Shaving Sucks! HELP!
 

Ok, so I've tried shaving myself down there a number of times and although it does work, the desired effect only lasts for a day or two and then, no matter what I do, I cannot avoid the itchiness that comes and therefore I get all red and bumpy and definitely not looking good anymore......Any advice about what I can do to prolong the 'fresh' look and avoid the redness/bumpiness??? I've tried lotion hair removers and they don't irritate the skin as much, so it takes a little longer for the itchiness to set it, but eventually it always does. HELP, I want to look good for my man! (and for myself)

Try an Igea micro trim. I find it much better than shaving.

I sometimes use an exfoliating soap when I start to see the red bumps and itching beginning. If I'm faithful and use something like Dove with exfoliating beads (they aren't as uncomfortable) and use that every day then I don't see near as many bumpys. The red bumps that I get are ingrown hair - I know cause if I scratch at them and pop them I uncover tiny hairs. Exfoliating keeps the surface skin fresh and leaves less for the hairs to grow up under.

Also I've found that if I try to shave WITH the grain of my hair I get fewer ingrowns. I don't always get it quite as close - Sometimes It's quite hard to get it close then but it helps.

Depilitorys don't work on my hair too well. I always have plenty of leftover hairs to shave later and they're too soft to shave well - Instead they just catch and pull - WHAT A PAIN.

I also use one of those shave minimizing creams afterwards. St.Ives is the one I'm currently using. I haven't noticed a big difference in how quickly the hair grows in but it seems to be a little softer and the lotions are designed to be used after shaving. Some lotions have achohol in them and irritate and burn newly shaved skin. This doesn't and helps to soothe the savage beast.

Hope these help.

go get 'em waxed babe... it'll hurt like a mother, but then it's over and pretty for a few weeks :)... ANNNND no bumps :)

Absolutely -- get a Brazilian (wax). There is a thread in Ladies Lounge about it. With the right person, it is not too painful and not at all embarrassing and I, for one, love the results!

Brazilian all the way. Not even all that painful. Sooo worth it. End result is beautiful and so easy to maintain. Lasts for me about 3 weeks with no hair and then after about 6 weeks I am ready for another wax again.

Also try a product called Tend Skin good for traditional shaving

I have the same problems as guinessgurl. I've tried everything and still it's painful - so I just don't shave totally bare that often, but after reading the replies, I think I am going to save up for a wax. I've always wanted to try, but been too broke/chicken.

Gillette Mach3. Shave almost daily. Good body lotion right after showering. Takes about 2-3 months for the skin to be adjusted to being bald.
Worth it, tho. Hang in there.

oh wow. I'm too scared to get a brazilian lol

WAXING HURTS!!!..try getting a body brush and really exfoliating the area before you shave ..then use a really good shave gel and razer..i like venus..and dont shave agianst the grain of the hair..itll take longer but i find that works...and keep exfoliating the area..like use a body scrub...

I have fallen in love with the new Intuition razor, the one with the shaving/lotion all in one around the razor. I shave with the grain til I'm pretty bare, then sideways and it gets pretty close, and no having to reapply creams or lotions just stand and shave! I will only shave with a new razor tho, and they are expensive. I got one at Sam's club (bulk-store) with 10 razors for $20 which was way cheaper then anywhere else! After I shave I just keep the area clean and dry (I sweat a lot in certain kinds of cloths...it's weird and I hate it..but love the cloths!!)

Good luck!

shaving sucks? then why do it? just don't shave.

why spend all your money on that shit? contributing to a part of society with products most likely invented by men that says, "women should shave", since being natural is never accepted anymore. :rolleyes:

oooooh no I would NOT wax.

Think about it: you have a problem with ingrown hairs. What could possibly make it worse? Pulling it out by the roots so that it grows way below the surface of the skin and starts off ingrown!

Believe me, I tried it and it doesn't work. What you want is the Bump Patrol after-shave. It's meant for black men whose skin heals over the stubble in their chins and gives them itchy bumps just like ours. It's a bit harsh, so do NOT get it on the actual mucous membrane of your vagina, but it's GOOD STUFF.

Im au naturale.... my man and i love it!!!

So I went and got my first bikini wax, and I love it! In fact, I'm going back for my second one soon. It works way better than shaving, and the hair grows back much more fine....

I'm going to highly reccomend waxing to all!

From one of our male members:

so, let's be honest here. I've had brazilian wax often enough to know, YES, it hurts. Not all that painful when you see the result - i.e. god it looks so cool I can bear it again. It really is quite amazing and you WILL feel sexier than ever.

But the fact is, it grows back, and there's always that period where you can't get rid of it and there's almost none there, but it's THERE.

Luckily for me, no ingrown hairs to speak of in that lower region!
So what to do?

I've also been told by a beautician that all that tugging on such a sensitive and fragile part of you tends to stretch the skin and...you guessed it...it sags faster than you'd hope...

Hmmm...maybe the ocasional brazilian but otherwise do a regular bikini wax and get a guy who doesn't care and appreciates the variety!

and anyway, I can't say I've ever enjoyed having some stranger chat to me about the weather while ripping hairs out of my private parts lol

Oops, forgot to look in my pants.

^ at the request of the above poster, here is a link that could be helpful:
http://www.pubicshave.com/

It works for me:
 

If razor is not new, put it in alcohol for 10 minutes to kill bacteria before each shave. After shave use "Bikini area" cream or similar like "sally hansen" for bikini area. The skin takes about couple weeks to adjust to being bald. I use a separate razor for it and always use a shaving cream.

i shave down there with an electric razor. it doesnt shave very very close, but I also get all those nasty bumps when I shave with a regular razor, and it works fine for me.

To combat the ingrown hairs after waxing using a loofah down there daily. :-)

Rachel

I haven't shaved bald since I was dancing for a living.... and even then I left little hair shapes. (I find bald women to look like little girls and I just don't care for the association, lol)

However, when I was shaving bald, my skin NEVER got used to it. I used the product for black men, and that helped keep the bumps down and the hair soft as it grew back, but I always had problems with it.

While au natural can be fine, I'm more comfortable when it's short. I solved the bumps problem by buying a hair trimmer and letting my hubby take care of it for me. The trimmer I bought came with a moustache/beard trimmer, and that gets really close. By the time he's done, it ALMOST looks bald, except for a very fine, very short dusting of hair. It never gets itchy because the hair never has to grow through the skin, lol.

Plus, my hubby gets to play down there with the oh-so-nicely vibrating trimmer. Getting trimmed is a lot of fun for both of us, which is nice because he doesn't find it a chore that way. ;)

Bryn