Peach Fuzz: Why & How I Shave My Face

One of the many new things I tried during lockdown was shaving my face/ removing my peach fuzz and I’m so glad I did! Before trying it, I did lots of research and watched many videos and I recommend you do the same.

I asked my Instagram followers if they wanted to hear more about the process of removing my peach fuzz and I honestly don’t think I ever received so many messages! Given the interest, I wanted to write about it here properly so I could cover as many of your questions and concerns as possible.

Important: If you have acne I recommend you stay away from this entirely! If you have sensitive skin or a condition such as rosacea, please consult a skin professional beforehand. You know your skin better than anyone, just do your due diligence before trying this at home 🙂

What is Peach Fuzz?

“Peach Fuzz” or Vellus Hair is very fine, short and lightly pigmented (usually blonde or white). It can appear anywhere on the body but in this blog post we’re talking about peach fuzz on the face!

Why Would You Remove it?

Honestly, it never bothered me cosmetically but I read up on the benefits (see below), and I was sold! I actually never really noticed mine before, you’d have to be looking, but now that I get rid of it I can tell and feel the difference in my skin.

How Do I Remove Peach Fuzz i.e. Shave My Face?

It’s widely recommended that the blade is kept at a 45 degree angle and you shave downwards in the direction of the hair growth. You don’t put any pressure on the blade at all, just use light feathery movements. It’s really easy but you should read the instructions that come with the blade in detail and follow them. Here’s what the instructions said that came with my blades:

I don’t put any products on my face beforehand because I find I get a deeper exfoliation that way. If you’ve sensitive skin that marks or gets easily irritated, you should apply some sort of foam (but consult a skin professional before trying this).

After you’ve shaved, avoid putting any products on, especially strong products with acids and makeup. Try to let your skin breathe for a while. For this reason, I try shave before bed time so my skin can breathe over night.

What Blades Do You Use?

Amazon: I got my blades on Amazon, 3 for a fiver but they’re nearly £12 on the UK site! So this is the set that I’d go for here* based on the reviews, price (even with the delivery charge) and the fact you get the tiny blades for around your brows and lip!

Hollywood Browser: A good few of my followers recommended the Hollywood Browser too although I’ve never heard of it, you can read about it here*. I might have to try it out for myself and see how it compares to the “cheaper” versions.

Retail: Besides the above, I’m sure you can get them in any pharmacy or even Penneys.

*Affiliate Links

How Often Will I Need to Shave?

Whenever you feel like it. Put it this way, if you’ve never shaved before and it didn’t bother you, it won’t bother you now when it starts to grow back. So I get a few weeks out of mine before I feel like I want (rather than need) to do it again.

Is it for All Skin Types?

No. If you have acne I would stay well away from this. It will cut your spots which could spread them further, scar your face and irritate it further. I would also say if you’ve really sensitive skin, seek some advice from a skin professional before you start, just in case. You can read about how I treated my acne and scarring here.

Benefits of Face Shaving

Well, the benefits is what got me into it. As I said above, I never really noticed the hair on my face and so it never bothered me. If however you are conscious of yours, one immediate benefit is getting rid of it. Other benefits myself and many of my Instagram followers* can vouch for are:

• It removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Over time if they’re let build up, they can clog your pours and cause breakouts
• Since the dead skin cells are removed, as well as the hair, your foundation sits soooo much better on your face!
• Your skincare products will be more effective because they ‘re not been blocked by dead skin and hair!
• Naturally, your skin will feel extremely smooth straight after. Shave one side and leave the other. Then stroke them both to compare… feel the difference? :p

*I asked my Instagram followers for their feedback and though a couple of people said their hair felt thicker afterwards, it was a resounding thumbs up on the de-fuzzing!

Does the Hair Grow Back Thicker?

NO! Because you’re only removing the hair from the surface, and not the root. Now, when it’s growing back it feels different, and so some people swear it’s thicker but it’s not.  It’s just feels “stubbly” because the hairs are all the same length and blunt after been cut!

I wanted to continuously shave my face for a couple of months before even mentioning it so I could say whether or not it grew back thicker and/ or darker and it really doesn’t.

Is Face Shaving the Same as Dermaplaning?

They’re related… cousins I think, haha! Dermaplaning is done at a deeper level in the skin and should only be done by a professional. At home shaving is very gentle hair removal and exfoliation in comparison. It’s very superficial because you don’t put any pressure on the blade whereas you do with Dermaplaning.

There you have it! We’ll all be walking around with faces as smoothe as plums now rather than fuzzy peaches haha! I hope I answered all of your questions and as I said, DO MORE RESEARCH before you start.

Thanks for reading, always.