In the never-ending battle to remove unsightly hair, some Japanese women opt for a close shave. According to J-Cast, a kao sori (shaved face) boom is gathering momentum across Japan. Specialist salons offering kao sori services are increasing in number and earlier this year, a new specialist shaving razor for women was launched on the market.
So why the hell do women want to scrape their faces with a razor? The main reason is to get rid of downy hair around the mouth and cheeks, but Beauty Face, a specialist kao sori salon, claims there are other benefits, such as a noticeably whiter, brighter and softer skin.
While barbers were the first to offer a ladies’ shaving service (being as they specialize in wielding a razor), many women were reluctant to enter a male-dominated environment. Female-friendly salons, however, are a different matter. Since Beauty Face was opened in 2004, business has steadily grown, and the company now has 70 salons across the country. Beauty Face is not the only ones offering this service. We also spotted Soru on the web, a salon in Kanagawa, offering women’s face shaving. There’s also Napoli in Ebisu, Peau D’Ange in Shinjuku and Rev-own, who have 10 shops in Kanto and three shops in Kansai.
Beauty Face is keen to promote the concept of the ladies’ shave and has teamed up with Kai, a company that sells razors and beauty products, to conduct a dermatological study into the benefits of face shaving. The companies claim that if you use a razor correctly the amount of moisture and natural oil in your skin increases.
No matter how well you shave, facial hair grows back at around the 20-day mark, so you’ll be in need another shave by the time the month is out. As a simple face shave costs ¥2,362 in a Tokyo branch of Beauty Face, it might be more economical to do it yourself. Kai’s new lady’s face shaver went on sale in March this year and is targeted at women who’d like to shave their face in the comfort of their own homes.
Kai’s PR manager stresses the need to take care when shaving delicate facial skin and to avoid doing so when you’ve got sunburn. The woman in the video above demonstrates the correct face-scraping technique for those curious about the process. However, be warned. J-Cast says plenty horror stories of stinging, painful skin and even bloodshed can be found on the web.
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