Preparation and technique
Hair soaked in warm water for two or three minutes softens and cuts with far less force, which is why the end of a shower is the right time. Apply a fragrance-free shaving gel or cream and give it a minute to work, since bar soap is a poor lubricant and shaving dry is worse. Make the first pass with the grain, in the direction the hair lies. If you want a closer result, lather again and go across the grain. Shaving against the grain is the closest and the most irritating, so keep it for skin that tolerates it. Use short, light strokes and rinse the blade every two or three of them. Finish with cool water and a fragrance-free moisturizer, not an aftershave that contains alcohol. Change the blade every five to seven shaves, sooner if it tugs, and store it somewhere dry, not in the shower.
Area by area
- On the neck, the grain changes direction below the jaw, so run your fingers over a day's stubble to map it.
- Underarm hair grows in several directions, so shave down, then up, then across.
- On the legs, shaving upward against the grain suits most skin, but go downward if you get bumps.
- In the bikini area, clip the hair to a quarter of an inch first, use a fresh blade, shave with the grain, and wear loose cotton afterward. Trimming alone causes the fewest problems.
Ingrown hairs and bumps
Curly and coarse hair is the most prone to curling back into the skin. If that describes you, do not stretch the skin, stay with the grain, and consider a single-blade razor or an electric trimmer that leaves a millimeter of stubble. A wash or lotion with salicylic or glycolic acid, used a few times a week, keeps dead skin from trapping new hairs. Hold a warm washcloth on a bump and do not dig at it. Bumps that are painful, filled with pus or leaving dark marks warrant a visit to a dermatologist.
Other methods
Depilatory creams dissolve hair and can burn skin, so test a small patch a day ahead and obey the time on the label. Waxing needs a quarter inch of growth, lasts three to six weeks, and is unsafe on skin treated with retinoids. Laser treatment reduces hair over six or more sessions and should be done by a licensed provider.
Tip If your neck is always irritated, shave every other day for two weeks. Skin often needs rest more than a new product.
