So you’re trying to figure out how to shave your face, eh? Maybe you’ve seen all of the IG and TikTok videos of people shaving off their peach fuzz to fix cakey foundation and soften their skin texture, or maybe you're working with PCOS or hirsutism and looking for some hair-removal options that won't, uh, burn your freakin' face off. Or maybe, you're just trying to figure out whether or not to spend the money on a professional dermaplaning treatment, instead of DIYing it at home.

Should Women Shave Their Faces? The Pros, Cons, and Tips for Safe Facial Shaving

I know, it’s sort of taboo for women to talk about. I usually love trying new things, but it took me awhile to get on board with dermaplaning, even though I had hot wax ripped off my face for years back in my 20s.

But, the more I researched dermaplaning and the benefits, the more I wanted to try it. So, a couple years ago, I quietly dipped my toes in the dermaplaning water with some super cheap face razors. The results made it a permanent part of my skincare routine.

Today, dermaplaning is more popular than ever and there are a lot more products to choose from. So, if you’ve been curious about dermaplaning, this post is for you.

Is shaving good for your face?

There's no good or bad when it comes to shaving your face (if you do it correctly, of course)—it's all personal preference. Is there a medical or skincare benefit to shaving your face at home? Nope! Unlike professional dermaplaning, which removes the top layer of your skin (along with your hair) for an added exfoliating effect, shaving just removes surface-level hair...and that's about it.

With face shaving, you use a (clean, new) razor to remove surface-layer peach fuzz, but with dermaplaning, a dermatologist or medical esthetician uses a surgical scalpel to carefully remove hair, peach fuzz, and even part of the stratum corneum (the top layer of your skin), says dermatologist Estee Williams, MD. Think of shaving as the cheaper, easier DIY hair removal option and dermaplaning as the more effective, professional version.

Depending on your skin type and your technique. Dr. Williams explains that shaving your face can cause irritation and should be avoided if you have sensitive skin or an active acne breakout—both of which can be made worse by the sharp blades. Otherwise, TikTok-famous dermatologist Muneeb Shah, DO, (and the creator of one of the videos that popped up in my feed and got me interested) says shaving your face is safe to try at home, as long as you practice safety measures.

For one, practice holding the razor and test it on another part of your body before trying it on your face to make sure you understand how to properly angle the shaver. It's also super important to use a clean razor every. single. time. because you could nick your skin and risk an infection if the blades are dirty. No good.

5 benefits of shaving your face as a woman

I think we can all admit that there is a weird stigma about shaving your face as a woman, even though we shave almost every other part of our body regularly. Yet, when it comes to the face, that’s a man’s territory.

Personally, I blame shaving companies and their marketing for this. Not only are shaving products typically marketed to men, but depictions of face shaving have always had images of men with shaving cream all over their face and a big razor.

Luckily, things are changing and more products are on the market for women than ever before, but should you do it? Let’s talk about the benefits to shaving and/or dermaplaning your face:

• Shaving your face is the ultimate exfoliator. I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older that exfoliation is the name of the game to aging more slowly. Shaving your face remove dead skin cells and really exfoliates that skin for younger, smoother skin.
• Shaving your face helps your skincare products absorb deeper, for more impact. That’s right; get yo money’s worth.
• Shaving your face is the ultimate primer for makeup. In fact, you may even be able to skip primer or use a foundation with it included and be good to go. I’m all about simplifying my routine.
• Shaving your face is a LOT less painful than waxing. A lot. Like wow – so much less painful.
• Shaving your face improves your skin texture. It really smoothes it out.
  None of these benefits should surprise you – after all, we all love the feeling of nice, smooth legs after a good shave. And, how many of us have looked at guys who don’t spend hours rubbing hundreds of dollars of skin care on their face, but still look younger than we do?

The answer: face shaving. It’s easier, cheaper and less painful than waxing, lasers, and professional-grade exfoliators, too,

In fact, after starting to use a dermaplaner, I was a little angry that I spend so much money to painfully have wax ripped off my face. Yup. Live and learn.

How to shave your face

Shaving your face sounds straightforward enough...until you're standing in the mirror holding a razor and filled with nerves (hi, me). So here's a breakdown of how to shave your face in four easy steps. Gather all your supplies (shop our recs below), then follow along.

1.Cleanse. First, you want to make sure your face is totally clean and free of makeup or residue. so wash your face with a gentle cleanser or a simple face wash for sensitive skin to clear away any grime and soften your peach fuzz.

2.Apply a shave gel. Although some people swear by shaving clean, dry skin to exfoliate your face (which is totally fine, if that works for you), Dr. Schultz recommends using a shaving cream or a thin layer of your gentle face wash on damp skin to minimize friction and prevent irritation. So first, wet your entire face, then apply a thin layer of cream or gel all over the area you’re shaving.

3.Shave in short, light strokes. Tilt the razor and lightly place it against your skin (Dr. Shah recommends holding it at a 45- or 30-degree angle). Once you have the hang of how to hold it, use short, light strokes to shave the hair in the direction that it grows to avoid ingrowns. If you need, you can use the other hand to pull the skin taut and prevent the razor from skipping or tugging on the skin.

4.Rinse and moisturize. Splash a little water over your face to wash away any leftover fuzzies, then Dr. Shah says to follow up with a gentle, water-based moisturizer and avoid any products that contain any harsh actives, like retinol or glycolic acid, immediately afterward.

