Why is it that men seem to have fewer wrinkles and tighter skin on their faces than women? The answer is shaving. The simple act of shaving every day exfoliates a man’s skin and makes the skin brighter and tighter as well as reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
While it has just recently become popular for women to shave their faces as a way to exfoliate, some women have been doing it for years. In fact, there are rumors that Marilyn Monroe shaved her face. Caroline Manzo from Real Housewives of New Jersey admits that she has shaved her face for 10 years. Not, she says because she’s got a hairy face, but because she knows it gives her beautiful skin.
While some women like Manzo swear by the results they get from shaving, some beauty experts feel that there are better, safer solutions. Angie Byer, a medical aesthetician at UW Health Transformations Byer agrees that men do tend to have better skin because of the shaving but feels that for women, dermaplaning makes more sense.
Dermaplaning is a treatment that safely exfoliates the epidermis and removes the vellus hair that is often referred to as “peach fuzz.” Vellus hair can cause dirt and oil to build up in the follicles, so removing it can lead to not just smoother, but healthier skin. Some women fear that hair will grow back thicker, but Byer says that is just a myth.
The procedure is quick, requires no recovery time, and has no unfavorable effects. The aesthetician uses a scalpel to abrade the skin surface with gentle strokes. Though dermaplaning is considered safe, aestheticians should be properly trained before attempting the procedure as the skin can easily be punctured with the scalpel.
The procedure takes about 30 minutes and Byer says that women will get a deeper exfoliation than they would by simply shaving.