A small part of my fear stemmed from the idea that hair would grow back darker and thicker, but Denno assured me that is just a myth. “The hair may feel a little stubbly for a few days, but that’s because our natural hair is tapered. When we cut it, it’s the blunt end that grows and gets longer, which makes the hair feel more soft.” But I was afraid of cutting my face, my hands, or worse: causing a breakout that lasted six months. After figuring out how to reduce redness, I loved it. The act of shaving felt oddly masculine, which was interesting because I ultimately felt rejuvenated and more like myself afterward. As someone who doesn’t get facial hair waxed or shaved regularly, I didn’t know what to expect. And yes: Skin care seems to work better, and foundation goes on more smoothly. It did start to feel “stubbly” when it was growing in initially, but after waiting a few more days it was essentially back to “normal.” I shaved twice more and kept it up for three whole weeks. The only downside? Time. I wish it didn’t take as long as it did to get a good shave. While I’m not sure I’ll do this once a week, I will absolutely do it before events or whenever I need to be on-camera. The skin simply looks better. Of course, this is what worked for me—if you have any concerns or questions, discuss with a professional or your derm. Want to exfoliate your skin without a razor for now? Try one of this year’s best gentle exfoliants.