9 TIPS FOR DERMAPLANING YOUR FACE AS A WOMAN

Sure, you could just lather up some shaving cream and go to town like a dude, but I find there’s a better way to shave your face so that you have less stubbly regrowth, less opportunities to cut your skin and less irritation – and that’s by dermaplaning – or removing the hair from the surface.

Whether you use a simple, affordable dermaplaner or a fancier one is just a matter of choice. I’ve seem similar results with both, honestly. As long as your technique is good, you’ll be fine.


Here are some tips for dermaplaning your face as a woman:

1. Start with a clean face. Don’t apply any products to your skin after cleansing.
2. Take the dermaplaner and hold it at an angle, so you are not so much shaving your face directly on like you normally do, but you are removing the hairs right from the service of the skin.
3. Work from the outside of your face and go in towards the middle.
4. Hold your skin taut with your other hand and move slowly, shaving in short strokes.
5. Be very careful in areas where the skin folds or has hard corners like the nose.
6. Be very careful around the eye area. I skip the whole area around the eye and only do a small area under my eyebrow – but WORK SLOW – it’s VERY easy to take off a whole chunk of hairs at once.
7. Skip areas that don’t have any peach fuzz – there’s no need to shave what isn’t there. I skip the area around my nose, because I don’t have a lot of hair there.
8. Right after, apply a nice, soothing serum. Choose something without strong exfoliators or you’ll have really irritated skin. I really like using this superfruit loaded serum. It’s very soothing.
9. Do not use harsh exfoliators, scrubbers or get a facial for 2-3 days after shaving your face. I once dermaplaned the morning I had a facial, thinking it would make the products sink in deeper, when in fact, the exfoliators in the products burned like crazy. #NotRelaxing

THE VERDICT: SHOULD WOMEN SHAVE THEIR FACE?

Once I started removing the peach fuzz from my face years ago, I have never looked back. It has made my skin smoother and has helped with aging over time.

Also, I love how it makes my makeup set. And, I’ll be honest, I’ll never miss getting waxed again. Nope; never going back.

5 BEST DERMAPLANERS FOR WOMEN

*Affiliate links are used in this post, which means at no cost to you, I may receive a commission if you make a purchase through my links. Thank you!

Ready to give it a go? I’ve rounded up some dermaplaners for women in a variety of price points. I’ve been using the disposable ones for years, but I’ve become more mindful of waste, so I’ve transitioned to a dermaplaner that has replaceable razors. Also, my cousin invested in the incredible Dermaflash and kindly let me try it and take pictures of it and now I really want one, so that’s on my wish list.

1. TINKLE FACE RAZOR SET

This is one of the sets I’ve tried and has thousands of good reviews. It’s really affordable and easy to use. Only problem is that the blades don’t last long and you can’t refill them. A great starter set, though.

Under $10

2. JAPONESQUE DERMAPLANER SET

A slightly chicer set with a better handle design. Also 3 razors included and they are not refillable.

Around $10.

3. SKINNY CONFIDENTIAL HOT SHAVE RAZOR

A cute, pink refillable razor with a comfortable handle, and conveniently placed finger divot for better grip. Love the cute little box, too.

Price: $25

4. STACKED SKINCARE DERMAPLANING TOOL

Fancier dermaplaner that wouldn’t clash with your bathroom aesthetic. Replaceable blades means it’ll last a long time.

Price: $75

5. DERMAFLASH

A sonic dermaplaning device that removes dead skin cells and peach fuzz, quickly revealing visibly smooth, glowing, youthful skin.

This one will give you med-spa-level results at home. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys high-end beauty, skin and hair devices – this is the one for you, with professional grade technology. Refillable razors means it’ll last a long time. Comes in 5 cute colors, too. If you love this, you’ll want to read my review of the CurrentBody LED Red Light Face Mask.
Price: $199

A. SHAVING MAKES HAIR GROW BACK DARKER AND THICKER

This may be true if you were shaving the way a guy does, but the way you’re using the dermaplaner here, you are just skimming the surface of your skin to remove the hair. This isn’t much different from using a cream to remove the hair.

Of course, if you do start to see darker regrowth, stop doing it and consider waxing, removal creams or laser hair removal for awhile.

B. SHAVING YOUR FACE WILL RUIN YOUR SKIN
Not sure how this would be the case, unless you are very aggressive with the razor. If you do have breakouts that the razor could cut open, definitely avoid those areas. You wouldn’t run a razor over a cut or bump on your leg, so use the same care and common sense with your face. Always apply a soothing serum and then moisturizer after as well.

C. SHAVING WILL MEAN YOU HAVE TO SHAVE MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY
I have not seen this to be the case at all. I don’t see regrowth happening at a faster pace. However, if shaving other areas of your body has resulted in having to shave more and more frequently throughout your life, this could happen with hair on any other part of your body, too.

I think the main idea here is: know yourself and your body. One thing will never work for every person. Also, consider that shaving your face once or twice is not going to do that much to your skin, so you can always try it and see what you think.

The final word

As is the case with most beauty treatments that have plenty of room for error, leave the face shaving to the pros for the best, safest, and most noticeable results. But if you can’t justify spending up to $250 on a dermaplaning treatment and want to try it yourself to remove annoying hairs and help your products better penetrate, just promise you’ll *at least* use a clean razor and follow the steps above. Cool? Cool.