During the winter months, you can get away with a hair here and there. Put on some jeans, and nobody will notice whether you are shaved recently, or you had your last shave a month ago.
But once the summer months come in, and you want to wear a skirt and show your nude legs, it is time to make sure there are no hairs whatsoever. And in the winter, let’s not forget, once you undress in the bed with your partner, some hairs can be a buzzkill.
With that in mind, how to properly shave so that you get smoothly shaved legs? This might sound like an easy task, but it is far from that. It is not about whether your hair grows slow or fast. It is about how you shave.
Here are some tips on how to prepare your legs for shaving, and make sure you get a clean and smooth shave.
Apply body oil on a daily basis
Body oils, namely coconut, olive, and Argan oil can soften your skin. In the same time, they soften hair follicles, which enables you to get a deeper and better shave. Keeping your skin moisturized and hydrated is key to having smoothly shaved legs.
They will be in great condition before and aftershave. And let’s not forget, body oils that moisturize the skin, also remove prickly and papery skin.
Choose the right shaving gel
In the past few years, it is a trend to use conditioner for shaving. The logic is that conditioners also soften the hair, similarly as shaving gels. But conditioners are not as slippery as shaving gels.
Also, conditioners can slog the blades of your razor. Which means changing razor blades more frequently, which costs money. Shaving gel is the best ingredient for preparing your legs for shaving. It is much more slippery, and it will enable your razor to glide.
Use men’s razor
This might sound silly, why would you use something designed for men? Well, think about this for a second, men’s razors are designed to shave the face.
Being that our facial skin is more sensitive, and the face is more prominent, these razors are designed to be sharper, and gentler to the skin. And even more importantly, men’s razors have more blades.
Five blades are better than three, with the new razors going up to six and seven blades. The more blades your razor has, the lesser the risk is of pulling and tugging hair.
The proper direction of shaving
This is the mistake most people make when it comes to shaving. There is a right way to shave your legs, and a wrong way. Most people just put on the shaving gel, and start shaving upwards. But that is a huge mistake.
If you want a clean and smooth shave, you should shave downwards first, and then shave upwards. This technique will help you get a closer shave.
It is also great for people with sensitive skin, as it causes less irritation. The worst way to shave your legs is sideways, which is painful, and can cause cuts on your skin.
Bend while shaving
Speaking of directions and positions of shaving, we have another hack you might want to know. Bend your knees while shaving your legs.
This will allow you to stretch the skin in the patella area. And when your skin is stretched, you can get a thorough shave and reduce any chances of cuts on the skin.
Shave after shower
An underrated aspect of getting clean and smooth shave is the time period when you do it. We recommend doing it shaving your legs after you are done with your shower.
The humid environment will soften your skin, hair, and open up the pores. This will allow the razor blade to easily reach every layer of your skin and remove unwanted hair.
Do not forget to exfoliate
Exfoliation is needed for clean and smooth skin, but also for a long-lasting shave. Use an exfoliator before shaving, best done one day before shaving.
Exfoliating will remove dead skin cells, prevent ingrown hair, and soften your skin. More importantly, if your skin is exfoliated, the blades will get closer to the skin.
Be gentle with a new blade
It is important to change blades every now and then. You do not want to be stuck with one blade, and use it for more than a month. When you put a new blade on, it can be really sharp.
That is why you need to go slowly and gently when using a new blade. You do not want to get any cuts.
Tips for Long Lasting Shave
Now, getting a clean and smooth shave is one thing. But having that long-lasting feeling of smoothness is another thing. Things can messy after a few days. You might be thinking “I need to shave more often”. Wrong, you have to do it differently.
There are multiple factors that can contribute to long-lasting clean and smooth shave, including preparation, up to the direction of the razor.
Here are some tips for how to have long-lasting effect:
- Exfoliate the day before shaving to remove hairs super close to the roots. Body scrub or a body cream with glycolic or alpha hydroxy acid can remove dead skin cells, ingrown hairs, and prepare your legs for shaving
- Shave once you are done with your shower. When you are in the shower, the hot and humid environment can prepare your legs for shaving. And by showering, you can also wash away dirt and oil from your skin. That allows you to catch skin at the root, and enable long-lasting clean and smooth legs
- Choose a razor with built-in hydration to keep your skin hydrated for a couple of hours after shaving
- Always use a moisturizing shave gel or cream, allowing your razor to work through the legs without getting clogged up with hair
- Cover the area you want to shave with a thick layer of cream or gel, do not over-apply. Your goal is to soften the skin underneath so the razor can glide easily
- Change your blades on a regular basis. If your blades are dull, they will not get a clean shave. When it is the right time to change the razor? When your blade feels as it is dragging instead of gliding on your skin
- Add a body oil like coconut, Argan, or olive oil to keep your skin nourished and moisturized. Nourished and moisturized skin feels smoother for a longer period, and will also soften the hair so they are easier to shave
