I had completely forgotten about the Gillette Venus Subscribe To Smooth Challenge in pretty much the same manner that I have forgotten the last time I opted for waxing as a hair removal method. Shaving is so quick and easy that it has now become my preferred method of getting rid of unwanted hair. And I don’t even need to wait for the hair to grow to a certain length or plan my clothes around my waxing schedule! On my holiday too, especially for the beaches of Ibiza, the Gillette Venus ensured that I was “bikini-ready”.
I have already shared some tips to get a great shave in this post and today. However, there are still loads of myths surrounding the use of razors for hair removal for women so let’s do some myth busting today, shall we?
Shaving Myths Busted
Shaving makes hair darker and makes it re-grow faster: This is the number 1 myth as far as shaving is concerned. It is also untrue. As the hair grows, the tip becomes finer and that makes it look lighter. The new hair that grows back APPEARS darker. Shaving cannot change the colour of the hair since that is determined by the melanin in a person’s body and neither can it change the growth rate.
Shaving makes the skin darker: NO! In fact, it is the chemicals in the epilatory creams that do that. For some people, even the friction and pulling of the skin that happens with waxing causes the skin to become dark. Shaving, when done in the right way with the right products, does not darken the skin.
Hair grows back coarser /rougher after shaving: It doesn’t. The hair perhaps feels coarser/rougher because it is short and stumpy but as it grows, the tip becomes finer. Shaving doesn’t alter the type of hair you have.
Shaving causes in-grown hair: Not only shaving, any kind of hair removal can cause in-grown hair. For me, though I have been waxing since years, I always had issues with in-grown hair. However, when I use the Gillette Venus razor along with the Gillette Satin Care gel, I get a super close shave. So close that it even manages to get through the in-grown hair and make my skin really smooth (as mentioned in this post. Exfoliation and moisturising are also important to prevent in-growths.
Shaving makes my skin feel dry and itchy: Not if you use the right product before and after shaving. Never dry shave. Always ensure that the hair is moist. Also you should use a good shave gel, not soap or shower gel since the shave gel is meant to soften the hair so that you can get a comfortable shave. Shave gels also have emollients that keep razor burn away. If you run out of shave gel, you can also use a hair conditioner. Also, moisturising after shaving is very important and ensures that skin doesn’t feel dry and itchy. Also, it is always better to avoid wearing thick, rough fabrics such as denim immediately after shaving since they can rub against the skin and chaff it.
I hope this post has helped in clearing up some of the myths associated with shaving. Do let me know in the comments if you have any more queries regarding shaving.