Shaved is the past-tense and perfect-tense form of the verb to shave, and it’s sometimes used as the past participle. Shaven is only used as a past participle. In other words, shaved is either a verb or an adjective, and shaven is an adjective. So, according to current usage standards, I have shaved is correct, and I have shaven is not correct. His face is shaven and his face is shaved both work.
Shave is one of a few irregular English verbs whose participle forms no longer function as verbs. Others include melt (melted/molten), cleave (cleaved/cloven), and prove (proved/proven). The irregular past-participle versions of these verbs tend to fade away with time, and shaven likely won’t be around for long. As a past participle, shaved is already more common than shaven.
Examples
These writers use shaved and shaven well:
Rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo have kidnapped a Spanish doctor and shaved off all his body hair . . . [Reuters]
To my right, a man sat with shaven head and full-length earth-red robes . . . [Independent]
The BBC’s deputy political editor had his Movember moustache shaved off while filming a review of the political week. [BBC News]
The suspect is described as a clean-shaven, white male between 5’9″ and 6 feet tall. [Nashville Scene]
