Leg shaving without drama?

[Kali-Ann Gills]

Hi all.

Like many women I shave my legs etc every couple of days, it is a chore however, nothing kills a lovely dress faster than gorilla legs. I have been shaving my legs etc for many years now and I have to say that I have been able to achieve smooth legs without razor burn, bumps and lumps and any blood letting. Gaining beautiful smooth legs etc should be a pleasurable experience not torture and leaving the bathroom covered in band aids. I thought that I would share with you all what I have learned over the past forty years.

1Do not use mens shaving products. Use ladies gel. They may appear to be the same however, I assure you that they are not. A good quality gel will create a thin barrier between the blade and skin mens foam doesn't.

2 bath water hot as hades yes? Wrong! Hot water actually dries out the skin. You are aiming to soften the hair not cook it. Now probably the most important step; you cannot just lather up and crack on. Exfoliation is the key here, use a good quality body scrub  (I use Sanctuary Spa air whipped souffle scrub) around  £14 from Amazon. I also use a mitten this step removes dead skin cells and I am sorry to say grease and dirt that washing alone cannot do. Use in a gentle circular motion BE GENTLE you are dealing with your legs not scrubbing a roasting tin!!. Pay a little more attention to the inside of the thighs and behind the knees. You will be either fascinated or horrified by what comes off? not exfoliating is one of the biggest causes of lumps and bumps and ingrown hairs.

Shaving gel the more the better yes? Wrong you want a thin layer of gel great lumps of gel will clog the razor.

Razor,  DO NOT use a razor more than five times  (tip. If you believe that your razor is getting dull wash thoroughly and take a pair of jeans and stroke the razor down the leg ten times and up the leg the same number, this will re sharpen the  blades and reduce any nicks). Buy the best quality razor you can afford a razor sat in soap and water in a pot at the side of the bath isn't going to cut it; or rather it will. 

Use sort strokes long strokes reduce the efficiency of the razor as the gap between the blades again clog up. Rinse the razor after each stroke I use a toothbrush to remove stubborn hairs. Stretch the skin to keep it taught this has the effect of pushing the hair further out of the follicle shaft ergo closer shave as the hair at rest will return to below skin level.

Moisturise;  anything with Aloe Vera in it is very good. Another great option is one containing Australian marshmallow expensive however, worth the investment.

If you run out of gel DO NOT reach for the soap most soaps are an astringent. Use hair conditioner preferably one with a natural oil base such as Argon oil.

Finally give your skin time to recover as odd as this sounds shaving as far as the human body is concerned is not a natural process. Hair has many functions and one of the most important is to reduce friction. Ladies give your legs a good forty minutes before dragging on your tights or leggings. If you are going out in the sun protect your skin remember that you have just literally removed at least one layer of skin.

Bikini line treat in the same manner and use a gel designed for intimate areas last thing you need is a burning yahoo when on a hot date ?. 

Under arms are a lot simpler as they are naturally more moist. However, moisturise.

Anyway I hope that you all find this useful. 

Happy shaving. 

Kali-Ann ? xx 

 

[jae bear]

That was super informative and I very much appreciate the information ! Mostly you reminded me I need to get out that little pink razor and  try to remember if I used it five times yet or not. I agree that rinsing it frequently is the best way to go, but I have not found a favorite gel or brand of razor yet. I was using the “fab” razor, I like that you could go both directions but I don’t know that it was super useful, and lately I only grab whatever pink can of gel is on the shelf and I haven’t paid attention to what is what...  any recommendations? 

 Hugs, 

 Jackie 

[Kali-Ann Gills]

1 hour ago, jae bear said:

That was super informative and I very much appreciate the information ! Mostly you reminded me I need to get out that little pink razor and  try to remember if I used it five times yet or not. I agree that rinsing it frequently is the best way to go, but I have not found a favorite gel or brand of razor yet. I was using the “fab” razor, I like that you could go both directions but I don’t know that it was super useful, and lately I only grab whatever pink can of gel is on the shelf and I haven’t paid attention to what is what...  any recommendations? 

