Why Does Shaving Feel Good? (With 3 Surprising Benefits)

Chances are you feel your best right after you’ve shaved – whether it’s giving your beard some much-needed maintenance or your morning full-face shave. Is there a reason that shaving feels so good?

There are many reasons shaving feels so good, both physically and mentally. Shaving your beard can help remove the built-up dead skin, oil, dust, dirt, and allergens that are difficult to wash out. In some cases, this can improve your overall hygiene and health. Shaving in the morning can also help you be more productive all day.

Keep reading to find out why shaving feels so good, as well as the advantages (and potential disadvantages) to shaving every day.

Why do you feel better after a fresh shave?

A fresh shave can be one of the best feelings in the world. It is similar to the feeling people get when they cut their nails or get a haircut.

There are many reasons shaving feels so good, both physically and mentally:

• Refreshing coolness – Cutting hair off the body exposes more skin, which leads to more air hitting the skin directly instead of the hair. 
• Softness – People love the feeling of the softness of natural skin. It is almost like getting a massage. The body reacts to touching soft skin by releasing endorphins which cause a person to feel happier and more relaxed.
• Lightness – While hair overall is not heavy, the difference is noticeable after it is cut. 

Why is shaving so satisfying?

As for the process of shaving itself, it can also be super satisfying.

Watching hair be removed from the body is something that can be seen as oddly satisfying. People get a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment watching as the hairs go away slowly but surely.

It can also be seen as very satisfying for a person who uses shaving cream and a blade that the hair just seems to magically disappear as they go up and down their face with the razor. 

Benefits of shaving your face

There are also plenty of benefits to shaving, especially the face. It is surprising the number of good things it can do for the skin and the psyche of a person.

Shaving removes not only hair but also all kinds of buildup that the hair has collected over time. These include debris like dust, dirt, and other allergens, excess oil that the skin has built up, and dead skin cells and dandruff, which can lower the chances of getting acne or other unsightly marks on the face.

When put into words, these things sound gross when put in the context of things that could be lurking on the face and body unknowingly, even though they are not typically things that are noticed or thought about.  

Shaving can get rid of all of that gunk. Regular washing can only do so much to get rid of all that excess stuff that piles up. The skin will look and feel better, but health could also slightly improve as that dust and dirt aren’t just hanging around the face and getting into places they shouldn’t be, such as the nose, mouth, eyes, and ears.

There is also a psychological component to this as well. Getting up early every day to shave can set the mood for the rest of the day. It is a task commonly done early to get started, and it provides freshness to start the new day. It also can give a person early confidence in themselves through their appearance.

Why some men shave and some don’t

Every man is different with their look, which extends to how they go about their facial hair.

Some men try to stay meticulously groomed and often shave to keep their look, while some just do not really care and let it go. There are other reasons some men will or will not shave, whether it be for personal, professional, or even religious reasons. 

Seventy-five percent of men shave every day, while 7% of men do not shave based on religious beliefs, and 3% do not shave just because they do not care.

A vast majority shave every day, but plenty of people still do not shave every day or just do not shave regularly or at all. 

Is shaving every day essential?

A big question that comes up is whether or not it is essential to shave every day.

The answer to this is both yes and not really. It does have its benefits for sure. However, with that also comes the nasty downsides that are not super threatening in any way but are annoying.

Advantages of shaving every day include:

• Hygiene – Shaving is super important for personal hygiene as well. The debris and bacteria found in beards are similar or the same as human waste, according to a study. Shaving can get rid of all of that. 
• Psychological benefits – Starting your day by accomplishing something (even something as seemingly basic as shaving) can help you be more productive throughout the rest of the day.
• Look of skin – Shaving can add an extra level of protection for the skin as well as being able to keep razor bumps away. It can make the face look and feel better.

However, shaving every day also comes with downsides:

• Razor burn – Razor burn is a real issue and could be a result of bad shaving technique but also by shaving too often.
• Barber’s rash – This is another nasty condition that can result from shaving too much. It causes bumps on the skin that resemble whitehead pimples. It usually goes away on its own but not always and will need some minor medical attention if it doesn’t.
• Drying out skin – Shaving too often might also remove natural oils from the skin, which could lead to dryness. This can usually be solved with moisturizer, but it is a pesky issue.

Is it good to clean shave once in a while?

People with beards can be adamant about not going clean-shaven. They may have had that look for a while and do not want to change it because of worry about how they will look.

Taking the time to do a clean shave every once in a while can help improve your beard’s hygiene or even cause it to grow in better next time.

Getting rid of the hair gets rid of the dead skin cells and all that other junk that piles up over time, leading to healthier skin in the long run and other health benefits. 

Another reason is that shaving could cause it to grow in even fuller later. For people with some peach fuzz that want a darker, fuller beard, this is an option to consider to get that result as facial hair grows in darker and fuller the more it gets cut. 

For people worried about how they would look with a clean-shaven face, you never know until you try it. Who knows, the look could work and be refreshing as you wonder why you didn’t do it a while ago. Research has shown that going clean-shaven can make a person look up to 10 years younger.