Believe me when I tell you've I've given serious
consideration to this reply and the consequence of blasting one of my more
intimate routines across the net. Because it took a year of unsightly,
uncomfortable rashes and ingrown hair before someone 'shared' the process
with me... I felt compelled to do my 'pass it along' part. I had lots of
problems shaving clean without a rash or those red ugly ingrown hair bumps
that seem to raise up and infect themselves the day before a public play
party. This was passed along to me by a veteran of 15 years. It worked for
me!
1. Don't use a woman's razor, use a man's.
Use women's shaving cream for sensitive skin with aloe.
I now use a woman's razor, the Silk
Effects that was mentioned by someone else, and have been for over a year.
I also use either the shave cream with aloe or with lanolin. Ladies, go Unscented, whenever possible. Sometimes the skin reaction is a rash due to
the chemical fragrances added. Better, yet, use an ALL NATURAL shampoo.
Yep, shampoo. Use the botanical ones. You have to be sure to keep it wet
and it foams then dies but works better than any shaving cream I've ever
tried.
2. Don't shave in the shower, instead,
after a bath. Bathing and soaking in hot water loosens and softens, opens
pores. The shave will be cleaner and the skin more resiliently able to
handle it. (That's why the old barbers used to put hot towels on the men's
faces)
If you don't have time for a hot
shower or soaking bath, soak a hand towel with hot water (not enough to
scald, though, because you don't want a heat burn there before you shave!)
and lay it over the area. You can read a book, put on make up, whatever,
while sitting. I usually do this twice. (it feels good, too!)
3. Use a loofah or one of those trendy
little nylon scrubbies all over your pubic hair area. The loofah/scrubbie
loosens up the hair and keeps the ingrown hairs in check. It's a little
ruff to get used to at first, but it will eliminated the ingrown hair
problem and give a smoother cleaner shave.
It also helps "pull up" any
partial ingrown hairs you may already have and is good for the skin. This
is a very important step. If it irritates the skin, do this when you're
NOT going to shave. Let your skin get used to being rubbed, trust me it
will!
4. Get out of the bath and shave standing
on a towel beside the sink. Place a mirror on the counter to get a closer
look see. (Anyone who can shave themselves standing upright in a shower
with no mirror gets my reverent awe)
I never use a mirror, can't seem to
coordinate the reversal thing. I found that I shave by touch and so quit
putting my neck and back out trying to watch what my hands were doing! I
dislike shaving in the shower because it wastes water and the curtain gets
in the way of my contortions. I also alternate putting one foot up either
on the toilet lid or the sink. Sometimes I squat (like a frog, not an
attractive mental or actual picture). By stretching the skin with
different positions, you learn your growth direction AND some hairs stand
up more in different positions.
5. Shave twice. Lotsa shaving cream. Lots.
I've noticed that men who shave me
tend to let this step slide. Maybe their face can handle it but my
privates can't! The other thing to remember is to rinse that blade OFTEN,
like every 3-4 strokes. Hair and whatever you're using as a cream clog up
the razor or coat the blade. Hell, even skin cells get on it. You want
that blade smooth or you're increasing the risk of the nicks and scrapes
that cause a rash. Also, shave S L O W L Y. Resist the urge to move fast,
you tend to defeat the purpose of a double edged blade when you do! It
also helps to use your free hand right in front of the razor, brushing
against the "grain" and raising hairs.
6. To prevent the rash- baby oil, baby oil,
baby oil. Twice to three times a day. Aloe gel at bedtime.
If, like me, you dislike baby oil,
you can try a vitamin E with aloe cream. For those in the States, WalMart
carries a 4oz jar called Fruit of the Earth that is great. A thin coat of
triple antibiotic (Neosporin type) after rinsing VERY well will also help.
Apply this carefully as it has a surface numbing agent in it. If you DO
end up with a rash after carefully taking these steps, there's a US
product called Dermoplast that I swear by. It, too, has a numbing agent
but also moisturizers and aloe. It's safe for mucous membrane areas (ie
genitals), something I know because it was used on me there after having
my first and only baby years ago (in conjunction with a heat lamp).
Now, if you use something to numb, be careful to
keep it off your clit (unless you have a devious dominant!). For those
with a LOT of nerve (and a top with a sense of humor) you could try
spraying some of this on HIS genitalia... *ahem*
Last but not least (this really IS important)
keep the newly shaved area open to air for as long as you can. Sweat will
aggravate an existing rash and could give you one if the area is tender.
Lying on a bed with your legs spread is a VERY good position for this. If
there's any guys reading this far, I'm sure you can think of other things
to do to your lady in such a position!
Warning: saliva and sperm can also irritate (or
infect) freshly shaven skin, as can your own juices.
Now, after all that, I've a few more things to
add. I very seldom shave the mons area with a blade, anymore. I use an
electric (and not one of those rotary men's either!) called Silhouette by
Norelco. I shave from lower belly to the top of the slit, plus the
"bikini line" with this, then use the Silk Effects razor for the
rest. I found that most of my ingrown hairs and incidents of rash were
reduced. No, this doesn't get as smooth as a bladed razor but it's pretty
damned close and works well for a quick touch up. I use a non-allergenic
powder (face powder works better than corn starch or flour which can clump
and I'm allergic to talc - baby powder) over my skin before using the
electric. I just have to remember to tap it lightly on the sink every now
and then to shake off the powder and hair.
That said, I still get the occasional ingrown
hair. These I tweeze out. Tweezing is less painful if you hold the skin
taut before you pull, too.
There ya have it... good luck!
