Shaving Legs

How To Shave Your Legs

By Anna Lynn C. Sibal

Shaving the legs is part of nearly every woman's grooming regimen. Legs with smooth, silky-soft and closely shaven skin are considered sexy. But while modern technology has brought to us means to make our legs hair-free for a longer term, if not permanently, women still turn to the good old razor to do the job for them. It is most likely because shaving is still the fastest, the easiest and the most convenient way to keep the legs free from unwanted hair. It is also the least expensive.

But shaving the hair off our legs needs to be done correctly, or else we will end up with dry legs that are unevenly shaven, sometimes with nicks and little cuts that are prone to infection, and sometimes with rashes. Legs that are shaven properly will have a nice and smooth feel that can last for several days.

So how should you shave your legs? Here is how:

Prepare the skin of your legs for shaving by soaking the legs in warm water. The best time to shave the legs would be after spending some time in the tub or after a long shower. Getting the legs soaked softens and relaxes the hair, which will make it easier for the razor to glide through and help you avoid getting your skin nicked.

Do not dry your legs before shaving. Just get your razor and do your work right after you step out of the bath or the shower. Shaving the legs while the skin is still soft and wet greatly aids the hair's removal.

To keep the razor gliding smoothly across your skin and to keep the individual hair strands up to make shaving easier, lather your legs first before you apply the razor. Use shaving cream or shaving gel. Soap works just as fine, too.

Use gentle strokes that go on the direction opposite the hair's growth. Take a number of passes over the skin to get all the hair off, but apply only minimal pressure on your skin to avoid nicking and irritation.

Be careful in shaving areas with uneven skin, like the ankles and the knees, and also on scabs, if you have any.

If you are having trouble shaving some areas, make the hair strands rise by pulling tightly at your skin.

When you are done shaving your legs, rinse your legs off carefully to remove the residue of shaving cream or gel or soap that you used, as well as the bits of hair that were shaven off.

Pat your skin dry and apply lotion or moisturizer to keep your skin smooth and to avoid flaking. Also, if you find that you have missed a spot, touch it up at once.

If you happen to nick yourself while shaving, rinse the wound off carefully and apply anti-bacterial and anti-scarring ointments to make it heal more quickly. Never use a dull or rusted razor; using them will only irritate or even infect your skin.