How and why to shave the face of girls and women: face shaving

Perhaps, in the near future, readers of the women’s website “Beautiful and Successful”, entering a beauty salon, will ask the master: “Shave my face quickly, please!”

After all, this is precisely the request that Japanese girls who shave their faces turn to their master. Funny? But for us, not so much.

After all, while we treat the procedure of shaving women’s faces with contempt and laughter, Asian fashionistas have been practicing it for a long time. They say that only thanks to this the skin on their face is flawless: porcelain, soft, silky. The costs are minimal, and the results are ideal.

What is this: another crazy idea or a breakthrough in the field of beauty? We invite you to figure it out together. After all, we are talking about shaving! And they offer women to shave. Moreover, you need to shave your face!

What kind of procedure is this?

Face shaving or dermaplaning (dermaplaning) - under these names in salons they can offer girls to shave. And there is no need to be surprised or indignant - this procedure has been in great demand in Japan since 2010. This is where the legs of face shaving grow.

As we know, “face” is translated as “face”, and “shaving” is translated as “shave”. But the translation from English “dermaplaning” accurately reveals the very essence of the procedure - “skin planing” - the top layer of skin is scraped off (removed) from the face and vellus hair is cut off. This is a kind of peeling, but not chemical, but mechanical.

The women's site sympaty.net, of course, talked about how you can remove wrinkles on the cheeks with a razor, but we suggested doing a massage with the blunt end of the machine, simulating the shaving process. But to hit it in the face like that, and even with a sharp blade...

Let's study how women who shave their faces explain the benefits of face shaving?

The trend for girls is to shave their faces: history

In general, Japanese women were the first to use dermaplaning. And they have been using this procedure for more than one century. Even though their skin is rarely populated with many visible hairs, they still shave their faces to eliminate fine, invisible hairs and leave their facial skin smooth. It is interesting that Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe knew about this technique and used it successfully.

Why shave your face?

Anyone who has used shaving technology correctly knows that after the procedure the skin becomes silky, soft and very smooth. The epidermis has an ideal structure for applying makeup; visually, after visiting a makeup artist, a woman looks several years younger.

After all, a thin blade carefully removes not only soft fluff from a woman’s face, but also removes dead epidermal cells. Even scrubs can't compare to this type of shave. Therefore, even in ancient times, even young Japanese girls learned to shave their faces correctly so as not to injure the upper layers of the skin.

For the first time in Europe they learned about dermaplaning in 2011, and in 2016 bloggers tried what it is and what results can be obtained. Huda Kattan gave impetus to girls shaving their faces with a thin blade. It is interesting that an ordinary men's razor will not be suitable for such an activity; you should only use a razor with one sharp blade, and use certain tactics for the shaving process.

Where did it come from?

As we mentioned above, girls first started shaving their faces in Japan.

The first were geishas who were very careful about the impeccability of their appearance and thus removed all excess hair from their faces;
Also in Japan, brides shaved their faces on the eve of the wedding. They say that make-up is applied better after shaving, but Japanese brides don't usually wear it on this day.

Japanese beauties all unanimously assure that there is nothing wrong with a girl shaving her face.

The face, after the machine is passed over it, looks perfect.
Asian women never have rashes or pimples on their faces.
Makeup applies better to shaved skin.

Maybe women who shave their faces actually improve the condition of their skin, which is renewed every time after a light shave?

Later, American and Western European women joined the Japanese. They say that even Marilyn Monroe shaved her face with a razor to remove vellus hair. Isn’t she the standard of impeccable female beauty for many?

Today on the Internet you will find many step-by-step instructions for women on how to properly shave their faces at home, but almost all of them are in English. You rarely see our girls admitting that they shave their faces.

Probably, our beauty bloggers still do not risk conducting such an experiment on their skin or are not ready to hear the reaction of the people. What's stopping them?