 Hugs, 

 Jackie 

Hey Jackie, 

You are very welcome glad you found it useful. I see you are in the US I imagine that there are many feminine products available both in the US and across the pond here however,  no doubt that there will be products that are available in your country alone. 

Gels for women are really pretty much the same however, the price range can vary wildly rule of thumb is go for anything that contains a natural moisturising extract such as Aloe Vera or similar and ignore hype on the label I don't care how much it costs. Basically if it looks to good to be true it probably is. I generally use Super Max Shimmer it contains Aloe Vera but it is a very light gel so less prone to clogging the razor. It costs a around £ 3. Ignore celeb stuff or designer labels because you are paying for the name and not what it can do. And trust me NO shaving gel is worth  £25 or more. Check out the magazines they usually have comparison tests.

As for the razor itself I have found that a triple bladed one such as Venus tends to be the most efficient. The more blades then you have two issues firstly the actual head is too large to shave delicate areas, or areas such as knees and back of the knees. Also the gaps between the blades becomes ever smaller ergo more likely to clog up and harder to clean. 

Hmm razors that go both ways the only one I know of in the UK is the Wilkinson Sword intuition. I cannot really comment on these as I have never used one however, the main trick to getting very smooth legs is to shave against the grain so I am very suspicious of how they they would be better. Also the one I mentioned contains the gel in the head. Sorry hunni not convinced.

I usually do the following to know how many times I have used a razor I place a small dot of water proof marker pen on the handle. You can use a razor more than five times however,  its efficiency will deteriorate rapidly. And a dull razor is more prone to knicking the skin especially around the ankles. I have lost pints of blood over the years working that one out.

I hope that I have answered your questions however, please ask me anything else if not.

Kali-Ann ? xx 

 

[jae bear]

Hey Kali-Ann,

 I’m not super convinced that the fab razor that goes both directions is worth anything either, they had a promotion on them and I thought I would try it out. I never used it in the opposite direction and didn’t see any advantage. I believe I’m using the Venus razor now, it’s very common and three blades is typically what I look for. I think the gel I Have is from Gillette and I believe it is for sensitive skin and contains aloe, so it sounds like we are very much on the same page. The biggest trouble I have is getting razor bumps at the top inside of my thighs where the skin is super soft, so I’m typically very gentle in that area.  I recently tried out the veet Gel wax strips on my arms, and while they worked really well the first time, they don’t work well until you have plenty of hair to grab the next time. I tried it on the tops of my thighs after there was a little growth but it didn’t remove any hair from that area...  I never got out and played with my actual salon wax system, it seems like so much work and I’m not even certain where to get strips for it. At the end of the day grabbing my pink razor is the simple solution, and it seems whatever I’m doing is working for me so I’ve just been going with that. I really love your informative post about this, it’s not something that gets talked about very often and I’ve often wondered all of these things!

 Hugs, 

 Jackie 

[Jani]

1 hour ago, jae bear said:

I recently tried out the veet Gel wax strips on my arms, and while they worked really well the first time, they don’t work well until you have plenty of hair to grab the next time.

 

I think another issue with pulling hair out, which is what waxing, threading, epilating does is ingrown hairs which can be unsightly and possibly painful.  

 

I've always had very light hair on my legs but since beginning estrogen it is greatly diminished.  Whats there is mostly vellus now.  I might shave once every six weeks or so to get the few stragglers.  I would suggest that continuing shaving and HRT will deliver what you desire.

 

Jani

[Kirsten]

3 hours ago, jae bear said:

The biggest trouble I have is getting razor bumps at the top inside of my thighs where the skin is super soft, so I’m typically very gentle in that area.

You and me both hun. But much less with the hrt. But it’s still why I only shave once a week. 

[Jani]

Jackie you mentioned your pink Venus blades.  Here's an article that might make you switch!

