Is Shaving Healthy?

Interviewer: Both men and women will drag sharp razor blades . . . 

Jeanette Jacknin, M.D.: Mm-hmm.

Interviewer: . . . across certain parts of their body. Men do it every day, and a lot's been said that that takes a layer of skin off . . . 

Jeanette Jacknin, M.D.: Mm-hmm.

Interviewer: . . . and helps the youthful appearance. Shaving every day - is that good, bad for our skin? Or, what sort of things can we do? Because a lot of people get those burns afterwards, too.

Jeanette Jacknin, M.D.: Well, you're right. It's a way of exfoliating . . . 

Interviewer: Mm-hmm.

Jeanette Jacknin, M.D.: . . . which is what the peels do in a much bigger way. But daily exfoliating like that, it does help you to have a more youthful look. I would just caution using a very soothing shaving lotion.

Interviewer: Aftershave. Yeah.

Jeanette Jacknin, M.D.: And aftershave. But shaving lotion, especially.

Interviewer: Okay.

Jeanette Jacknin, M.D.: And aloe vera. A shaving cream that might have aloe vera in it. Aloe vera is very healing. You could use it in the shaving cream and in the aftershave. And that's an excellent herbal botanical that's been shown throughout the centuries to help heal.