Ok, so I must admit I am relatively new to world of leg shaving.
However, as vocal proponent concerning the lost art of wet shaving, I feel I might share some insights to the less initiated.
For those not on my facebook list, my 1st foray into the world of leg shaving was a mostly forced (if not premeditated) affair initiated by a girl that rides with a few of our local cycling groups and tri-rides. She basically blindsided me with a trimmer while I was distracted playing some guitar with a buddy. Once I saw the huge strip of missing hair on my leg, I knew we had to finish the deed.
Since, then I have kept up the chore and have been able to remain ingrown hair, razor burn, and nick free while maintaining a BBS shave. (BBS= Baby Butt Smooth)
10 Tips to a great shave.
1. Take a shower 1st. - This allows the pores to open and the hair to soften. As your hair absorbs water it goes from steel wire hard to limp noodle soft. (Takes about 2mins for hair to soften in warm/hot water)
2. Use a razor with no more than 2 blades. - Inserts/ cartridges with 3-5 blades couldn't be worse for you skin if the moisturizing strip had a built in SARS virus. (A tip for women, men's cartridges have better blades than women's and most types of cartridges will fit both handles. Try it. Promise.)
3. Alcohol laden shave cremes/gels are a common cause of razor burn - post shave irritation. - Not only is alcohol an irritant (go ahead pour some on a cut), but the desensitizing ingredients lead to applying too much pressure on the razor and help take off more skin. Use a decent shave soap and use a bath scrubby/ suds thingy in place of a shave brush. Or, I've found plain old hair conditioner works great. It provides good slip and moisturizes at the same time. Just let it sit for 1-2mins before shaving. Huge bottle of Suave = $2.00
4. Shave with the grain on 1st pass / against on 2nd. (2nd pass is for those who prefer to be BBS and it reduces frequency of shaving) Or you can shave against 1st pass if you aren't prone to ingrown hairs.
5. Fill a cup with HOT water to rinse the razor. - A razor jammed with hair, shave creme, and dead skin will not shave as well as a clean blade. Hot water will dissolve the creme better than cold and does not cause razor burn*. Rinse razor every pass.
6. Learn the proper angle and speed with which to hold/move razor. - If you hold the razor too parallel it won't shave as close, too fast and you don't give the blade time to cleanly cut the hair.
7. Rise with cold water for 1-2mins. - This will close the pours and reduce chances of ingrown hairs.
8. Pat legs dry if you must towel dry. - Rubbing a towel on fresh shaved legs, no matter how soft, is like rubbing a fresh sunburn. It can lead to future irritation/ sensitivity.
9. Finish off with an alcohol free after shave lotion / shave oil. - This goes a long way to keeping the skin fresh feeling, reduces drying, and helps keep healthy skin. I usually leave my legs wet, grab 8-12 drops of shave oil and lightly massage into legs.
10. Enjoy your excellent shave!
* Razor burn is typically caused by too much friction/ improper blade angle/ 3-5 blade razors. A good, slippery shave creme and proper blade speed, angle, pressure will eliminate razor burn. The reason most people experience razor burn with 3-5 blade razors is that by the time the 4th/5th blades contact the skin, all of the shave creme (lubricant) has been removed from the skin and basically leads to dry shaving the skin.
It can also be caused by shave cremes/after shaves that contain alcohol.
I decided that for the tri I
I decided that for the tri I did on my 42nd birthday (earlier this month) I would finally give in and shave my legs. While the baby's butt smooth legs are intriguing (to the Mrs. as well) I found it to be a POA.
You have at least found some way to make it not such a POA...but then again, reading it, its much more involved than I ever wanted it to be. I've got a submersible electric razor that seems to do just 'okay'.
Am I the only guy who
Am I the only guy who wonders why a man would want to do this?
Finally bought myself an
Finally bought myself an Epilator
Beats shaving but hurts like hell.
robmathews66 wrote:Finally
[quote=robmathews66]Finally bought myself an Epilator
Beats shaving but hurts like hell.[/quote]
Impressed that you even admitted that never mind did it. I always took you for a being 'Harder' than that. .. :-)
I don't agree with the line about the number of blades, the more blades the better. However I sometimes use a 'Nair' equivalent and finish off the missed bits with a razor. I also use a loofah to get rid of the possibility of ingrown hair. I shave in the shower and rinse as I go. I can actually shave with no soap at all and have no burn. But it's true the soap which ever soap you use does help the glide... In really hot weather...it was about 30C today on my way home from my ride, smooth legs are appreciated.
Warrior wrote:I don't agree
[quote=Warrior]I don't agree with the line about the number of blades, the more blades the better. [/quote]
I'd put my single blade DE razor from 1965 loaded with a feather ultra blade, up against a 3-5 blade cartridge razor any day. But that's because I've learned good form with my DE.
For most people susceptible to razor burn, the cause is an insert with too many blades. Once the 1st 3 blades glide over the skin, the shave cream/ water is gone (if its not then 3 blades weren't really touching the skin were they?) leaving the 4th and 5th blades to scrape along dry/unwetted skin. Razor burn is caused by removing a layer of skin along with the hair. Also, shaving with cold water can make your pores standup (like goose bumps) causing you to shave off the little ridges of skin around the hair follicle.