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gillette-venus-shaving_us_57fba8b3e4b0b6a430340ea6

 

Jani

[jae bear]

  Ha ha,  yeah, I still have a fusion or two left in the medicine cabinet, mine is the old one that has the vibrating deal in it!  I had to go look to see what razor I bought last, I got whatever it was on sale but I couldn’t remember exactly what it was until I got home, it’s the one in this picture, it has five blades and seems to do a good job, and it doesn’t seem better or worse than my fusion blade, and but it was cheaper because it was on sale. 

 Hugs, 

 Jackie 

[Kali-Ann Gills]

6 hours ago, Jani said:

Jackie you mentioned your pink Venus blades.  Here's an article that might make you switch!

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gillette-venus-shaving_us_57fba8b3e4b0b6a430340ea6

 

Jani

Hi Jani, 

Well you learn something new everyday. Looking back at my post I could have worded the  part about what razor I use better. I promise I am not in the employ of the manufacturers of the Venus razor. 

What I was attempting to do was detail the best way I know to reduce the problems associated with female shaving. There must be literally hundreds of different women's razors etc on the market and each woman will find the one best suited to her needs. Indeed I personally know of someone who uses her grandfathers old cut throat razor ?I am not that brave.

I found the article interesting however, in my experience closely packed blades do clog up a lot faster I use the Venus because it is my personal favourite.

Basically the process is the same whatever razor is used

Kali-Ann ? xx 

[Kali-Ann Gills]

10 hours ago, jae bear said:

Hey Kali-Ann,

 I’m not super convinced that the fab razor that goes both directions is worth anything either, they had a promotion on them and I thought I would try it out. I never used it in the opposite direction and didn’t see any advantage. I believe I’m using the Venus razor now, it’s very common and three blades is typically what I look for. I think the gel I Have is from Gillette and I believe it is for sensitive skin and contains aloe, so it sounds like we are very much on the same page. The biggest trouble I have is getting razor bumps at the top inside of my thighs where the skin is super soft, so I’m typically very gentle in that area.  I recently tried out the veet Gel wax strips on my arms, and while they worked really well the first time, they don’t work well until you have plenty of hair to grab the next time. I tried it on the tops of my thighs after there was a little growth but it didn’t remove any hair from that area...  I never got out and played with my actual salon wax system, it seems like so much work and I’m not even certain where to get strips for it. At the end of the day grabbing my pink razor is the simple solution, and it seems whatever I’m doing is working for me so I’ve just been going with that. I really love your informative post about this, it’s not something that gets talked about very often and I’ve often wondered all of these things!

 Hugs, 

 Jackie 

Hi Jackie, 

As I say exfoliating really is the key, and the  inner thighs are notorious for the lumps and bumps syndrome. As has been said HRT does make a difference both in the amount of hair and its coarseness however, unless a woman has a bottomless purse to spend large amounts of money on IPL or Electolosys then manual hair removal is an ongoing fact of womens lives.

Home waxing is always an option however, as with anything some kits will be better than others.

I have been shaving my legs etc now for forty years and I have found out the painful way what does and doesn't work. In short as with any beauty routine be it nails,  makeup or shaving preparation really does effect the end result. You would never try applying makeup after a gym session without preparing your face first.

I  am not suggesting that exfoliating your legs once is an instant fix for the lumps and bumps syndrome however,  it lessens it and over time it should remove the issue entirely. I actually use the body scrub I mentioned all over regularly regardless of whether or not I am shaving. BTW body scrub is to coarse for the face. 

There is no "one size fits all " beauty regime because there are so many different types of skin hair etc however, all of my girlfriends transgender or not use this routine and it works for them.

Unfortunately there are many feminine things that are not talked about enough in the transgender world in my opinion for this reason I fully believe that the women who have been around for a long time should share their experiences and knowledge. 

Trial and error can in some ways be fun however, it is invariably expensive,  frustrating and at times painful and if I am able to make it just a little easier for others then I believe that I have a duty to do so.