We all know that hair thickens after shaving. We still needed some stubble on our faces.
There is no confidence in the safety of this procedure for a delicate female face. We don't need cuts on our faces!
No one has canceled the hair that grows into the skin after shaving. How to get rid of them later?
Well, why should we, women, take away from men what is associated only with a man? Feminists are feminists, but don't shave women's faces?!
Even if we consider face shaving as a skin care procedure, as a result of which you can get rid of excess facial hair, there are other methods - laser or photo hair removal, after all. Is it easy for you to imagine a woman shaving her face with a razor near the mirror? No to me.

Let's continue to look for the positive aspects of this procedure, maybe we will even be able to find reviews that it is necessary for a woman to shave her face?

Foreign press about Russia and beyond

Last year, when the pandemic hit, 23-year-old Brooklyn Horn found herself confined to her home in Kansas City, Missouri, and began spending more time online. She joined TikTok and began watching video tutorials on skin care. Her attention was drawn to one of the videos recorded by influencer Jacqueline Hill on the topic of dermaplaning (depilation of the face using a special tool - a thin razor, scraping the stratum corneum of the skin and removing vellus hair - Ed.

). Inspired, Horne ran to Walmart and bought a simple blade, then returned home, applied oil, and shaved all the fuzz off her face. She began shaving regularly and even published her own video (...),” writes The Wall Street Journal.

“While many women regularly pluck their eyebrows, sideburns and upper lip hair, the practice of shaving a woman's entire face has only recently begun to gain popularity. Although there were certainly precedents: 16th-century Japanese woodblock prints show women shaving their faces with long, thin blades, and Queen Elizabeth I removed all hair on her forehead, including her eyebrows. Rumor has it that Marilyn Monroe shaved her entire face to make her skin look smoother. Today, some influencers, cosmetologists and dermatologists promote this practice as a way to remove unwanted hair, as well as an exfoliation technique—no matter how radical it may seem.

According to David Kim, a dermatologist in San Francisco, dermaplaning is the practice of scraping the top layer of skin using a soft scalpel on the face or elsewhere to gently exfoliate dead skin cells, accumulated dirt and oil, and remove vellus hair. The goal, he says, is to make skin appear smoother and more radiant, and to prepare it to absorb products more effectively. He believes this method can be effective especially for those who have not yet exfoliated with acids or retinol. However, Dr. Kim does not recommend this practice for people with sensitive skin, conditions such as rosacea or eczema, or patients with acne, moles, psoriasis or active infections, the article says.

“Dermaplaning has been one of the top topics young patients have asked Dr. Kim about during the pandemic (other popular topics have been butt and back acne, groin yeast infections, exfoliating acids, and vitamin C products). He attributes this to the popularity of dermaplaning on social media with its engaging tutorials. (...),” the newspaper writes.

“The dermaplaning videos that are trending on TikTok and Youtube are truly fascinating. Women apply a rich oil or cream to their face and then take super close-up shots of the blade being used on their face. Small hairs accumulate on the blade and women get excited when they look at them—sort of an updated version of the 1990s ad for Bioré pore strips that had blackheads stuck to them. The success of these videos is not surprising in a social media universe that prizes anything that triggers ASMR—the autonomic sensory meridian response (the sensation of goosebumps in response to a pleasurable sensory stimulus). Other beauty-related techniques fall into this category, including combing hair and removing facial masks. And, worse, squeezing out pimples and crunching the spine,” the publication says.

The newspaper notes that while many dermaplaning practitioners use cheap razors that can be found at any big box store, there are also specialized, high-quality tools on the market. (...)

Beauty influencer Megan Carboni, who is a proponent of facial shaving, (...) considers herself a debunker of "myths" such as the theory that facial hair will become thicker or grow faster after dermaplaning (Dr. Kim confirms that this is unlikely, explaining: "You're not damaging the hair follicles themselves. You're just cutting the hair shaft.") She also wants to speak out against what she calls "the stigma behind women shaving their faces."

