When Should I Start Shaving? [At What Age?]

Facial Hair / By

Let’s be honest, as boy’s we’ve always known that shaving is a big milestone to hit.

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Watching our dad prepare for a shave in awe as he covers his face with the strong-scented shaving foam and watching him cover those tiny nicks he’d get from shaving with toilet paper.

When Should I Start Shaving? [At What Age?]

Almost all of us were sitting there scratching our chins wondering when we’d get the chance to shave. 

That’s probably the first exposure that most of us had to shaving, and it’s considered such a ritual and a proud moment to have hair that you’re able to shave.

But the answer of when you should start shaving isn’t a universal one.

Some will find that their first facial hair appears from age 9, but some won’t find a single one until well into their late teens, but most guys will start to notice facial hair from the ages of 14 and 17. 

The question of when to start shaving depends on a lot of personal factors like, puberty, genetics and your own personal preference.

So if your dad hasn’t passed down any shaving tips, or you just have no clue in general with shaving, allow us to take you through knowing when to start shaving and some extra information. 

Where Will Facial Hair Grow First?

When you hit puberty and facial hair begins to develop, you’ll find that the hair grows in stages and these are: 

  1. Upper Lip
  2. Sideburns
  3. Chin
  4. Cheeks
  5. Neck

The mustache is usually the first to grow for teenagers, and you probably know it well.

It’s very sparse and thin and it can be quite funny to look at in the beginning, but as you grow older, the mustache will start to develop and grow much thicker.

So many guys who have just started getting “peach fuzz” on their upper lip and chin will take that as a sign to start shaving, but that’s not always the case. 

When deciding if you want to start shaving or not, the first thing you should consider is the amount of hair that you’ve got, and whether or not it’s annoying you or making you embarrassed.

You can wait for more hair to grow, to decide if the hair is something you’d like to keep or get rid of, sometimes the hair just isn’t irritating enough to waste time shaving off. 

Everyone will reach puberty at a different age, and each guy’s hair will be vastly different to the next guys.

This means the rate of growth will widely differ, so if you’ve just got a bit of peach fuzz that is barely noticeable, it’s probably best to put down the razor and wait until the hair becomes more coarse or darker.

Another reason to wait is that shaving over skin that doesn’t have much, if any, hair can lead to complications such as irritated skin, razor bumps, ingrown hairs and many other irritations.

Whilst these aren’t necessarily dangerous in their own right, they can be quite painful, especially ingrown hairs. 

So, if you’ve still got next to no hair and baby-like skin, it’s better to wait rather than to break out the razor immediately.

Another year or so should do it, this way your skin will become tougher and coarser and not to mention more hair will grow, and this is when you’ll be ready to shave. 

When Should I Start Shaving? [At What Age?]

Personal Preference

The decision on when to start shaving doesn’t always rely on when a guy gets his first beard hair, sometimes it’s all down to your personal preference and style.

As we mentioned earlier, each guy’s hair will grow at a different rate, so for example, a 14 year old may develop a fuller beard than a 17 year old.

But the 14 year old is enjoying having a beard that makes him look older, so he may be more inclined to keep it, whereas the 17 year old may want to shave his beard completely to look ‘fresher’ or ‘neater’ and that’s what feels right for his own personal image. 

At the end of the day, most teenagers won’t be able to grow a thick beard, most will find that their facial hair is thin, wispy and just all over the place, which is why many turn to the razor to keep themselves looking clean and neat.

But of course, some teenagers will want to hold onto their first sprouts of manhood for as long as possible, as it makes them look more masculine. It’s all down to personal preference. 

Maturity Level

Puberty is a big indicator for most of us to start shaving, but the decision on when to start also comes down to your maturity level. 

If you’ve hit puberty early and have your first hair at say, age 11, you may not feel emotionally ready to start shaving, and of course that’s completely fine and normal.

A guy should begin his shaving routine when the hairs have become visible, and when he’s ready to begin. 

Shaving shouldn’t be forced, just because you’ve grown a bit of peach fuzz doesn’t mean you have to get the razor out instantly, it’s about when you feel ready.

Disregard what anyone else says about shaving, and when they started, because everyone will have a different opinion on when to start shaving. 

Final Thoughts

As we mentioned, there’s no one true indicator for when a guy should begin his shaving routine.

Whilst puberty is usually a good gauge of when to start shaving, that doesn’t always ring true for everyone, guys may not feel emotionally ready to begin shaving and that’s okay. 

It also depends on your personal preference. If you want to hold on to the hairs you’ve grown through puberty, you can definitely do that, but if you’d rather shave all of it off, you can do that too.

The biggest thing to remember is to not shave if your face isn’t ready, make sure there’s enough hair and your skin is ready.

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Matt Park
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