it can’t. This widespread myth is not as true as it sounds. The regrowth of thicker hair some persons notice can be called an illusion. Shaving cannot alter the thickness or growth rate of human hair.

Giving your face a shave blunts the edges of your hair. So, when it regrows, it tends to appear darker and thicker which it actually isn’t.

Conclusion

More women are shaving their facial hairs to get smooth, clear, and supple skin. The most disturbing facial hairs are those found around the upper lip and chin areas. They go as far as affecting the personal perceptions of some people.

Just like other skincare practices, shaving your face has its benefits and side effects. But these side effects are only temporary and they are outweighed by the benefits. Moreover, using a razor to shave your face is cost-effective.

Shaving your face with a razor opens your skin to smoothening and mechanical exfoliation. You can get rid of peach fuzz at home just before or after a bath.

Follow the guidelines that show you how to shave your face correctly and achieve a seamless and long-lasting makeup finish.

Thanks for reading.

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