Shaving Facts vs Fiction
When it comes to shaving, we know that there’s a minefield of information out there. And whether it’s from old wives’ tales or disaster stories passed on from older sisters, there are probably a few things you believe to be true. Things like how shaving makes your hair grow back darker, that razor rash is a fact of life, and of course that you should never shave your arms.
But are these things true? We’ve outlined 9 of the most popular myths about shaving to help you sort the facts from fibs…
9 Shaving Myths
Myth 1: It’s totally safe to share a razor.
Let’s be honest, most of our first shaving experiences probably involved ‘borrowing’ (definitely without permission) our mum’s razor. For some of us though, this ‘sharing is caring’ attitude has filtered into adult life too. If you’re guilty of sneakily using your partner's razor on your legs then it’s definitely time to leave this habit in the past.
Sharing blades is a huge no-no. Blades can hold a surprising amount of bacteria (which is one reason we recommend changing them weekly or bi-weekly, depending on how frequently you shave) and if you nick your skin while shaving this puts you at serious risk of infection.
In addition to this, sharing a blade will make them dull more quickly, and a dull blade could lead to a whole host of problems. Which leads us nicely onto…
Myth 2: New blades will cut you more.
A lot of people find that using a fresh razor leaves with them nicks and cuts, and so blame the blade. The truth, however, is that you’re probably just used to applying way too much pressure because this is what you used to do with your dull blade. In fact, it’s the dull blade that is much more likely to cause cuts and skin irritation due to ‘dragging’ across your skin and the friction it’s creating.
If you go carefully, a fresh blade should glide over the skin, so remember to change those blades!
Myth 3: Soap works just as well as a shave cream.
We all love a multi-use product, but unfortunately soap shouldn’t double up as your shaving foam. Whereas our Shave Cream adds moisture and ensures that the blades glide easily over the skin, soap will only dry you out. If you want silky smooth legs, a specially designed cream is the way to go.
Myth 4: It’s fine to dry shave.
After all, wet hair is the same as dry hair, right? Wrong! Dry shaving can actually cause severe skin irritation, so you should ensure that skin is soaked in water for at least 3 minutes before you start shaving.
Myth 5: Shaving causes hair to grow back thicker and darker.
One of the most widely believed myths of shaving is that it affects how your hair grows back. This is often why a lot of women grow up thinking they should never shave areas such as thighs, arms or the face. However, this isn’t true - just ask teenage boys who start shaving in the hope they’ll sprout a beard overnight!
The truth is that shaving only trims the hair, and factors such as how dark, thick and quickly hair grows is all determined by genetics. Shaving can make it look as if the hair has changed because it grows back blunt, which can make it look more noticeable as it grows out.
Myth 6: Shaving makes your fake tan fade more quickly.
Love getting a faux glow with fake tan? We do too (which is why we launched our own tanning range!) so of course we’ve researched this thoroughly. Shaving naturally exfoliates the skin, which you might think will mean your tan disappears. But in fact, this can actually enhance your tan because dead skin cells are removed. Moisturising is also keen to maintaining your gorgeous glow, so our nourishing Shave Cream and Post-Shave Balm are the perfect tanning companions.
Myth 7: Razors are bad for the environment.
Single-use plastics have a huge impact on the environment, and unfortunately the shaving industry has been guilty of contributing to this over the years with disposable razors. This is one thing we wanted to change when we introduced our metal, reusable handles to the market. Simply buy the handle once and we send you out replacement blade heads – plus you can send these back to us once you’ve used them for recycling!
Myth 8: Shaving causes rashes and irritation.
Unfortunately we know from our customer feedback that before switching to FFS, many women accept shaving irritation as a fact of life. In fact, post-shaving irritation is usually caused by one of a few things: using a dull blade, shaving sensitive areas with too much pressure, or not using the right products before and after. Following our Ultimate Guide to Shaving will help you get the smoothest, most comfortable shave. If your problems persist, we recommend visiting your GP.
Myth 9: You should never shave your arms.
First of all, it’s important to stress that having hair on your arms is completely normal. Also, whether you choose to remove it or leave it is completely up to you, just like with hair everywhere else on your body. However, we know that many women would like to remove their arm hair but don’t, usually out of fear of it growing back thicker (see Myth No. 5!) This isn’t the case at all, so if your arm hair is particularly dark or you just prefer the feeling of silky-smooth skin, go ahead!
One thing you should factor in is that shaving another relatively big surface area will mean you’ll have to replace your blade more frequently.
