Put Your Best Face Forward!

A while back, I went in to get my eybrows waxed and Mary, the aesthetician, pointed out that I needed my upper lip waxed. (She was right, by the way...I was Tom Sellick in the making and hadn't even noticed). I agreed and she proceeded to wax my lip and besides childbirth, I'm pretty sure there is no pain comparable! Yikes! Although I was laughing during the process (thanks, mom, for THAT learned behavior!) I was already thinking that there had to be a better way to do this! And to make it worse, I developed these little white bumps that looked like acne around my "mustache" area...GREAT. So I was going for a "cleaner" look and ended up looking like a teenager! Just what I needed on top of my 40's hormonal acne that flares up occasionally. Needless to say, I began my quest to find an alternative to waxing my upper lip and began to look for another form of facial hair remover as an alternative since I did (and still do) need to keep that 'stache from getting out of control! 


One tool I discovered is the "Ladyn Fold n' Go Razor". It is WONDERFUL! It was much easier to use for removing the hair on my upper lip without the unsightly white bumps that came afterwards..and without the pain of waxing! 

Another use for this little tool is for a mini, at-home, exfoliation/ dermabrasion treatment!  It's a lesser known fact that one of the secrets to Japanese skin beauty is that they shave their faces in their culture to maintain their porcelain-like beautiful skin! http://www.asianplasticsurgeryguide.com/news11-1/061102_japanese-female-face-shaving.html

 Available on Amazon $5.59 for 3 pack, plus $6.00 shipping.


http://www.amazon.com/Lady-N-Razor-Folding-Edge/dp/B003JN2ULW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328979371&sr=8-2

As with my other recommendations, this product is (WAY) under $30! If you have a friend that wants to experiment and use these as well, purchase a couple of packs and share the shipping cost. I have also found them at Walgreen's stores, but they are not consistently in stock, which is why I resorted to purchasing them online.

It is well known that one of the basics of skin care is exfoliation. Exfoliation is a technique where the layer of mostly dead epidermal cells on the outer surface of the skin is removed to expose fresh living cells.  If you take the time to remove that top layer of dead skin from your face, you will see fresher, brighter looking skin and get better better results from your skin care products because they are able to penetrate more effectively!  

Dermabrasion is another way to exfoliate your skin. It helps to "refinish" the skin's top layers through a method of controlled surgical scraping. This type of treatment softens the sharp edges of surface irregularities, giving the skin a smoother appearance. While the Ladyn razor is obviously not the quality of what a professional aesthetician uses (ie. "surgical scraping"...thank goodness, since we ARE doing it at HOME!) it works really well for a similar, yet milder, process.  I have a friend in Amarillo who IS an RN and aesthetician and when I told her what I had found she said it was a great option for facial exfoliation! Now, I also have another friend who is an aesthetician who prefers to do facials without this process, so it is a personal preference. I'm a believer though! 


If you want to use the Fold N Go Razor for the "dermabrasion"/exfoliation for your face just open the blade and hold it at about a 30 degree angle to your jawline and work your way up across your cheek in towards your nose/lip area. You will be AMAZED at how much hair AND dead skin that comes off of your face . You actually hear a crusty sound of that skin as it's removed if you have never done this. You can do this all over your face.  Press lightly at first, and be gentle with your skin. Also, go slowly and be gentle so the blade does scratch your skin as you lightly sweep it across different areas of your face. The blade itself is not super sharp, but at certain angles if the blade is not flat against your face, the end of the blade can drag along your skin and cause a slight, but not deep, scratch. I do NOT recommend this as an eyebrow trimmer bc the blade is so big it's harder to get into that small area under your brow, and I'm assuming you don't want to accidentally trim your lashes! It is made for this, I just prefer using the smaller blades for eyebrows. 


I only use this razor once every week or every other week, depending on the amount of hair that has grown back onto my face. And, NO, your facial hair does NOT grow back thicker, darker, curlier etc! Whew! 

It grows back soft, smooth, and it's natural color...so, don't be afraid to try it. If you don't like seeing that pink healthy glow under your layer of peach fuzz, you just let it grow right back!



Some interesting information about exfoliation*: 

The skin undergoes continuous natural exfoliation to some degree.  If it didn't, the skin would be inches thick because continuously produced new skin cells would accumulate. Natural exfoliation is more rapid when we are younger. Even some people in their 30-s and 40-s have naturally high cell turnover and may not need to exfoliate regularly. However, many people over thirty develop dull, lifeless looking skin because the topmost layer of skin consisting of these dead skin cells becomes too thick.  Also, since exfoliation sometimes reduces the production of skin oil, people with excessively oily skin may benefit too, especially if they exfoliate with beta and/or alpha hydroxy acids. On the other hand, exfoliation may cause further irritation in people with dry and/or sensitive skin, who should either refrain from exfoliation or use mild exfoliants infrequently.

Except for people with extremely oily skin, daily exfoliation is not a good idea. You goal is to remove the dead cells from the skin surface. It takes at least a few days for a sizeable amount of dead cells to accumulate. If you exfoliate more often than that, you may be removing too many living cell, increasing the chance of irritation and skin damage.
For most people who decide to exfoliate, once or twice a week is sufficient. You should determine, based on your skin type, whether once or twice a week is best. If you develop irritation, increased sensitivity or dryness, you are probably exfoliating too much.


*http://www.smartskincare.com/skincarebasics/basicexfoliation.html


At the VERY LEAST this is a great option for home care for upper lip hair removal. If an at home, easy, inexpensive, do-it-yourself mild dermabrasion treatment is something you're interested in, give this a shot!