To Shave or Not to Shave?

We have mentioned in one of our previous blogs that shaving can cause quite a few skin issues. Whether you are a man or a woman, shave regularly or occasionally and regardless of which part of your body you subject to the procedure – you need to consider these pros and cons when removing your unwanted hair.

PROS

Have you ever noticed that men’s cheeks, which are shaved often, look younger than the rest of their faces? That is because shaving is basically dermaplaning. Dermaplaning is a cosmetic skin treatment that uses an exfoliating blade to skim dead skin cells and hair from the face.  Dermaplaning aims to make the surface of your skin smooth, youthful, and radiant. This treatment claims to remove deep acne scarring and uneven pockmarks from your skin.

Does this sound familiar? Basically, it is shaving wrapped up in a fancy name. If cosmetic procedure adopted shaving as one of their treatments, there must be merit in saying it can improve the look of your skin.

CONS

Together with the good comes the bad. Side effects of shaving or dermaplaning include:

• redness
• skin burns
• whiteheads /breakouts
• discolouration
• ingrown hairs

Redness and skin burns occur when you are shaving too deeply into the skin removing a layer of skin together with the hair.

Whiteheads/breakouts develop a day or two after shaving. They develop as a result of bacteria and sebum (skin oil) clogging up your pores above the tip of the hair follicle.

After a close shave or dermaplaning treatment, you should be extra careful with sun exposure. Sun damage could create pigment blotches and discolouration on your freshly uncovered skin cells.  Do not leave the house without wearing sunscreen on your face.

The most common side effects, however, are skin bumps and ingrown hairs. An ingrown hair occurs when a sharp hair tip curls back or grows sideways into the skin. It is a benign condition which usually appears as a pink bump under the skin. Often the underlying hair can be seen under the skin. Ingrown hairs tend to be more common in areas with coarse hairs, like bikini area for women, and face and neck for men. Individuals with thicker, tightly curled hair tend to have the most problems with ingrown hairs.  An ingrown hair can lead to a localized foreign-body inflammatory reaction, which in turn will cause a breakout.

PREVENTION

Hydrate and soften both skin and hair on a regular basis and especially before shaving. Softer, hydrated hair will have a duller, rounder tip, which in turn will decrease the likelihood of it reentering the skin.

Regular gentle exfoliation will help tremendously with ingrown hair condition. Try our NeoNaturelle Silky Skin sugar scrub. Sugar is an excellent exfoliator and a natural antimicrobial agent; sugar crystals remove the top layer of dead skin and encourage the rejuvenation process. NeoNaturelle Silky Skin sugar scrub is made of all natural deeply moisturizing ingredients; it will soften and moisturize your skin and hair.

Apply the sugar scrub to you face or to any body parts that are in need of exfoliation via a circular motion to help dislodge stubborn tips.  Rinse with water once done.  If you shave regularly use this technique 3 times a week or as needed once you notice an ingrown hair.

Alpha Lipoic Acid and Retinol containing skin care products can also help reduce ingrown hairs. Our Neonaturelle Skin Repair Face oil contains both these ingredients. Regular use of Alpha Lipoic Acid face oil  thins out the top layer of your skin and reduces skin plugging  by clearing the buildup of dead skin cells. As a result fewer hairs end up embedding into their follicles.

Additional tips to avoid side effects of shaving:

• Do not shave against the direction of hair growth.
• Avoid shaving too closely to the skin.
• Try alternating a blade razor with an electric shaver. When using electric razors, keep the head of the electric razor slightly off the surface of the skin and shave in a slow, circular motion. Pressing the razor too close to the skin or pulling the skin taut can result in too close of a shave.
• Embrace, at least for a weekend, The scruffy Diehard look. Leave a short stubble. It will give your skin a chance to recuperate and regenerate the top layer of skin cells.

Our skin is exposed daily to harsh environmental toxins, sun rays and physical irritants.  Be gentle to your skin. Your skin is your protection. It is the first line of defence between your body and the outside world. Our skin protects us. Let’s protect it in return and it will pay us back with beauty and health.