Stop Shaving Now: 7 Reasons To Ditch Your Razor

Hair removal is inconvenient. That's it, we said it. It is not fun, it is not enjoyable but we do it nonetheless. Of course, some hair removal methods are worst than others. Put it another way some are much better than others. And that's the tea. To be honest, each has its pros and cons. Like everything else in life. However, we have come to find that some have much more cons than pros. Shaving is one of them. Waxing is slightly better but not ideal. Laser hair removal on the other hand provides long-term results that we all want to achieve. So yes, you should stop shaving and here is why. Body hair is natural. But for women and men alike, it is just as natural to want to remove some or in some cases, all of it.

7 reasons why you need to stop shaving

You already know why you should ditch waxing for laser hair removal. By extension, plucking and sugaring should also be put aside. The concept is the same after all. And so is the pain of the treatment. Electrolysis helps you achieve permanent hair removal but it is also very painful, very long a process and very expensive. Finally, depilatory creams are very heavy in chemicals and frankly bad for your skin. Now, let's have a look at shaving and why you should ditch your razor! And of course, switch to laser hair removal.

1. Shaving irritates the skin

The first reason why you should stop shaving is that it irritates the skin. After all, to cut the hair flat at the surface of the skin, the razor needs blades. Those blades are not flexible and the skin not actually flat. Thus, it will rub against the skin, which can irritate or damage it. Best case scenario, those tiny cuts cause redness. Worst case, they turn into razor burns or even infections. In general, the constant friction will cause skin dryness which can be both itchy and painful.

Shaving is a very short-term hair removal method. Thus, you need to do it several times a week. Your skin is very sensitive. Since you must shave often, your skin never catches a break from it. Thus, it can never fully regenerate itself or heal. Which worsen irritation and may lead to constant outbreaks of ingrown hairs and razor burns. Shaving remove the top thin layer of the skin. The more you do it, the more the chances that you traumatize your skin.

2. Razors are expensive

Sure, razors are not as expensive as waxing. They are still quite the investment. Especially if you are a woman. Since a lot of products pay that so-called "luxury tax". If it is for women, it is pink. If it is pink, it is more expensive. Thus, a razor for women will be more pricey than a razor for men. On average, a box of four cartridges cost $20. Each cartridge lasts a week. A razor on its own costs around $15. Let's say you do not need shaving cream. On average, you will pay $23 per month in shaving. $276 a year.

Since shaving is not a permanent hair removal method, and that is actually stimulates hair growth, you will have to shave twice to thrice a week. Forever. If you shave for fifty years, the bill will add up to $13,800. Which is quite a lot of money. I am sure you would have loved to spend that money elsewhere. So yes, shaving is expensive. More so than laser hair removal if you consider the long-term for both hair removal methods. Laser hair removal will be one upfront investment that will get you hair-free for a very long time.

3. Shaving takes forever

When weighting pros and cons of each hair removal method, shaving always wins because it is seemingly cheaper but also because it is much faster. Is it really though? Personally, when I try to shave in the shower, it takes me a very long time. I am not done in just five minutes. First of all, the legs aren't a small area. Second of all, there are areas harder to reach than other. Plus some times you miss some hair. So you need to get back to them.

And what about all the water used for shaving? We already talked about how irritating and damaging to the skin shaving can be. Surely, water makes it easier. But shaving under the shower also vastly increase our water consumption, which comes at a cost... and during summer with droughts all over the country, it may not be the best idea. Save money, save water, stop shaving.

4. It can cause razor burns

We already know that shaving can irritate the skin and make it very itchy. Those are the first stages before getting razor burns: redness, itching, burning or hot sensation, small red bumps. You can experience these symptoms anywhere you shave, such as your face, legs, underarms, or bikini area. Razor burn is usually temporary and will go away with time.

Many things can cause razor burns including: shaving without using a lubricant, such as soap and water or shaving cream, shaving against the direction of your hair, using an old razor. They can also appear if you use a razor that’s clogged with hair, soap, or shaving cream, you shave a single area too many times or too quickly. Razor burns that get bad actually are infections.