Kali-Ann ? xx 

 

[jae bear]

2 hours ago, Kali-Ann Gills said:

if I am able to make it just a little easier for others then I believe that I have a duty to do so.

 

2 hours ago, Kali-Ann Gills said:

women who have been around for a long time should share their experiences and knowledge. 

 Oh my goodness yes please do ! All of these things are very difficult for the first time uninitiated member,  and try as I might to ask my wife on these subjects I get silence, crickets...  I am definitely going to look into an exfoliating scrub, I am hoping that in time they make a significant difference. 

 Hugs,

 Jackie 

[Jani]

7 hours ago, Kali-Ann Gills said:

I promise I am not in the employ of the manufacturers of the Venus razor. 

I understand, no problem! 
 

6 hours ago, Kali-Ann Gills said:

As I say exfoliating really is the key,

I think this is also true for keeping the blades cleaner as you shave.  Getting rid of dead skin is healthy too.  You do have to rinse them clean more often.   

 

Jani

[Kali-Ann Gills]

3 hours ago, jae bear said:

 

 Oh my goodness yes please do ! All of these things are very difficult for the first time uninitiated member,  and try as I might to ask my wife on these subjects I get silence, crickets...  I am definitely going to look into an exfoliating scrub, I am hoping that in time they make a significant difference. 

 Hugs,

 Jackie 

Hi Jackie,  

As I say I will do what I can because I have been there and it is not fun.  To be honest asking a female partner will always be a daunting task and in the majority of cases does not gain the information we need. I am I suppose lucky enough to have been brought up as a girl from eleven to sixteen. Also I have never been married and have always had boyfriends since I was a young girl

Anyway I have put together a post in the beauty section under the heading "home mani and pedi kit" I have listed the full requirements for what you would need to give yourself a manicure and pedicure at home. I have also given the details of what to do and how to do it. 

Jackie there is no way to get away from this however, CIS girls learn all of this over many years believe me it takes years to perfect a style. Understand the subtleties of the myriad of beauty products and how to get the best out of them. The vast majority of transgender women do not have that luxury and are literally thrown in at the deep end. I have argued that there should be a lot more to the treatment of transgender women other than hormones voice coaching and hair removal.  Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that this will ever come to pass. 

If you have any questions about anything please ask me I am not suggesting that I have the answers to everything however,  I will answer to the best of my ability. I see far too many transgender women struggle when entering the female world and I believe that it doesn't have to be like that. Whilst it is never going to be easy anything that can be done to mitigate that struggle has to be worth doing.

Kali-Ann ? xx 

 

[Marbabar]

I’ve been dabbling with an electric, foil type  shaver made for women’s legs. I do get so sick of shaving the right way — so time consuming! Anyway, it’s actually pretty bad compared to the men’s one I use on my face twice a day. What I do like about it, though, is this: since it doesn’t achieve a very close shave, I never have irritation or ingrowns; and it does get close ENOUGH that (since my legs hairs are only medium brown and getting finer as hrt progresses) it makes my legs ~look~ smooth even if they don’t feel it. And it’s quicker and can be done dry. Just something to think about!

[Kali-Ann Gills]

Just now, Marbabar said:

I’ve been dabbling with an electric, foil type  shaver made for women’s legs. I do get so sick of shaving the right way — so time consuming! Anyway, it’s actually pretty bad compared to the men’s one I use on my face twice a day. What I do like about it, though, is this: since it doesn’t achieve a very close shave, I never have irritation or ingrowns; and it does get close ENOUGH that (since my legs hairs are only medium brown and getting finer as hrt progresses) it makes my legs ~look~ smooth even if they don’t feel it. And it’s quicker and can be done dry. Just something to think about!

Hi hunni, 

Yes electric shavers do have their uses and I have no doubt that some are very good however, in some instances hair type, colour and thickness etc basically the vast majority simply cannot cope.  I have tried them and honestly I found them at best to be rather mediocre.

Kali-Ann ? xx