Ladies,
Would you, could you (or better yet do you) shave your face?
If you’ve never heard of this practice perhaps you’re thinking this is joke, gimmick or straight up whack. Turns out this was a regular practice for a couple of gals by the name of Marilyn (Monroe) and Liz (Taylor). And while celebrities are known to do some pretty crazy things, they also seem to be on the inner circle of trust when it comes to beauty secrets of the rich and famous…er… themselves.
I actually heard about this more than a decade ago from a friend of mine. She was telling me who smooth it makes you skin and that its the best exfoliator ever, she was saying this so matter of fact like it was no big deal and finally was like, just shave your face already! You can check out this post or this video if you need a little more convincing. Here’s the thing though… I still haven’t shaved my face. Although I will say perhaps it was the idea that I thought it was the same process as when a man shaves his face like Marilyn models above. But if you clicked on that video you’ll see there are special face razors for women that you do on a dray face. For some reason that process just seems to make it a different game. BUT there are women who shave old school style with a man’s Gillette and a little shaving cream. In addition to removing all facial hair apparently it acts like microdermabrasion and removes your top layer of dead skin leaving your face smooth as a baby’s bottom. Of course the claims that shaving any hair causes it to grow back thicker are continually shot down as an old wives tale… something I’ve always believed.
Part of me really, really wants to try it. The other part of me is like eh. I’m not someone who freaks out about having fine little hairs on my face. Even the longer ones around my sideburns and neck. I asked my husband (who has no problem being honest with me) if it bothers him and he said not at all… he’s never even thought about it. Perhaps my skin would be super smooth, but according to some dermatologists, if you have other exfoliating practices–such as a Clarisonic, which I have–then shaving your face isn’t going to exfoliate any better. And while some women claim facial shaving is the reason that men seem to age slower, other’s debunk that myth with a little something called science.
So…would you? I’m so curious to know if any of you have ever shaved your face? Was it a one time thing or a weekly practice? Is it something you rave about or keep to yourself? Is it one of those things that once you’re in the club, you never go back? Or do you find this to be another ridiculous thing women do in the name of beauty that is completely unnecessary? Dish.
Here's a fun fact–I shave my face, but not to exfoliate. Oh, no, no…if only the world were so kind. I shave because ever since I got super pregnant with my son and got a little of that testosterone pumping thru my veins, I started growing dark, wirey whiskers on my chin–not hair, mind you! Whiskers. As in, like a man. After trying all sorts of different solutions, shaving ended up being the easiest and most effective way of removal. I tell you this because your post made me feel better, not only because I'm actually distantly related to Marilyn Monroe and to find out she did only makes, well, sense (if you're curious, more about that relation go here: http://jasmineshorten.blogspot.com/2014/03/our-marilyn-monroe.html), but to find out I'm not the only girl who does this, makes me feel better. Even if our reasons for doing so are a little, tiny bit..erh..different. 🙂
Jazzy–No shame girl! You do what you got to do and honestly, the fact that so many women do it just because should really help a lot right? And I'm totally checking out your link…fascinating..
As a gal who's had PCOS with excessive levels of testosterone in my body since I was 12, I've always had larger than normal sideburns…up until i was 16 or so, i just didn't notice them…but someone said something, so i started waxing…SUPER painful and left so many clogged hair follicles…it was gross…but i dealt with it…then in my late 20s when I started fertility treatments to try to conceive the waxing became like torture…my beautician suggested shaving…so, my husband showed me how and now I shave my cheeks every day 🙂 and my unladylike mustache twice a week…I find that I don't mind the shaving as much as I hated the waxing…and the best thing is no clogged hair follicles. So yes, I shave…its so much better than the alternative bearded lady look.
Oh my gosh! So glad shaving has saved you from that pain! I would imagine that area would be super sensitive (and I've waxed some pretty sensitive parts of my body if you know what I'm saying.)
I just started shaving my face about two weeks ago and so far it has been wonderful! I use the women facial razors and it only takes about 2 minutes. The main reason I started was for make-up application reasons. I am a natural blonde and while the peach fuzz on my face was blonde there was A LOT of it. My makeup constantly caked up in the mustache, side burn, and temple areas of my face. My make-up now goes on so smooth and evenly and my skin does look clearer and healthier too.
Yes–that's what one of the video clips talks about–how smoothly makeup goes on. Glad its working for you.
Not my face, but my arms, yes. And I've never noticed it growing back thicker.
Ha–I just randomly shaved my arms a few weeks ago and my husband was like, Why? And I just shrugged. And looking at them yesterday I noticed the hair had not grown back thicker and overall it was just much more sparse.
I had never heard of this before. Thank you for sharing.
Hey Migs!!! My name is Sharon (I know the Google thing says Shannon, I did that for privacy reasons). I started a campaign to encourage kindness called the Buoyancy Project, and right now we're trying to raise money to buy a gaming system for a local hospital in honor of Rare Disease Day. If you could donate a little bit and share the link, I would be so grateful! Thank you!! ( http://igg.me/at/Y-9ubAMw9pE/x/9872417
Oh, I totally shave my face. I just have normal fuzz on my face, but it makes my skin soooooo smooth and soft. Makeup goes on easily, and my skin just has a 'dewier' look. It makes my skin look younger and less dry. And a little secret? I just use my normal (leg) razor in the tub. I just gently run it over my cheeks, up towards my cheekbones, over my chin and above my lip, then around my jawbone. I don't even use shaving cream. (I'm probably doing it wrong, but hey, it works!)
Also, the myth about hair growing back thicker after shaving is just that – a myth. The reason people think it's so, is that your hair is much finer at the tip, so when your hair comes in naturally (or after a wax, when the hair is completely removed), it appears finer and softer. When you shave, you're cutting the hair mid-shaft, which is where it's thick, so as it continues to grow, it's coming through the skin at that thick, mid-shaft part, hence the prickly, 'coarse' look. 🙂
Dustin tells this amazing story about accidentally walking in on his grandmother shaving her face. How it was odd, hilarious and somewhat embarrassing (for him, not his grandmother).
As for shaving my own face, I don't need to. I'm a true blond with really fine hair, so I guess in this sense I am blessed?
That's not Marilyn Monroe. The model was Verna Lisi.
Thanks! I wasn't totally sure if that was Marilyn or not (looked enough like her, but also looked to be later in the 60's…) but regardless, a lot of articles still reference her as a face shaver.
I guess shaving might suit some, but for me there were better methods. I have fair skin and fast-growing dark hair and discovered IPL/laser in my 40s. The sideburns, the moustache, the hairy ankles and thighs, the out of control armpits, all tamed and largely never grew back. It was life changing and self-esteem enhancing. I do occasionally take a razor to the peach fuzz around my jawline, but for anything darker or coarser on my face, I would head to the IPL salon.
Wow, perfect. Fortunately, I found your website!
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