Should A Woman Ever Shave Her Face? Beauty Experts Say It Could Be The Key To Youthful Skin

Should A Woman Ever Shave Her Face?

We don't bat an eyelid when a man shaves his face, but if a woman admits to trimming down her facial hair with a razor, that's another story.

But according to some beauty experts, women should be shaving their faces just as men do because the daily practice keeps skin youthful thanks to exfoliation.

Dr Michael Prager, an aesthetic clinician who has a practice in London, told the MailOnline: "From an anti-ageing point of view, home shaving has some effect.

"It’s like a mild form of microdermabrasion, so encourages collagen production, which reduces wrinkles. Whenever there’s trauma to the skin, collagen is stimulated to help cell renewal."

Prager added that the idea that hair grows back thicker after being shaved is a myth.

"Cutting off hair above the root won’t cause any feedback to the follicle, which is the live part that produces the hair and sits below the skin," he said.

"People might think hair looks thicker because it comes out at a different angle or blunt, rather than tapered to a natural point, but it won’t be changed on a cellular level."

But before you take a razor to your cheeks, you might hear what beauty and health editor for Women's Health magazine Anita Bhagwandas has to say on the subject.

In an article for The Guardian titled Why It's a Terrible Idea For Women To Shave Their Faces, Bhagwandas says the experts who spoke to The Mail are seriously wrong.

"Men have thicker, more youthful-looking skin because male androgens cause an increase in skin thickness of up to 25%, compared with women," she says.

"Men also produce more sebum, which is oil that keeps the skin moisturised and plumper-looking. Finally, men have a higher density of collagen in their skin than women – which is why women age faster."

While most woman will have fair hair on their faces that is barely noticeable to the human eye, it is true that many women with darker hair seek ways to remove it.

But according to Bhagwandas, lasers and creams are far more effective than shaving.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome - which sometimes causes excessive hair growth on the face - have also reported shaving in the past. But the NHS recommend trying medication to treat symptoms first.

As far as we're concerned, we already spend enough time shaving our legs, armpits and vaginas.

If you want to remove hair from your face because it is noticeable and causing you distress, then by all means do it.

But the pressure on women to look young forever is ridiculous - we won't be adding face-shaving to our already lengthy routine on the off chance it might prevent a few wrinkles.

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