Shaving My Legs

[Jamey-Heather]

I know there's lots of stuff here, but to be specific: any advice on leg shaving? Up or down? Can I use a "male" razor? Cleaning up afterwards? usw

[Delcina B]

Hi Jamey! I mostly shave up, but sometimes to get the stubborn ones whichever way works. The first time I was rinsing a lot due to the longer hair. A "guy" razor works fine for me. I like using Nair best despite it being real smelly, less nicks & smoother skin. Skin lotion afterwards.

 

Have fun!

Delcina

[Jamey-Heather]

2 minutes ago, Delcina B said:

Hi Jamey! I mostly shave up, but sometimes to get the stubborn ones whichever way works. The first time I was rinsing a lot due to the longer hair. A "guy" razor works fine for me. I like using Nair best despite it being real smelly, less nicks & smoother skin. Skin lotion afterwards.

 

Have fun!

Delcina

If I remember the commercial from when I was young, you can dare go bare with Nair with aloe-vera!

[Betty K]

Hi @Jamey, be careful shaving up or, depending on the thickness and toughness of your hairs, you could get the dreaded shaving rash. I agree with Delcina, NAIR is a good alternative, but be sure to spot-test it 24 hours before use on a small area of skin, since it can cause allergic reactions -- and they say you should do this before every single use, because you can suddenly become allergic to it even after regular use. Also, to combat ingrown hairs, get in the habit of using a loofah daily in the shower for at least a few days after hair removal. Scrub the areas where your hair grows thickest (for me it's inner thighs, groin, backs of my legs) -- scrub gently in little circles with a gentle soap. This will help exfoliate the skin so that hairs are less likely to get trapped as they grow out. Then moisturise the area with virgin coconut oil, which will lubricate the hair follicles and also has anti-bacterial properties. This may all sound a bit fussy but believe me, you do not want ingrown hairs; they will turn your smooth beautiful legs spotty in no time. I speak from experience. Oh, and although you're less likely to get ingrown hairs with NAIR, it can still happen, so to be on the safe side I would still keep up the loofah and coconut oil routine.

[Jamey-Heather]

2 minutes ago, Betty K said:

This may all sound a bit fussy

One of the joys, for me, about coming as a woman is that "fussy" is no longer an insult ❤. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me!

[Betty K]

You're very welcome. And I agree, it's great fun being a fussy trans girl. If a job is worth doing it's worth doing right, after all. And hair removal is a very important job.

[Tango]

Hey, trans guy here who spent years shaving his legs! (and still does!)

It's easiest to shave up but definitely be wary of razor rash--it's great to use shave gel or moisturizing body wash to create a lather first. I've also heard you can use conditioner, though I haven't tried it myself. When you shave your knees or near your ankles, bend your leg to pull your skin as tight as possible, to prevent snags. Male/female marketed razors don't make much of a difference, it's all the same hardware, though I've historically preferred male razors just because they tend to be a little cheaper. I recommend only shaving from the knee down, unless you plan to wear a swimsuit or something that shows off your thighs.

Generally, if you feel your razor isn't gliding smoothly, or if the little strip of lather material has worn down (if it has one) you should probably change your razor. Also, having one of those hanging cups in the shower can slightly extend the life of the razor blades just because they won't be sitting in water all the time. Just be sure you clean the blades properly and don't let hairs or gunk hang out in the blades--they'll rust super quick.

Remember to lather up well and take your time!

[Dartti Dare]

I feel the hair and shave against the grain. Hair tends to lay flat in one direction and the razor can glide right over it. I tell you, the very first time I shaved, I cut myself on the ankle sooo deep. I still have the scar and it still hurts is I push on it wrong. Jesus, I never bled that bad. Paying my dues, I guess.

[Aggie1]

1 hour ago, Dartti Dare said:

I feel the hair and shave against the grain. Hair tends to lay flat in one direction and the razor can glide right over it. I tell you, the very first time I shaved, I cut myself on the ankle sooo deep. I still have the scar and it still hurts is I push on it wrong. Jesus, I never bled that bad. Paying my dues, I guess.

That is funny! Not the blood but the way you described it. I always had a problem with my Adam’s apple and nicked it pretty bad a couple times and learned to move it to one side. After my trach shave I can be a lot more relaxed about it. Heck there’s nothing to move aside any more and the stitches are starting to blend into a crease in my skin so even that isn’t concerning. It’s a weird feeling! In a nice way. 

[Delcina B]

Wonderful tips! I love the loofah & coconut oil.

 

Thank you!

Delcina

[Guest]

I’ve been shaving my legs for almost 20 years. Do an initial trim with an electric razor, then shave against the grain up your legs. Rinse the razor often. As noted, be careful of your ankles and behind your knee. How high do you go? I like to say “mow the lawn but don’t trim the tree”. The higher you go the more likely you’ll get razor burn. Lotion the heck out of them when your done.

