Women Should Shave to Look Younger

Women have facial hair, just like men, albeit usually finer, light-coloured downy strands known as vellus hair.

Some are lucky and this fine hair is barely noticeable or virtually non-existent, but others may have naturally furrier faces and, according to the NHS, up to three-quarters of women have increased facial hair as they get older, especially after the menopause. Hormonal imbalances and conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome can also stimulate increased facial hair growth, though much of it can be down to the lottery of your genes.

As well as slicing off this fine hair, shaving removes the top layer of dead skin cells, so it is exfoliating.

Dr Michael Prager, an aesthetic clinician who has a practice in London, says: ‘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.’

Angela Garvin’s alarm goes off at 6.30am every day. As a legal adviser, she has to be up early, and has a strict skin regime to get through.

First, she cleanses her face, then she dabs on some toner — and reaches for a bottle of shaving gel. She applies it across her chin, top lip and a small area around her neck.

Then, using a men’s disposable razor, she carefully shaves her face, rinsing the fine, pale hairs down the basin as she goes. To finish, she rinses with warm water and applies moisturiser.

According to beauty enthusiasts — or pretty much any woman you care to ask — Angela has committed a cardinal sin.

After all, if shaving your legs encourages hair to grow back thicker, darker and stronger, then, for a woman, face-shaving would appear to invite disaster.

Nevertheless, Angela, 46, from Essex, has been shaving her face three times a week for the past eight years and couldn’t be happier with the results.

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