Avoiding Ingrown Hairs When Shaving “˜Down There’

While it used to be all the rage to grow out your bush, modern ladies tend to like to keep things downstairs a little bit more landscaped. But ingrown hairs are a massive, and super uncomfortable, issue.

Whether you’re going totally bald, opting for the landing strip, or just cleaning up your bikini line, there are some things you can do to avoid getting ingrown hairs when you shave. Here are just a few of these.

1. Use A Sharp Razor

One of the quickest ways to lower your risk of getting an ingrown hair is to use the right razor. It’s not so much the quality or expense of the razor that matters, but rather its age. For a close shave that isn’t going to result in ingrown hairs, you’ll want a relatively new razor that’s still sharp. Anything that has dulled from use shouldn’t be used. Consider having a razor just for your lady parts so you can keep it fresh, and make sure you get the hair off every few strokes.

2. Exfoliate Regularly 

If you’ve never tried it before, you might be surprised at just how much of an effect exfoliating can have on your skin. This is particularly true when it comes to ingrown hairs. In fact, exfoliating before you do any kind of hair removal is a really great way to prevent ingrown hairs. You can do this with a glove, loofah or cream. The exfoliation helps the hair grow straight by removing the dead skin cells that can get in the way.

3. Don’t Shave Straight Away

We know that you’re often in a rush when it comes time to shave, but taking your time with the process does tend to result in less ingrown hairs. If you shave in the shower, don’t shave as soon as you get in, but after a few minutes when you’ve allowed the pores to open up with a little hot water. If you aren’t shaving in the shower, you can use a cloth soaked in warm water to the same effect, leaving it on the area until it has properly cooled before you start.

4. Use A Moisturising Shaving Cream

Soap, while it does have many uses, does not help with shaving. Although it’s a great lather when wet, it serves to dry out the skin, stripping it of moisturising oils. Instead of relying on soap, opt for a moisturising shaving cream. To really go all the way, use a pre-shaving oil to form a protective barrier on your skin, and invest in a shaving brush to ensure a good lather, and to help lift the skin up for shaving.

5. Shave With The Hair

When we start to shave, one of the first things that we’re taught is to shave against the grain, to ensure the hair is taken off in the least amount of time possible. Well, when you’re shaving in your lady spaces, the opposite is actually true. Shaving with the grain, i.e. downstrokes in most cases, for the first go, will help to prevent ingrown hairs. If you find it difficult to remove the hair, try cutting it short first, going with the grain, and then against it to pick up any stray hairs. Remember, don’t go over the same place too many times.

6. Think About Your Outfits

Tight clothing is one thing that, as a women, you encounter quite regularly. Unfortunately, tight clothing is also one of the things that causes ingrown hairs. When clothing is tight, particularly on the crotch area, it causes friction. That friction causes the hair to turn on itself, curl around, and become ingrown. So think before you don the lycra, you might be hurting yourself!

7. Choose To Wax

If you happen to be a lady who naturally has very thick, dark, course or curly hair, you may find it impossible to avoid ingrown hairs, no matter what you do to avoid them. In that case, you may need to bite the bullet, both in terms of main and cost, and opt for waxing instead. While waxing can cause ingrown hairs, they are not as common. Talk to a professional waxer if you’ve never had it done before, and get their tips and advice on avoiding these annoying lumps and bumps.

How do you avoid ingrown hairs when you shave ‘down there’?