Shaving - women?

ashleyShades

see if a spa around you does sugaring instead of waxing... sugaring is like wax but only sticks to the hair follicle. I have very sensitive skin and this is how I get my bikini area done in the summer time. The "sugar" they use is a mixture that looks like honey but is made from sugar, lemon juice, and water.

Amandawith3kids

i had good luck using plain lotion to shave with.

i dont shave much in the winter either.

LaserOctopus

I have super-sensitive skin and that annoying tendency for ingrown hairs if I so much as walk past a razor, so I feel your pain.
Some things that reduce or eliminate those problems for me (some of these have been mentioned before):
Exfoliate. I use Sunshine Spa Vanilla Orange Brown Sugar Scrub.
Turn the water temperature down. For me, hotter water equals more razor burn and ingrown hairs.
Shave only once a week if you can (I can't do this for my pits, but for my legs when I'm not seeing anyone, works great, lol).
Instead of in the shower, try dry, with baby powder and a cheap razor (they seem to dull much more quickly with powder). This way you can also take your time and be super gentle on your skin. I do it in front of the TV at night.
There are several commercial products, but I've never tried one. Might be worth checking out.
Just as a side note since it's come up, I shave all directions because my hair grows all directions. I know you're supposed to go with the direction of the hairs, but that just won't work for me, hahahaha.

ottermotorcycle

Regularly, I only shave for hygiene reasons: armpits and nether region. Otherwise I basically only shave for events, in the midst of doing other things like painting my nails and using a facial mask.

I shave with oil, not shaving cream or anything - I don't have to moisturize after because it makes my skin super smooth, and I can shave under the shower without it running off in the water. Any kind of oil does it. My friends have tried it and were totally amazed at how their legs didn't itch or anything after. I also find that if I mix some leftover oil with sugar or used coffee grinds and scrub my legs, the hair doesn't grow back as quickly.

And sometimes I get caught up in feeling smooth and oil scrub my whole body... the only thing I wouldn't use those on is my face, the granules aren't fine enough (though I suppose superfine sugar or espresso ground coffee would work, if I had those. I should investigate.)

AsaThorsWoman

You know, I used to have this problem, it went away, and I have no idea how or why.

Maybe I just shave *less*.

I've recently taken up not shaving in the winter, but shaving in the summer.

I have to wear long pants to work out in, but it's all groovy.

Maybe giving those follicles a 6 month vaca is doing the trick.

Jerrypeoples

i suggest an epilady for those sensitive areas

sexforjaffacakes

dye all your body hair pink instead.
it's way more fun.

amritkbm

Hi,
Not sure where you are based but if in Australia, there are lots of websites that offer huge discounts on permanent hair removal, my preference is IPL treatments. $2000 value for $100 etc. Scoopon, Offa etc. I have used these to solve the trouble areas that bother me. The rest is shaved in the shower with lots of exfoliation in the days following to avoid as many ingrown as possible.
Good luck.

Sinisterly

o look, a spam bot. -smacks it-

enchantedgardener

I find soaking in the bathtub before a shave leads to better results. Smoother, fewer missed spots, less irritation. I also find baths relaxing, so I'm more likely to take my time and not rush through the process.

If you have bumps, irritation, or redness, I've found that witch hazel is the best thing ever. I use Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel with aloe and it is the absolute best product for soothing all kinds of skin irritations as well as gently cleansing skin.

ottermotorcycle

dye all your body hair pink instead.
it's way more fun.

That is actually SUPER cute. What kind of dye do you use? I imagine regular hair dye won't work.

OP, bleaching the hair might be a suitable solution for you - I have blonde body hair on my arms/legs and that's why I rarely feel the need to shave.

JumpingDog

I have issues with ingrown hairs too. I personally wash and exfoliate prior to shaving, shave in the direction of the hair growth, use cold water and if the ingrown hairs are really bad, immediately wash with antibacterial soap. Then every day, exfoliate and wash with antibacterial hand soap for 3-4 days. When do I this, I almost always avoid most ingrown hairs. Some areas just don't care what I do, like stretch marks - hairs never seem to grow correctly in them. Hope this helps. It's a little labor intensive but it works well.

amaysngrace

Yeah, I only shave if I have a date, otherwise, I'm a single woman, so I don't shave unless I'm showing off my legs or wearing a sleeveless shirt. In the winter, I don't usually shave at all. When I do, I either get a professional wax or use Nair's Brazillan Spa Clay Hair Remover or Moroccan Wax.

melimomTARDIS

I cannot use multi blade razors without awful shaving irritation. I cant use shaving gels either, as the fragrance also irritates me.

I shave with a single blade disposible razor, and I throw it away after 2 uses.

I shave everyday even in winter, and I use a little mild soap on a pouf as a shave cream. I pat my legs dry, and apply a light coat of baby oil on my damp skin.

I am lily white and have reactive skin, so I cant deviate too far from this routine. If I dont shave everyday, I risk ingrowns.

zoeysasha37

I shave all areas daily, using lots of shaving cream. If I see any irritation, I apply a little baby powder

ParkerH47

Try shaving in cooler water with hair conditioner instead of shaving cream. Use a really sharp razor and don't push down too hard on the skin (just lightly enough to catch the hairs and not scrap the first layer of skin) then apply a nice soothing lotion.

Maybe this is a weird question, but are you sure they are ingrown hairs and not razor burn? ingrown hairs look like pimples and the hair grows out and then curls back into the skin. Razor burn is more just irritation and red bumps. Razor burn often happens with dull razors and pressing too hard to irritate the skin.

Hope that helps good luck!

BinaryPulsar

I don't like how all the razors now are so big and have so many blades. I use gillette sensor. It is the smallest one I can find and it appears they still sell replacement blades, but not the base razor. I tried using my husband's man razor and got all cut up. Men's faces are tougher than our lady skin (that's what my husband explained). I use aveeno shave gel.

sexforjaffacakes

dye all your body hair pink instead.
it's way more fun.

That is actually SUPER cute. What kind of dye do you use? I imagine regular hair dye won't work.

OP, bleaching the hair might be a suitable solution for you - I have blonde body hair on my arms/legs and that's why I rarely feel the need to shave.

I used facial hair bleach to lighten it then used stargazer semi permanent for the pink; it does work but can stain the skin a little (though if you keep the dye to the hair area it makes it look better haha)

I think you get specific pubic hair dye though I just had pink hair dye left over :L

aquarabbit

I epilate my legs and arms and sugar my underarms and bikini area. I got ingrowns with the previous epilator (Braun) but not with the new one (Pansonic). It's a wet/dry, so I can use it in the bathtub. That lessens the pain. I also used to get ingrowns with waxing, but sugaring is much better. I bleed a lot less in sensitive areas as well. I also use a soap with salicylic and a lotion with lactic acid. That helps me so much with ingrowns and keeps me super soft.

Oh, and exfoliating gloves help too.

Satiable

Have you tried wire-wrapped blades?

Some razors (e.g. Schick Quattro) have a thin piece of wire wrapped around the blades, so you can't shave too close. That's often what causes ingrown hair and toenails - if you cut the hair/nail too short, it retracts to just slightly under your skin, then gets trapped under there when it keeps growing.