Dana Persia, an esthetician in Philadelphia, had similar misconceptions about dermaplaning until she tried it, the article says. "Men, they've always shaved their faces, and it's part of that ritual of being a man... I think people think it's weird for a woman to shave her whole face," she notes. A few years ago, she watched in disbelief as Caroline Manso, one of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, shaved her entire face on screen. When Persia started trying it on herself and her clients, she was pleased with the results. “I feel like my skin has become more radiant. I do it to fight aging,” says 54-year-old Persia.

“The role of social media in identifying and spreading new beauty trends, including dermaplaning, cannot be underestimated these days. It's a domino effect: one woman watches a tutorial, then makes her own tutorial, inspiring others to follow suit. “I just want to try to make a video and see if it works. Maybe I’ll become popular on TikTok,” Horne shared.

Any reviews? No reviews!

We did not find any active discussion of face shaving on the forums by those who have already deliberately shaved their face at least once. No, we came across one review of a woman shaving her face. But she shaved him in a fit of passion, hurrying to some important date, and then cried, why did she do it, and what should she do now? Everyone oohed and ahhed, scared that now the hair on her face would begin to grow like mushrooms after rain, and she would have to buy a good razor to start shaving every morning. She never responded again...

By the way, for face shaving they use not an ordinary razor, but a special razor. It is very thin and resembles a scalpel. Well, how do you like it, a scalpel in the face? Not scary? I'm scared.

We also came across one comment from a woman who has been shaving her face for several years. That's good luck! She, of course, has no idea that she practices dermaplaning at home. She just shaves her face because she has a lot of hair growing on it. Hm. Perhaps that's why they grow because they shave? Or is there something wrong with the hormones? Yes, she claims that her face and she herself look beautiful. Both she and her husband. Why is my husband here? I didn’t post a photo, we’ll take your word for it. If a woman likes to shave her face, let her shave herself. Besides, her husband is handsome. He will also run away when he sees her light, unshaven stubble.

As you can see, there are no reviews as such.

Recommendations

These simple tips will help you perform the procedure correctly:

You should not shave your face if there are acne or open wounds on it, as this will only worsen the condition. Because of this, an infection can enter the body. First you need to heal the wounds and get rid of acne, and only then can you remove the hairs. This will prevent many problems.
It is important to always disinfect your razor. This should be done before each procedure. It is dipped in alcohol for a few minutes, and then you can shave. This helps protect against bacterial infection.
You should not use a razor that is already used on other parts of the body. It should have only one purpose - for the face. Only then is the likelihood of inflammation and infectious processes from cuts eliminated. And a razor, which has another purpose, can cause scars and ingrown hairs.
It is advisable to regularly change the razor, since with each procedure it becomes clogged with hairs. In addition, it can injure the skin, which can lead to infection.
The procedure must be performed very carefully, carefully, without sudden movements. The skin of the face is delicate, so wounds appear quickly.
You should not shave your face in the opposite direction of hair growth. This leads to friction and can also cause microdamage to the skin. This also increases the risk of ingrown hairs and irritation.
Although shaving allows you to remove hair and dead particles, it is important not to forget about basic skin care. It consists of using suitable cosmetics and performing effective procedures.

Some women do not need to cleanse their entire face. Dense hair can be located above the upper lip or on the cheeks. Do not touch areas where this is not required. You should also avoid exfoliating your skin before and after shaving, as this can make your skin very sensitive.

What do cosmetologists think?

Cosmetologists suggest that face shaving can become an alternative to peeling.

With its help, the upper keratinized layer is well removed, which promotes collagen production.
Dead particles are cleaned off (read: shaved) better, and the pores open.
Thanks to this, masks and creams that you want to apply to your face after shaving will be better absorbed into the epidermis.
In addition, shaving is a kind of facial massage. Shaving improves blood circulation in this area.

Among the positive aspects, the following can also be highlighted:

Availability;
Painless;
Removal of all unwanted hairs on the face, even those that are not amenable to laser hair removal;
Rapidity;
The ability to do everything at home;
The skin is rejuvenated and revitalized.