[Jamey-Heather]

2 hours ago, Erica Gabriel said:

I’ve been shaving my legs for almost 20 years. Do an initial trim with an electric razor, then shave against the grain up your legs. Rinse the razor often. As noted, be careful of your ankles and behind your knee. How high do you go? I like to say “mow the lawn but don’t trim the tree”. The higher you go the more likely you’ll get razor burn. Lotion the heck out of them when your done.

Lotion like moisturizer?

[Guest]

Yes. I can’t live without moisturizer in Colorado. 

[JustineM]

My shave routine is generally I will use a scrub on my legs, then use shave gel and shave up the leg. Lotion afterwards. I had a problem with strawberry leg for a while but this seems to help minimize it. I have used conditioner in a pinch but it doesn’t work as well as shave gel or cream. 

[Elizabeth Star]

Comparatively speaking, I'm feeling really lazy. I use 5 blade razors with the built-in gel pads, water and shave against the grain. Literally within the last couple days I started also using a loofah. I'm trying to get in the habit of using lotion afterward but it was a challenge to find one that doesn't clog my pores.

[Princess-audra]

I find shaving up is better. I also use a guys razor. It is a five blade with one more for side burns. I use the one blade part for tight areas (back of knees and to reach my toes better).

[Lenneth]

@Jamey, what I have ended up doing is sort of option c with two razors.  For my face I use a standard razor.  It's a "women's" razor, but the only thing differentiating it from those in the "men's" section is asthetics.  I tend to go down and come back up on the same track when moving along.  You know, try to get as close as I can.  The second razor Is for the rest of me.  The razor head has this pad loking thing attached above and below the blades.  When that gets wet those pad things start sort of applying gel as you shave.  So I'd still use shaving gel, but that razor makes it a bit easier to keep doing the down and up run.  It's helped with razor burn as well in my case.  I'll have to go see which ones I have if you're interested in looking at them.

[Katie M]

On 1/12/2022 at 4:51 AM, Erica Gabriel said:

Yes. I can’t live without moisturizer in Colorado. 

I know the feeling...😬

[Katie M]

I've found that if I have my legs waxed once a month, the "in between" shaving seems to go much easier...if it weren't so expensive, I'd wax all the time...

 

 

[dandy1harper]

On 1/28/2022 at 3:13 AM, Katie M said:

I've found that if I have my legs waxed once a month, the "in between" shaving seems to go much easier...if it weren't so expensive, I'd wax all the time...

 

 

do u go to a spa salon or do it at home? I think a home kit of wax doesn't cost much

I've bought wax and ordered a home wax box at Amazon
I got the kit from amazon 5 days ago. I paid for it 65$ + 18 $ about wax (now thee are a discount for this position, pre-discount price 23.49$). So, I spent 83$  and I can use this set 2-4 months and the only what I will need - buy a portion of wax

In general, 20-30 $ per month it's not big price

[Lenneth]

3 hours ago, dandy1harper said:

do u go to a spa salon or do it at home? I think a home kit of wax doesn't cost much

I've bought wax and ordered a home wax box at Amazon
I got the kit from amazon 5 days ago. I paid for it 65$ + 18 $ about wax (now thee are a discount for this position, pre-discount price 23.49$). So, I spent 83$  and I can use this set 2-4 months and the only what I will need - buy a portion of wax

In general, 20-30 $ per month it's not big price

Oh this is great!  I tried one of those OTC wax kit thingies a couple years back, thinking it would be more effective than shaving.  The whole process ended up going about as smoothly as running on a  treadmill with legos under my feet.  I don’t blame the product per se, but the experience left me wary of waxing solutions.  I am certainly up for trying anything though!  If there’s a chance it will work better I’m totally on board.

[Katie M]

4 hours ago, dandy1harper said:

do u go to a spa salon or do it at home? I think a home kit of wax doesn't cost much

 

I've been going to a salon, and it's about $100 every time. The home wax kit you bought looks like a great idea. I'm going to check it out...thank you!

[dandy1harper]

55 minutes ago, Katie M said:

I've been going to a salon, and it's about $100 every time. The home wax kit you bought looks like a great idea. I'm going to check it out...thank you!

🥰wellcome!

[Guest]

Between electrolysis, voice therapy, nail salons I’m going to stick to shaving right now 😊. I’ll save waxing for my eyebrows and )*( 🤪

[Katie M]

7 minutes ago, Erica Gabriel said:

Between electrolysis, voice therapy, nail salons I’m going to stick to shaving right now 😊. I’ll save waxing for my eyebrows and )*( 🤪

Thanks for my laugh for the day, Erica!