Shaving Tips Every Woman Should Know

Let's say you have an important party to attend for which you have been preparing for so long. Everything is so prefect dress, shoes, accessories, your makeup is all set and suddenly you realize you totally forgot to visit the parlor this week and get your waxing done. Now, what? At this point shaving comes as rescuer and thankfully your party is saved. Many women prefer waxing or epilating to get rid of unwanted hairs but shaving has always been on top of the list. For waxing, we need to visit the parlor and thus it consumes too much time and also hair needs to be grown up to a certain stage to get it waxed. Epilators are also a great option but not to forget very painful. On the other hand, shaving is so convenient and hassle free plus we can shave at the comfort of our home. When shaved right we can get the results similar to waxing or epilating. But there are so many myths associated with shaving that many of us never opt for shaving as our routine hair removal method. Today I will be discussing some the myths associated with shaving and also provide you some helpful tips to make your next shaving experience better.

Following are some of the common myths linked with shaving and let's see how many of them actually are true:-

Myth 1: It makes my hair grow faster and thicker.
Truth: There are many girls complaining about it and this is totally false. Your hair growth and texture is totally genetic and shaving has nothing to do with this. On the contrary, shaving regularly will reduce your hair growth over time.

Myth 2 : It gives me ingrown hair.
Truth: All hair removal methods, be it waxing or shaving will give you ingrown hair when not done properly. So it's not just shaving that can give you nasty ingrown hair. Exfoliating your skin before shaving will reduce this problem significantly.

Myth 3: It makes my skin dry.
Truth: When we shave, the upper layer of dead skin cells are also removed along with the hair. This can make your skin feel dry which is a common phenomenon with other hair removal methods too. Using a good moisturizer after shaving will take care of it easily.

Myth 4: It makes my skin black overtime.
Truth: Shaving does not remove hair follicle from the root as waxing or epilating does, it only removes the hair above our skin. This means hair roots are still present beneath the skin and if u are a brunette it seems as if the skin has darkened. But actually, that dark skin is due to the presence of hair roots in that area and not because of shaving.

Now that our common myths about shaving are busted let's move to the process and check out some tips that we should follow while shaving to get salon-like results at home.

1. Before shaving, always take a bath (preferably in hot water) as this will soften the hair from roots and also open the pores. Water also plumps up the hair and helps the razor to glide smoothly over your skin.
2. Exfoliate your skin. Before starting any hair removal method, you must exfoliate your skin as it will open up the pores and removes dead skin cells which may hinder in a close shave. You can use a gentle body scrub or dry brushing method for this purpose. Exfoliating will also make sure that you don't have ingrown hair after shaving.
3. Invest in a good quality shaving gel and never shave with soap lather. The results of shaving after applying a shaving gel will shock you. The shaving gel will create a layer between your skin and razor preventing cuts and additionally provides moisturization also. If you do not have shaving gel you can use your daily hair conditioner and it will work fine.
4. Pull your skin tight while shaving. Always try to pull the loose or flappy skin taut as it will help the razor to glide smoothly thus resulting in fewer nicks or cuts.

5. The direction of the shave is important. If you are shaving your arms and legs, run your razor on each spot twice. First, shave in the direction of the hair and then second time shave in the opposite direction. This will leave you with the closest shave and least ingrown hair. When you are shaving your armpits, try shaving in all directions as armpit hair can grow in any direction.
6. Do not use a razor more than three times. When we try to shave with old razor we tend to apply more pressure and it may lead to cuts. Similarly, when we are using a new blade be careful as it will also tend to cut more. Try using a razor specially designed for women with two or more blades and moisture strip for added protection.
7. Always apply good quality moisturizer after shaving as your skin may feel little irritated or dry especially if you have sensitive skin. You can also use oil instead of moisturizer for this purpose, both works fine.
8. Avoid applying deodorants, going out in sun and swimming just after shaving. While shaving, the top layer of dead skin is removed and it is more prone to redness and irritation. Direct exposure to sun or deodorants will irritate it further. Swimming water contains chlorine which can cause itching on the recently shaved skin.

Hopefully, the above tips will help you in your next shaving session and you can achieve the desired results with shaving. But make sure to be gentle while shaving and always extra careful while shaving delicate areas like bikini area and underarms. Also, shaving the facial hair by women should be avoided.
Please comment below for more tips and how you find this article.

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Contributed By: Chahat Monga