Shaving is a common method of depilation, and is most commonly used by men to shave their facial hair, and by women to shave their leg hair.
It began before history, with early man removing hair from himself using two sea shells to pull the hair out. Later, about 3000 BCE, when man developed copper tools, man developed copper razors. The idea of an aesthetic approach to personal hygiene may have begun at this time, though Egyptian priests may have practiced something similar to this earlier.
Shaving became very popular when Alexander the Great made shaving popular. He was fastidious about shaving.
The "fad" ended with Emperor Hadrian, who let a beard grow to hide a skin disorder.
Some hold the belief that, once shaving commences, the hair will grow out more thickly. However, this is a myth. The resulting stubble only makes the hairs seem to be thicker.
Shaving can be done with an electric razor or a regular, manual one. If a non-electric razor is used, some lathering agent such as soap or a special "shaving cream" or foam is normally be applied to the area to be shaved first, to avoid a painful razor burn.
See also: