It’s growing on me

Back in college this writer had a friend who once sheepishly admitted to having shaved her face with a traditional razor as a cheaper easier DIY hair removal option She didnrsquot quite dwell on the aftermath as it wasnrsquot a pleasant experience to relive Eventually she reverted to the good olrsquo waxing stripsThat was thenCut to now the Internet has been in frenzy with videos of women proudly wielding a scalpel to remove peach fuzz or ldquobaby hairrdquo a translucent soft hair that appears during childhood Although noticeable only at close range it continues to irk many The fact that itrsquos often difficult to detect makes it doubly tricky to removeBeauty blogger Salisha Talwar remembers being gobsmacked watching videos of Indian bloggers shaving their face ldquoTraditionally wersquove been advised not to shave because the hair tends to grow thicker But here were all these women endorsing face shaving which made me want to try it toordquo Talwar went on to experiment with several razors sometimes ending up with cuts and nicks because of too much pressure or using the wrong blade Which is why before getting into it learn how to do it correctly she suggests The process is usually done on clean dry skin using a clean blade ldquoIt is important to get the shaving technique right The skin needs to be stretched and the blades placed on the skin flat the shaving handle tilted at 45deg Use short strokes while pulling the skin taut and then move the razor gently over the skinrdquo she explains As somebody who experiments extensively with beauty products Talwar says shaving makes makeup stay longer on the skin ldquoIt prepares your skin for product application so efficacy is improved Some variants of foundation donrsquot sit well if you have facial fuzz But if therersquos no hair the finish is absolutely smoothrdquo She thinks itrsquos a myth that your hair grows back thicker and darker when you shave it ldquoIt grows back to what it was No more no lessrdquoLeft Blogger Khadija Islam began using razors because itrsquos painless but now has reduced its usage due to breakouts right Beauty blogger Salisha Talwar who put up a video of her shaving her face on Instagram says technique is important when yoursquore using the scalpel ldquoShaving facial hair however doesnrsquot thicken it or change its colourrdquo she saysInterestingly razors for women isnrsquot a new concept During World War I in 1915 the Gillette Safety Razor Company introduced the first safety razor for women the Milady Decolleteacutee But the product failed miserably as shaving was still firmly associated with masculinity Women didnrsquot want to risk being seen purchasing a razorWersquove come a long way since LetsShave is a startup that sells razors and grooming products for men and women The company says their face razors have been designed as a dermaplaning tool that use a single blade to safely remove the buildup of dead skin and unwanted facial hair that make your complexion appear dull and flaky ldquoThe common belief that makes women stay away from shaving their face is the risk of cuts and infections that could cause redness and pigmentation making the hair grow back darker and thicker Fact is that the Japanese have been doing it for yearsrdquo says a spokesperson from LetsShave Kao sori Japanese for face shaving is a popular skincare custom in the Southeast Asian country where women take tiny razors and shave the fuzz off their facesBeauty influencer Khadija Islam began using razors as she has a low tolerance for pain ldquoI would only stick to threading my upper lips Although it started out well Irsquove begun to notice that each time I shave I tend to break outrdquo From biweekly she now only does it once in two months ldquoProbably Irsquom going wrong with the method or the blade isnrsquot right but Irsquove reduced my usagerdquo No matter how well you shave your facial hair will typically grows back at around the 20day markIf yoursquore prone to acne Dr Chytra V Anand a cosmetic dermatologist and founder of Kosmoderma chain of clinics says itrsquos better you stay away from shaving your face ldquoWhile the pros of shaving the face is that itrsquos quick painless and easy to do if not done properly it causes shaving cuts can irritate pigmentation in sensitive skin and raise burn If your hair is thick laser hair reduction is a better procedure as it gives you permanent resultsrdquoAfter the act thinspMoisturise the skin immediately with the ceramidebased moisturiser to restore the skin barrier thinspDo not apply a toner or an astringent right after shaving thinspDonrsquot use bleaching agents or any chemical exfoliant like glycolic acid or salicylic acid or lactic acid for 24 hours after shaving thinspAvoid intense sun exposure after shaving like a beach holiday or a trek This can lead to hyper pigmentation of the skin