Everything is good in theory, but what about in practice?

Contraindications

There are virtually no contraindications to the dermaplaning procedure.

Girls should not shave their faces if they have inflamed pimples or blackheads on their skin, or if their face is very prominent.

Risks

Despite the simplicity of the procedure, we must not forget that this procedure can bring harm rather than benefit:

The risk of infection cannot be excluded. This time.
There is a risk of damaging the delicate skin of the face. That's two.
The risk of ingrown hairs has not been canceled. That's three.

Besides:

If you are already going to shave, then you will need to do it systematically - at least once a week. You don’t want your loved one to prick himself on your unshaven stubble?
After shaving, you need skin care, and this is an additional expense.
The barrier (protective) function of the skin decreases. Do you need it?

Dermaplaning is an unsafe procedure with short-term effects

Expert opinion

Elizaveta Gassieva

dermatologist

— Asia is the birthplace of many innovative cosmetic procedures. But I would still advise against dermaplaning. By shaving vellus hair, you will achieve a smooth face, but not for long. The very next day the hair will begin to grow back and will be coarser than it was before.

It is very easy to get addicted to such procedures with a short-term effect.

Once you shave your face, you want it to stay that way forever, but this is impossible to achieve with a regular razor.

Another risk of dermaplaning is that it is traumatic. A sharp blade not only removes the keratinized layer of cells, but also injures the skin. Acne-prone skin may react with new rashes, which will be accompanied by bacteria, and sensitive skin with irritation and redness.

How to properly shave a woman's face?

Even if you decide to take this step, it is better to seek help from a cosmetologist for the first time, who must competently carry out the face shaving procedure.

By the way, the women's website sympaty.net looked at the services of several salons, but did not find one that offered face shaving. Although it is indicated that dermaplaning is gaining popularity, and some salons have already included facial shaving for women in their list of services.

Dermaplaning is performed on dry skin. That is, they shave over a dry face.
Note! They use a special scalpel razor, which is held at an angle of 45 degrees.
Movement - down from the temples to the chin following the hair growth.
After shaving, apply a moisturizing cream with a high degree of protection against UV rays to the skin.

As you can see, the face shaving procedure has not been fully studied. It may well become quite popular in salons over time. But today you shouldn’t run for a razor and prove with foam at the mouth that this is a super method of facial care. After all, there are still more questions than answers. Let's wait a little. It is quite possible that in a few years a phrase from a woman: “Shave my face, please, because today is such a day, and I’m not shaved!”, no one will cause a grin or ridicule. Wait and see.

Author - Yulia Spiridonova, website www.sympaty.net - Beautiful and Successful. Article verified by beauty blogger. @lil4olga, on Instagram since 2021. More information about the site's authors Copying this article is prohibited!

Your skin will benefit if you use the right tools

It's best to find a razor that is designed specifically for shaving a woman's face. Men develop stiff stubble on their faces that resembles copper wire. Women have delicate and soft hairs. If you are using a tool to remove coarse hair, you are doing it wrong. A special razor for fine hair will do a better job of exfoliating. You get rid of dead skin cells accumulated on your face and lose your fuzz. In addition, special tools have additional safety guarantees that help avoid scratches and abrasions on the skin. If you use a regular razor, and not too sharp one at that, you can damage the surface of the epidermis and the result will be extremely negative.

What effect does shaving a woman's face have?

Proponents of dermaplaning claim that the procedure makes the skin porcelain, has an anti-aging effect, cleanses pores and is an alternative to microdermabrasion.

View this post on Instagram
Posted by HUDA KATTAN (@hudabeauty)

Makeup artist and beauty blogger Huda Kattan even posted a video on Instagram talking about shaving her face. Naturally, this caused bewilderment among many subscribers, but the reaction of others showed that not only men start the morning with a razor in their hands.

Main effects of dermaplaning:

vellus hair removal;
getting rid of dead cells.

After the procedure, the skin becomes smoother, renews itself faster, and cosmetic products adhere well to it.