If you've ever tried to shave your legs or bikini area and got a shaving rash then you can understand the discomfort you can go through. I used to get these rashes and bumps every time I took a razor to my body. Eventually I got fed up of this discomfort and decided to do a little research and experimentation to try to reduce my chances of getting the rash and nasty bumps from ingrowing hairs.
Over the course of time I tried many different pieces of advice and pieces of equipment and different techniques that I thought might work. Some of these ideas were great and really helped but quite often the advice was wrong, the technique didn't work or the equipment just wasn't designed for what I wanted it to do. But after much research and fine tuning of these tips I was able to get a routine down that almost completely avoid the shaving rash and bumps and I'm now going to share this with you.
Preparation
Most people, when they think about shaving, will just pick up the razor and start hacking away at their skin. Whether it's their legs or bikini area they are highly likely to get skin irritation. What many people don't realise is that preparation is the key.
Before you even consider taking a razor to your body you want to trim down any excess hair with a pair of scissors to a length of 1/4 inch. This means that your razor wont get as clogged, you can shave quicker and you reduce the risk of ingrowing hairs.
The next step in the preparation is to wet the hair and skin and leave for a few minutes. This is fine if you're in the shower or bath because it will just happen naturally. By letting your hair get thoroughly wet you are making in more supple and generally easier to shave.
When your hair has had a chance to absorb some water it is now time to exfoliate. I would recommend an exfoliation glove with some body scrub but you can use whatever you wish. Exfoliation removes the dead skin from the surface which allows the razor to do a closer shave. It also means that the razor wont get clogged up with dead skin cells when it gets close to the surface.
Shaving
Now it's time for the shaving itself. This first thing you want to do here is to put on some thick shaving gel/cream to create a smooth surface for the razor to glide over. If you have run out of shaving cream hair conditioner works just as well.
Once you're lathered up then you can start to shave with a clean sharp blade, if it is dull then you're going to nick your skin and it will hurt. If you are doing your legs you will need to start at your ankles and work up your leg. For me working in 6 inch segments work best but for others one long stroke up to the thigh works best for them. This is something you will just have to experiment with for yourself. Remember to rinse the razor regularly to de-clog it.
If you decide to trim your bikini area then make sure you are using a body trimmer with a dedicated trimmer setting as this will help to keep everything even. If you're going for a Brazilian look or landing strip then you will have to start shaving against the grain and then do a side to side motion. This is because the hair grows in different patterns in the bikini area and this is the best way to get every hair. For hard to reach places you can begin by using a mirror and then with practice you can just use your fingers to check for any missed hairs, with practice you'll soon be able to do it fairly quickly. Again, be sure to rinse often and if necessary apply more shaving cream.
After Care
To avoid razor burn immediately apply baby powder to the area(s) you have just shaved. This helps to reduce friction and keep the skin's natural oils locked so that it doesn't dry out as much. The baby powder doesn't need to be anything fancy, a standard talc will do.
About 2 hours later is the best time to apply moisturizer. You skin has had time to recover from the close shave and is ready to receive some additional moisture. I've found that any old moisturizer will do so if there's a particular brand that you like then go ahead and use that one. I would recommend staying away from highly perfumed brands as this can tend to make your skin irritable after a close shave.
I also don't shave everyday but that's because my hair is fairly light and doesn't grow that quickly. If your hair is coarse and dark and you need to shave everyday then that's ok, just follow these tips and you'll be fine. If, however, you're like me and have light slow growing hair then if you moisturize everyday you'll keep the hair soft and supple. By doing this I've found that I only need to shave a couple of times a week.
Equipment
You actual shaving equipment is very important too. If you're going to use cheap disposable razors then don't expect brilliant results. I've found that the best type of razor to use is a multiple blade (three or four) on a pivotal head which can be electric or disposable, it just depends on what you're comfortable with really. By using the multi-bladed razors on pivoting heads you can have greater control over the pressure and direction and because of the 3 or 4 blades you will only have to go over an area one or two times.
Here are some great ladies razors that are specialized for leg and bikini area shaving: Best Ladies Razors
