LEIGH CAMPBELL: Yes, I shave my face. Here's everything you want to know.

Listen to this story being read by Leigh Campbell here. 

Hello, yes, my name is Leigh and I shave my face.

This is not news. We've discussed it several times on the You Beauty podcast, yet every few days someone will message me on Instagram (I presume they are listening to old episodes) and be like “uhhh, so, the face shaving thing... I have questions.” 

So let’s chat about it here.

Side note: Watch our first date with Leigh Campbell. Post continues below.

My co-host Kelly and I are both big fans of dermaplaning - which is a fancy term for using a razor to remove peach fuzz and for mild exfoliation. 

Kelly’s more into it than I am, only because I’m lazy - but every time I do it I tell myself I'll start doing it more often because my skin is SO smooth and my makeup looks significantly better.

You can purchase special razors especially for the process, but I just use a good quality men’s razor. Sure, you can’t get into all the nooks and crannies like you can with a tinkle razor, but I care not for that sort of attention to detail.

It’s best done on clean, dry skin, or a face that’s slightly lubed up (a face oil is perfect).

Be very careful and use slow, soft upward strokes to remove the hair around the neck, chin and cheek area. The razor will remove any hair - what’s known as vellus hair - which is fine and pale and covers most of our faces and bodies.

It’ll also give the face a very mild manual exfoliation as the razor glides across the top of the dermis. 

The number one most common question I’m asked is: ‘will the hair grow back thicker and darker?’ The answer to that is no, it can’t. It will grow back to exactly what was there before.

It may feel a teeny bit thicker because there’s no tapered edge to the beginning of the hair shaft as it has been cut blunt by the razor - but it's still the exact same thickness and colour. Still, for this reason I only recommend dermaplaning for fine facial hair. 

If you have thicker or darker hair, and want the same result, you’re better off looking into laser or electrolysis (which is more permanent, too).

After you've shaved, cleanse your skin and then do your normal skincare routine. 

I prefer to do the process at night. Now, feel how smooth and soft your skin is! And just you wait until you put foundation on in the morning. Chef’s kiss!

I also wouldn’t recommend this if you have moderate to severe acne or active breakouts. And if you're really scared, head to a salon (if safe to do so and restrictions permitting) and have a pro do it for you - it’s a popular professional treatment.

Want more? We go deep on dermaplaning on this episode of You Beauty. Post continues below. 

Here are some tools to get you started: 

What you’re ‘meant’ to use: McoBeauty Facial and Brow Razor, $10

What I use: Gillette Fusion Terracycle Starter Pack, $29.95

What I cheat with when I’m really lazy: Flawless Finishing Touch Face, $39.95

Finally, if you think it’s weird because ‘only men shave their faces’ but you're cool with hair removal under your arms or on your legs, then sit with that thought for a minute and study why you feel that way.

Feature Image: Supplied.

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