I think the reason most people find the multi blade razors better is that the head is so wide (due to the space required for 5 blades) that it basically forces you to keep the razor at around a 30deg angle.
[quote=Warrior]I can actually shave with no soap at all and have no burn. But it's true the soap which ever soap you use does help the glide... [/quote]
You are one of the few that I've heard of that can semi-dry shave a leg without any discomfort. You're like that dude in Predator dry shaving his scalp in the jungle!
My skin is so sensitive that I don't use soaps with unneeded scents or color dyes cause a good % of them give me a rash.
As for an epilator, I'd rather pour acid on my genitals.
J.Micheal I will give you
J.Micheal I will give you the 1965 razor , I remember my fathers one, and I cut my fingers on it many a time. I can actually dry shave but it needs to be a good razor both on the face and legs.. .I would never dare dry shaving my genitals, I like them too much.
However I too am extremely sensitive to soaps and battle against allergies, and some kind of dermatitis due to sebum production but I shave my legs with hot water and a good blade in the shower with a glide strip... and I am fine. But when I say a good blade, I mean something like a 3 blade...from that company that states they are the best us men can get. For my regular showering I use a cleaning oil..as any shower gel is too harsh and brings my face up in red welts....
Merchant46 wrote:Am I the
[quote=Merchant46]Am I the only guy who wonders why a man would want to do this?[/quote]
No, you are not the only guy.
Warrior, After trying to
Warrior,
After trying to deal with ingrowing hairs from shaving and not exfoliating (That strange sponge thing that the wife has sitting on the edge of the bath that I had no idea what it was for) believe me using an epilator is far more preferable than shaving.
But wouldn't recommend them for getting rid of hairy genitals, Tryscott I can think of a hundred reasons for smooth legs but none for smooth balls.
I use Nair for Men, I dunno
I use Nair for Men, I dunno the difference between that and regular Nair and then use a razor to clean up what ever nair doesnt get, It works for me
TryScott wrote:Merchant46
[quote=TryScott][quote=Merchant46]Am I the only guy who wonders why a man would want to do this?[/quote]
No, you are not the only guy.
[/quote]
+1. and I was a swimmer with experience in this.
this thread is very
this thread is very entertaining
I shaved for an entire
I shaved for an entire season... then one day on a long ride I just couldn't help but thing "why?" I am not, and never will be winning races so it's not a drag in the water thing. I HATE the upkeep (I am a guy who wears glasses because contacts are to much fuss). However, I do think that lots-o-hair is uncomfortable under all of the spandex that triathletes tend to wear so I do "manscape" with just a pair of hair clippers with a short guard on it so the hair is short but still there (mostly a chest hair thing) and it is cooler in the summer and I don't look like Austin Powers but don't have to deal with the stubble, no more razors, no razor burn, much less maintenance. I see no reason to shave. Just saying.
jtrimom wrote:this thread is
[quote=jtrimom]this thread is very entertaining[/quote]
It is quite entertaining.....
Do we seriously have to explain this?
"But wouldn't recommend them for getting rid of hairy genitals, Tryscott I can think of a hundred reasons for smooth legs but none for smooth balls."
brittda wrote:jtrimom
[quote=brittda][quote=jtrimom]this thread is very entertaining[/quote]
It is quite entertaining.....
Do we seriously have to explain this?
"But wouldn't recommend them for getting rid of hairy genitals, Tryscott I can think of a hundred reasons for smooth legs but none for smooth balls."[/quote]
Oh I can think of one or too for smooth balls but this is a family forum and not everyone thinks like me and jtrimom :-)
9 out of 10 pornstars agree,
9 out of 10 pornstars agree, nttawwt
now it's getting more
now it's getting more entertaining ;)
where's my popcorn?!
Tri-ac, You look at the guys
Tri-ac,
You look at the guys ball when watching porn?
robmathews66
[quote=robmathews66]Tri-ac,
You look at the guys ball when watching porn?[/quote]
when you're watching porn, you're either watching or you're not...
shorn privates = extra inch, I hear
At the age of 14, a Zoroastrian named Vilmer ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum — it's breathtaking ... I suggest you try it.
tri-ac wrote:, At the age of
[quote=tri-ac],
At the age of 14, a Zoroastrian named Vilmer ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum — it's breathtaking ... I suggest you try it.[/quote]
Ha, ha, ha
Too much information
I believe a smooth meat ball
I believe a smooth meat ball for dinner is better than a hairy one.....Just saying
Oh behave Tri-ac. I bet your
Oh behave Tri-ac. I bet your father also placed you in a burlap bag and beat you with reeds when you were insolent. Pretty standard stuff.
WTF is going on up in here
WTF is going on up in here (insert my southern twang)?
You're cracking me up Tri-ac.
I feel like I'm in the men's
I feel like I'm in the men's locker room ;)
Trying to bring this back to
Trying to bring this back to the mundane - when I started doing this - I bought an electric clipper and used that for the first pass. It makes it much faster to do the shave over all - and do that part dry - not wet...
-C
http://www.bicycling.com/trai
Some interesting views, but no porn there.
man can't believe I missed
man can't believe I missed that dang it. Triming the bush makes the tree look that much bigger! Blahaha!