to shave the face to have a beautiful skin? The opinion of a dermatologist

It was long believed to be reserved for men, but face shaving is becoming more and more popular with women. And for good reason, THE facial hair are a frequent reason for dermatological consultation as explained by the Dr. Nina Roos, dermatologist specialized in aesthetic dermatology. Hirsutism represents “on average 5% of consultations among women” she underlines, before specifying that he is a source of complex.

It is therefore not surprising that the technique of dermaplaning, which invites you to shave the discreet down that you have on your entire face (cheeks, forehead, nose, chin, etc.), has been so popular lately. She who promises to get rid of the hair on the face that bothers us, would also be able to transform the quality of the skin. Softer and smoother skin, exfoliation of the upper layer of the skin, improvement in the rendering of make-up… It has many advantages, but before recommending this practice, we wanted to have the opinion of the dermatologist to know its impact on hair and skin. The verdict is final for Dr. Nina Roos: “She offers no benefitit is a practice that I formally advise against”.

Dermaplaning, an irritating gesture for the skin

In addition to not being useful for the skin, dermaplaning would even have a big disadvantage: “shaving irritates the skin” as the dermatologist warns us. Dr. Nina Roos, who counts well “fight against the development of this trend” warns us against using a razor blade all over the face which can cause “immediate irritation” on sensitive skin, but not only.
For the doctor, this shaving will in no way boost cell regeneration, nor give radiance, nor even reduce acne scars. If you are looking for these benefits, she therefore advises you to turn to “a chemical exfoliation based on fruit acids that will be effective for post-acne marks, to refine pores and for cell renewal”.

Shaving your face: disastrous consequences on hair

We worry about whether dermaplaning does not remove hairs that are useful to our skin, such as those present on the intimate areas or the eyelashes, and whether there is not a risk that more of them will grow back. No problem on that side, reassures us the dermatologist, who explains that there is “not really effective hair protection so it’s not a problem”. Likewise, it ensures that shaved facial hair “do not repel more numerous”.

On the other hand, she indicates that this shaving can have much worse effects. She tells us that it sometimes generates “the stimulation of hair growth”. If, of course, this does not happen overnight, “the down is getting thicker and thicker” because the regular cut of the hair reinforces the caliber of the latter. In some people, you see this difference in just a few months, so be careful before you start dermaplaning. Another unexpected effect mentioned by the dermatologist and not the least: “The hairs can also become darker”. In short, you will have understood it, it is far from being the adequate solution if your down is complex for you because shaving is more likely to accentuate it.

An act that leaves psychological traces

In addition, the dermatologist would like to point out that this habit of shaving facial hair very often has a perverse effect, because people who do it end up observing their facial hair more meticulously and paying more attention to it. The disastrous consequence of this is the birth of a “psychological addiction” shaving, which is often accompanied by the development of new complexes when we were trying to get rid of it by removing facial hair. In other words, the fact of shaving these hairs only maintains the complexes by causing both “hyper attention and anxiety” she warns. “Down is something normal, you have to put it into perspective” she recalls, moreover, to put an end to the taboo of female facial hair.

If you are really bothered by the hair above the lips, “fading is the only solution” for the dermatologist. She advises against all other methods of hair removal, from hair removal wax to depilatory cream, because there is always a risk of breaking the hair.

Chin hair after 50: what to do?

Are you wondering if you can still shave a hair here and there on your face, especially if it is a hair on the chin that appeared with menopause? We confirm it, dermaplaning is not an option. Instead, the dermatologist recommends pulling them out with tweezers because “the more you pull them out the less there are, because there is only a certain number of times the hair can grow back” she reassures. This is the best way to get rid of it.

Passionate about writing and beauty, Elodie swaps her lipstick for her laptop to find you the best makeup, hair and skincare trends, and pro tips…