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There are several reasons why you need to shave legs, whether it’s for aesthetic reasons or for practical ones. Maybe you just want your legs to be smooth. Or perhaps you’re a competitive cyclist trying to gain every aerodynamic advantage possible.
Regardless of the reason, shaving your legs is a difficult and uncomfortable process that involves risk and contortions. The best approach to shave your legs is determined by you: how much hair you have, how fast it grows, and whether or not you learned how to do it. if you’re still in the process of learning how to do it, here are some detailed steps on how to get silky and smooth legs.
Using the Razor To Shave Legs
1. You’ll need a razor with at least two blades.
a disposable razor with multiple blades will provide the smoothest shave. Multi-blade razors are much better at cutting the hair below skin level than single blade razors, so you won’t have to worry about stubble.
2. Use a gel or cream
Use shaving cream if you’re trying to get rid of your leg’s hair for the first time, or if you have sensitive skin. Shaving cream will provide a barrier between your skin and the sharp blades of the razor, making for a smoother shave with less chance of nicks and cuts.
3. Get in the bathtub
Use warm water to wet your legs up to around knee height before shaving them. The warm water will relax your leg muscles, so they won’t be as tense while you shave. Relaxed muscles are less likely to get nicked by the razor, which will make for a much more comfortable shave.
4. Apply shaving cream
Take some shaving cream (if not already lathered) in your hand and rub it on the areas of leg hair you wish to shave. If you are new to shaving, it can be helpful to do this step on one knee first before moving onto the other leg.
5. Use short strokes
Starting at your ankles, drag your razor up your leg using short strokes with little-to-no pressure. Go slowly, and continue doing this until you shave all areas of your legs.
6. Rinse the razor after each stroke
You don’t want to let any hair or cream dry onto the razor blade, as they will make it harder to remove and cause more irritation post-shave. If you’re not using shaving cream, feel free to rinse your razor as you shave each section of your legs.
7. Exfoliate
After you’re finished shaving, exfoliate with a loofah or a body scrub. This will remove any last bits of hair and shaving cream from your legs, as well as remove dead skin cells for a brighter and smoother look to your legs.
8. Moisturize
Finally, apply a moisturizing lotion to your legs after you shave them to lock in the moisture and help prevent any razor burn. It’s also recommended that you wear loose-fitting clothing for at least 24 hours following shaving (including pants and socks), as it will be more prone to razor burn and irritation.
Waxing.
1. Buy a waxing kit
Cannot stress this enough: get yourself a good waxing kit if you’re going to be getting your legs waxed regularly. A quality waxing kit will contain double-sided muslin strips, pre, and after-wax lotion, and high-quality hard wax for sensitive skin. Be wary of any pre-wax hair removal creams; they may cause skin irritation.
2. Heat the wax
Take off any metal attachments (if necessary) and put your wax inside a wax heater or other waxing warmer to heat it up. This will make the wax easier to spread, which will make it possible for you to do a more thorough job.
3. Exfoliate
Wash the areas with which you will be waxing with soap and water to remove any dead skin cells that may clog up your hair follicles. This will also make it easier for your hair to come out of the skin, which means less pain!
4. Apply lotion
After exfoliating, apply some pre-wax lotion to your legs. This will make the wax glide on easier, which means less pain! Be careful not to use too much pre-wax lotion; it’s better to reapply than compromise the effectiveness of your wax!
5. Apply hard wax
Take a bit of hard wax on the muslin strip, and apply it to your skin in the opposite direction that your hair grows. You can spread this around to get the best placement before applying, but try not to move it once you have put it down!
6. Pull off quickly
Once the wax is applied, pull the muslin strip off quickly against your skin for best results. This will pull out all hairs, but you may feel a bit of discomfort as it does so.
7. Apply after-wax lotion
If your skin feels irritated, take some after-wax lotion and apply it to your legs to ease any discomfort.
8. Wash
Finally, wash off your waxing area with soap and water to remove any excess lotion or wax residue from your legs. This will prevent any possible irritation or infections after you have finished the process!