Okay, go with us on this one.

We’ve been obsessed with anything and everything coming out of Korea lately – first it was K-Pop, then cushion foundation, then collagen drinks, the list goes on. But lately we’ve turned our attention to Japan as the latest country to really ping our pong when it comes to beauty.

So here’s the thing; face shaving isn’t a new phenomena, women in Asian counties have been doing it for centuries. We first heard about it after a friend visited Japan and started texting us from one of their many Beauty Face salons, “guys, all the J-girls are shaving their faces, it’s totally a thiiiiing”.

What?

So cut to the chase, we convinced her to get a treatment  – mainly because we were curious but also, Japanese girls know what’s up when it comes to beauty. The face shaving technique is called ‘kao sori’, (“shaved face”) and it claims to keeps the skin exfoliated, looking toned and also helps your products penetrate deeper into the skin.

Think about how smooth your legs are after a little Venus action. Makes sense right? Even Marilyn Monroe and Elizbeth Taylor were fans of the practise – and they had pretty incredible skin. Worth a shot, right?

So here’s a brief account, “The facial started out as any would, make-up removal and a deep cleanse. Then it was time for the shaving. I had that moment of complete fear…like at the nail salon when they pull out the razor and go to shave your feet (but I usually have the option to decline that!). I was freaking out when the razor touched my skin, but after awhile it became quite meditative. It doesn’t feel like you’re shaving your face as it’s done with an old school barber’s razor. After that I had another cleanse, a beautiful face massage, a mask, serum and moisturiser. I walked out of there looking like I’d shaved 5 years off. Literally.

“After 2 weeks my hair was growing back – as blonde as it ever has been (thank god), a little more prickly but I am assured it will return to normal if I leave it. But I’m a total convert, and will continue doing it. And you can do it with your average razor too!”

Clinically-termed ‘dermaplaning,’ it removes deep layers of dead skin cells and fine hairs. The idea is that through short, sweeping motions of the razor against your face, not only is your face going fuzz-free and baby-smooth, but it allows maximum penetration of your skin care products. Ideally, start with a facial steam or wet your entire face, lather up with an moisturising, sensitive, fragrance-free shaving cream then use your face razor (Shisedo do a good one) to shave gently against the hair growth pattern and finish with a luxe moisturiser. Repeat once every three weeks.

Before you start freaking about the facial hair coming back darker, relax – it’s just a myth. And worried about the hairs coming back thicker? Relax again. When you shave, the hair is blunt so when it starts growing back, it’s not actually thicker, it just feels like it is.

So, moment of truth, we weren’t game to try shaving our entire face, but we did shave the very fine fuzzy hair on our cheeks closer to the jawline. We noticed our skin was super, super soft. Like, buttery-soft. And fresh without feeling raw. And it hasn’t grown back any different, so being that we haven’t quite located that fountain of youth, we’re willing to try it again.