Skin Irritation Razor blades can leave your skin feeling dry, itchy, and painful. And continuously shaving to maintain your results means your skin rarely heals from this damage, which can lead to ingrown hairs and razor burn. With laser hair removal, you don't have to worry about skin irritation because the laser removes unwanted hair without damaging the skin

5. Shaving can cause infections

The main reason why you should stop shaving is actually health related. Shaving can get you into infection city. It will start small, you will not notice it. A small wound or razor cut. Before it becomes infected with bacteria or even cause folliculitis. Every time you shave, you’re leaving behind tiny tears on your skin.

The problem is these tears are prone to any bacteria you come in contact with. It’s no wonder women who shave tend to have more random skin infections. Hence the irritation, redness and even pus filled places that happen all the time. If you stop shaving, you reduce the risk of infections.

6. What about ingrown hairs?

Just like waxing, shaving can cause ingrown hair outbreaks. The more you shave, the more you damage the skin. This leads to painful ingrown hairs. You don’t even realize they’re there until it’s too late. Then you have to pick out the hair (which hurts by the way) and deal with an open wound for a few days. Some even get so bad you have to get them professional removed.

You may also get ingrown hair because you shave in the opposite direction to hair growth. Thus, growth is disrupted, the hair will curl under the skin and create a bump. Ditching your razor for laser hair removal is a great way to deal with ingrown hair. Indeed, since the laser targets hair follicles, there is not more hair growing and thus, no ingrown hair.

7. It is not permanent

Last but not least of all the reasons you should stop shaving simply is that it is not permanent. And it never will be. On the contrary, shaving even stimulates hair growth. Shaving cuts the hair flat on the surface of the skin. The hair will start to grow back immediately after being cut. That is why results never last long. Your hair will always grow back, thicker and darker. While waxing would eventually lead to growth reduction in the far future, shaving never will.

If you keep shaving as your hair removal method, you will have to do it forever and thus risk everything we talked about above. While laser hair removal may seem intimidating and expensive, we have actually proven that it is not. Laser hair removal treatment is completely safe, can be made very affordable and will produce amazing results early on in the process and in the long-term. In the long-term, laser hair removal also ends up being much cheaper than shaving.

Laser hair removal is completely safe , can be made very affordable and will produce amazing results early on in the process and in the long-term . In the long-term, laser hair removal also ends up being much cheaper than shaving. You will also not have to worry about your body hair ever again!

How does laser hair removal work?

Laser hair removal is a long-term hair reduction method that uses selective photothermolysis. The laser gun will match a specific wavelength to a determined pulse duration meant to target an object at the surface of the skin. Such technique will not damage surrounding skin tissues.

Despite the increased use of laser hair removal, to date, few guidelines exist in terms of how to approach laser hair removal. Specifically, one must understand the mechanism of hair growth and how lasers work to target the hair follicle.

Your laser hair removal technician will map out and mark the area you want to be treated and provide you with goggles while also wearing their own.The laser hair removal  gun will produce a beam of light that will target the pigments in the hair. Once the energy is in the hair, it will travel all the way through to the follicle, under the dermis.There, the energy will turn into thermal energy. The heat is what will damage the hair follicle, thus preventing any further growth.

What the thermal energy actually does is cauterizing the blood vessels that feed the hair follicles on the targeted area. Once the hair follicle no longer gets its fuel, it dies. Only a permanently damaged hair follicle will allow for permanent hair removal. Indeed, if the follicle manages to regenerate, it will produce new hair.

Laser hair removal is safe, but it can occasionally cause side effects, such as pain and discomfort, and red skin that may last for some time. It may also not be suitable for everyone, including pregnant women and people with certain skin types. Most places that offer laser hair removal services sell packages of six or nine sessions, just keep in mind that at these places, you'll probably need to buy more packages or pay touch-up fees down the road.