Few things are more frustrating than dealing with bumpy, red, and irritated skin when you’re done shaving your legs. It’s uncomfortable, and some people even find it a bit embarrassing. If you want to achieve soft, supple legs without spending all that money on painful waxing, learn how to shave your legs and get silky smooth skin every time.
Allow Hair To Soften
If you rush to shave your legs, don’t expect a smooth and lasting shave–achieving silky skin takes time! Let your legs soak in a warm bath or a steamy shower for about five to 10 minutes before shaving. This softens the hairs and allows the pores to open, making it easier for the blade to remove hair, giving you an overall closer shave.
Loosen Ingrown Hairs
Even though you’ve opened your pores during the first step, there are likely still ingrown hairs that haven’t popped out yet. After soaking, use a physical exfoliant such as a body scrub or exfoliating towel. Not only will this bring up stubborn ingrown hairs, but it removes the dead skin that clogs up your razor. Often, this dead skin is the culprit behind itchy and painful razor burn.
Use the Right Shaving Cream
Shaving cream provides a barrier between your skin and the razor, so you must use the right products if you want a smooth shave. Avoid using shaving foam that comes in an aerosolized can. It has too much air to create a solid barrier and doesn’t coat the follicles properly, so use a shaving cream or gel instead. The main difference between shaving cream and shaving gel is texture, so your choice depends entirely on your preferences.
Change Your Razor Often
How much hair you have and how thick the follicles are can change how often you have to change your razor blade. However, as a general rule, you should change your razor after every five to seven shaves. If you shave every day, that’s about a week before your blade starts getting dull. However, if you notice your blade feels rough, tugs at the hair, or your skin is getting more irritated than usual, it’s time to change your razor.
Don’t Forget To Moisturize
If you want to get silky smooth skin after you shave your legs, you have to moisturize. Rinse off your skin to remove any excess product, but don’t dry off completely! Apply and massage a moisturizing lotion into your skin to soothe the area and keep it soft. Keeping some of that water on your legs allows the occlusive properties of the lotion to trap that water so your skin can absorb it.
Whether you’re going out for a night on the town, want to show off your legs at the beach, or treat yourself to velvety smooth skin, these tips will help you do just that. Wear those shorts, show off that new skirt, throw on that new dress, and show them what you’ve got!
