Many women shave their legs to remove hair and provide a smooth expanse of silky skin. Sometimes this backfires and promotes the appearance of razor bumps and ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs occur when previously shaved hair begins to grow again. The blunt ends of the hair may catch under the surface of the skin, causing the hair to coil and form small bumps. Reducing the appearance of these bumps and using correct shaving techniques can enhance the appearance of the skin on your legs.
Step 1
Wash your legs with a soft washcloth and gentle cleanser. Use a gentle circular motion over the areas of ingrown hairs and razor bumps. The Mayo Clinic recommends using a soft-bristled toothbrush for a few minutes, which cleans the skin as well as helps to expose the surface of the ingrown hairs in your skin.
Step 2
Sterilize a needle by dipping it in rubbing alcohol. Insert the tip of the sterile needle under the hair loops that form ingrown hairs on your legs. Gently lift upward, exposing the tips of the embedded hairs and freeing them from the skin, which encourages the hair to grow outward rather than inward. Use sterilized tweezers to pluck out hairs from areas of your legs that commonly form ingrown hairs. While shaving these twisted hairs may encourage the return of ingrown hairs, pulling them with tweezers may reduce this possibility.
Step 3
Shave your legs gently to reduce the possibility of razor bumps and the recurrence of ingrown hairs. Wash the skin on your legs, using a cleanser and soft washcloth. Rinse off your cleanser with fresh water. Apply a thin layer of shaving cream or gel to the damp skin on your legs. Always use a sharp, clean razor to remove the hair on your legs. Shave in the direction of hair growth, rather than scraping against the direction your hair emerges from your skin. Use very light pressure, pulling the blade of the razor smoothly over the surface of your skin. Use long strokes to remove the hair from sections of your legs, rinsing the head of your razor between each cut.
Step 4
Rinse the shaving cream from your skin and wash your legs with a gentle cleanser. Rinse again, removing all traces of your shaving cream and cleanser. Avoid scrubbing your freshly shaved legs. Pat your legs dry with a soft towel.
Things You'll Need
- Washcloth
- Cleanser
- Toothbrush
- Needle
- Rubbing alcohol
- Tweezers
- Razor
- Shaving cream or gel
- Towel
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