Can closer and more frequent DE shaves change the softness of your skin?

[WindyShaver]

This one is for those who have been shaving for a while.

Read in a couple random threads around the interblog over the last couple of months that super close DE shaves with sharp blades can lead to leather skin. These were random comments possibly by DE shaving trolls. Possibly you're taking off a layer of skin each time with the close BBS shaves and the skin reacts. I'm guessing.

Thoughts? Has anyone who has been shaving for years noticed a difference either way? If you've seen a positive difference, what are you doing to make this happen?

I imagine that if you use a cream or soap that has leaves some moisture in your skin and/or use a moisturizer, then this wouldn't be an issue. Don't know really.

 

[Graybeard57]

Frankly, I think DE shaving has improved the texture of my skin. Careful, close shaving exfoliates, and AS, which I rarely used with a cart, moisturizes and conditions skin. That's been my experience.

 

[Doubledgeislife]

I don't think that is true. Shaving, in addition to beard reduction / removal is also exfoliating. Most shaving creams and soaps have a moisturizing element to them. I imagine if every time you shave, you cut yourself deep enough to leave scars then over time you will become a leatherface. This is the only way I can wrap my mind around such a possibility. Many of the soaps and creams I use have aloe, shea butter, lavender oil and chamomile for starters and these ingredients fight dryness and irritation.

There is a way to make your face do that which I do know of. It was used by the boxers of the old days. Use some horse urine and brine on your face. Supposedly Jack Dempsey did that on his face and hands to toughen up and reduce cuts from the fights.
But as for DE shaving, I don't think so.

 

[chilliman64]

there are DE shaving trolls??? wow!!! I don't see how DE shaving would make your face any more 'leathery' than daily shaving with a straight or a cart. if anything wetshavers take more time post-shave balming/moisturising etc so I would think their skin would be more supple than those that do not.

 

[kmain]

I prefer my skin not to feel like a kids...

But I don't think it "hardens" the skin any more than cartridges do...

 

[Burnside]

I think this might be true

 

[stryker4526]

The outer layer of your skin, the "horny layer," is largely comprised of dead cells anyway. If scraping off the top layer of skin caused you to develop leather skin, then the 40,000 dead skin cells a minute that are shed from your body already would have the same effect.
In other words, no, there is no truth to that statement.

 

[menghai]

I think most people will likely experience an improvement in their skin. Many struggle with carts (although many don't). I know when I regularly used carts, I got ingrown hairs and other skin problems. That's what led me to not shaving my face, and only using clippers once a month or so. I'm a regular headshaver, but have started shaving my face again with a SE.

 

[N2theBreech]

Based on my experience of almost a year and a half of DE shaving, my skin improved (depending on your definition of improved, I guess). My wife noticed in the first few weeks that my skin looked healthier, more supple. She said it made me look younger.

It may have come from exfoliation (see above); I think the soaps I was using were much easier on my face than the canned stuff; and I know that witch hazel helped it a lot. I was already using Nivea Sensitive Balm, so that didn't contribute to the change.

As a note: I recently started using AoS pre-shave oil, and it too has a positive effect on my skin post-shave.

 

[jkingrph]

I went from nearly 30 years of using an electric to cartridges then single, injector or double edge, and have been wet shaving now for about 3 years and think my facial skin is now softer and smoother.

 

[bakerbk73]

I don't see it being true. Honestly, I abused my skin before starting on DE shaving, I just didn't know there was another way. I remember using a cart until I just couldn't stand it any longer (usually a month or more). I thought the pulling and tugging was just the price a man paid to be clean shaven. I take good care of my face now that I know how with a non-irritating shave followed up with products that help heal any damage done.

 

[Snuff-Belgium]

Leathery skin is not a result of shaving IMHO, it's more a result of spending a lot of time outside in all kinds of weather.

 

[thekinge]

My father & uncle both are life long wet shavers, although they intermittently use single blade disposables but I have never seen such issues in their skin. If anything, my facial skin was not as healthy compared to them when I was using cartridge /electric shavers. I certainly noticed a positive difference in my facial skin after switching to DE shaving.

 

[Mad Man]

Skin has improved MARKEDLY since DE.

 

[dimbulb71]

My skin has improved alot since I started DE shaving but I think that the use of better quality products has more to do with it. My teenage daughter and my wife both noticed with in a week or two there was a good change.

 

[face]

I've only been DE shaving for a week and I am already noticing a marked difference in the tone and quality of my skin. But I think that is 100% due to the products I have been using and the care I have been taking with my pre- and post-shave routine. As mentioned upthread, until 10 days ago I didn't know there was anything besides canned goo and uber-expensive cartridges.

 

[NCJack]

Leathery skin is not a result of shaving IMHO, it's more a result of spending a lot of time outside in all kinds of weather.

True. Look at old photos of men who used straights and basic DEs and SEs (e.g., 1880s-1940s). They look like us, only they dressed like adults.

 

[Oscroft]

Like others here, my skin has improved since I came back to traditional shaving - generally softer and smoother, with fewer zits. Part of it will be because I'm taking better care of it by using good quality soaps, lotions and balms, but I reckon part is likely to be better exfoliation - enough dry and dead skin cells being removed to make the underlying softer skin more apparent, but not enough removal to interfere with the protection they provide.

 

[AJ123]

My skin has also improved after DE. However, I wonder whether all the prep, careful passes and relathering, and after shave care that I do with many products would have done that if I had stayed with fusion blades.

 

[DukeSilver]

My wife noticed in the first few weeks that my skin looked healthier, more supple. She said it made me look younger.

That's the inevitable increase in testosterone that comes from shaving like a man. Your 5-bladed friends....and their wives will never understand. Enjoy.