I've always felt I was a hairy person. I began shaving my legs in 7th grade, and it seemed I had darker and thicker hair than my friends and hair that grew back faster. In high school, I felt my arms were too hairy and regularly bleached them. In college, I became obsessed with what I felt was a mustache on my upper lip and would use depilatories, wax, and bleach on it. I tweezed and waxed my brows into tasteful arches and became quite expert with a razor. However, I never felt I had any issues with hairs anywhere else on my face... until I turned 40.
Those jokes about old ladies with chin hairs are legit. My friends and I can attest to the fact that the older we get the weirder our body hair. Strange 2" long wires poke out literally overnight and often in places where we busy rushed women don't immediately see in those five minutes we have to get ready while trying to brush hair, change a diaper, drink coffee, apply mascara, and sign a permission slip.
One day a friend shared a video on her Facebook page of a woman who shaves her face. I didn't like the video, and I didn't like the woman's premise that you should shave your face to be more attractive to men (some said she was trying to be funny but I didn't find it humorous). However, the woman used these facial razors called Tinkles and I was intrigued. On Amazon, they have a three-pack of these razors for less than $5 and free Prime shipping. I bought a pack and figured if they left me with a five o'clock shadow I'd just start waxing on the regular like I already did for my upper lip.
I've been using these razors ever since and I have to say they are a major game-changer.The Tinkle razor doesn't look like a standard razor. Available in pastel shades, the razor is on the end of a long handle similar to a brow brush. You hold it similar to a toothbrush and swipe down on the face in short strokes. I do it after cleansing. The first couple of times my face felt a bit raw after shaving, but now I don't feel anything, but I still do it in the evening or on days I don't wear makeup so my skin can breathe recover. I have read to do it on clean skin without moisturizer, but also to do with moisturizer which protects the skin. I have done both ways, the irritation level for me is the same; I prefer without moisturizer because that seems to gunk up the razor faster.
I always feared that hair would grow back dark and more obvious but that doesn't happen. It does grow back in, but I hardly even notice it. The hair on my jawline and chin is far finer than an upper lip and when it comes back in it remains soft and light-colored. There's no five o'clock shadow, I promise!
Many women shave their face claiming makeup lies better and it exfoliates the skin (a la dermaplaning) to have a smoother finish. I really haven't experienced that. In fact, the first time I shaved I got a couple of breakouts, but I don't experience that anymore.
I used to sit in front of a magnifying mirror plucking individual hairs with tweezers and it could take forever. Also, it's not good for the ego or the soul to spend a long period of time in front of a magnifying mirror. I keep the Tinkle in my medicine cabinet in a cup with other tall slim things like eye cream, cuticle scissors, and a blackhead remover. I just pull it out and swipe swipe swipe lickedy split in the bathroom without needing to get super close and careful. And yes, you can use it in your nose if you wish without any pain or issues. Now that I started using the Tinkle, I don't get my upper lip waxed at the salon. I save money by taking care of it at home.
Since writing this post in 2016, I have tried several other face shaving or dermaplaning products and shared them on the blog. I've raved about this one from Noxzema, and I've tried this one from Finishing Touch after many have raved about it. They are both great but honestly, the Tinkle razor is such a great pricepoint, doesn't require batteries, and I am less likely to miss spots in weird places. For me, I find I use it more often when the process is super simple. However, do what works best for you. I polled friends and fellow influencers and what I've used and below are the best choices for facial hair removal without wax or a depilatory:
Facial hair is a personal choice. Some wish to remove it, some do not. Some don't have any, some do. There's no right or wrong decision. But if you want a quick, cheap, and easy way to take care of facial hair, the Tinkle facial razor is a great choice. And if you try it and you decide you don't like it, don't fear you have to shave for the rest of your life. You can stop, and the hair will grow back just as it was previously.
This post was originally published in 2016 but updated with new information and to share that I still use these same razors several years later!
