The first time I shaved my chest, I did it in the shower with nothing but soap and a razor. HUGE mistake. I didn’t trim first and just went at it. It was like trekking through the rain forest with a dull machete. I looked good for a couple hours, but soon I broke out in a nasty rash of shaving bumps and itchy skin.
Not fun.
We’ve all probably done some form of body hair management, but is there really a best way to do about it? I’m going to cover what I’ve learned over the years and what products I like most.
I’ve learned that I have VERY sensitive skin. I can only shave once a week so I plan ahead when and what I’m going to shave for. When I first started shaving I used the same stuff I used on my face. It worked OK, but wasn’t great. Then I went to women’s shaving cream for sensitive skin. This worked great. Then Nivea came out with their three in one body wash. You can shower, shave and shampoo with this stuff I LOVE it!
I start with a quality set of barber’s clippers and trim the hair I want to eliminate as short as I can.(Just don’t let the clippers near your testicles. VERY. BAD. IDEA.) I then rinse off in a nice warm shower. The longer you let the warm water do it’s magic the better. 5-10 minutes in the warm water will soften up the hair you’ve trimmed. I then step out of the stream of water and lather up with the Nivea. Shaving with the grain works best for me. It eliminates ingrown hairs and shaving bumps. I always use a brand new blade in my Mach 3 razor. This three bladed razor works best for me. Once I’m nice and smooth I use my loofa and a little more Nivea to finish washing myself.
You may think that once you’re shaved you’re done. Kind of, but not really. Good skin care after shaving can make all the difference in comfort and look. I mentioned earlier that I use a loofa. Showering everyday with the loofa helps exfoliate my skin and helps prevent in grown hairs. It’s also very important to shower right after working out or other vigorous activity. Sweat can build up in your pores and help contribute to acne and ingrown hairs.
Of course it will itch when it starts to grow back. But if you go to shave again and it hurts then wait. For me shaving again too soon tears up my skin and is very uncomfortable.
What about other methods of hair removal you ask? I’ve tried depilatories and while they did work they too were very rough on my skin. The sunburn look is way far from the look I’m trying to achieve.
Waxing? Yes I’ve tried it. I’ve waxed both at home and at a salon. It is a messy, painful process. If you’re going to do it, I recommend letting a pro do it. You’ll have a bit of pain after, but it only lasts a few hours. Your skin stays smooth for weeks but like shaving, keeping your skin clean and exfoliated are important.
I hope this has helped some of you and again this is the routine I have found works best on MY sensitive skin. Your results may vary.
Have a great week!
Ron
10 comments
Try the man groomer from Remington. It works great.
I no longer shave. I go to a professional for waxing. I go bare from the neck down. She uses a hard blue wax that sticks to the hair and not the skin. As the article says, after skin care is very important and exfoliating is a must. Been waxing for 14 years now and it’s what works best for me and my lifestyle. Before waxing I shaved for 9 years. Both worked great for me, I just prefer waxing now.
No problem shaving my face. I would like to shave from chest down but I always get bumps and iritated skin (more so in those areas below the waist). Putting on shirts and pants with those bumps feels like needles being stuck in your skin. I settle for trimming. Never again doing waxing 😫.
I follow pretty much he same system as you. I will give the Nivea a shot. Depilatories destroy my skin too!!!! My problem is I get rid of ALL body hair and shaving takes forever. I need to find a better way just to save some time. I love the way I look when I’ve just shaved my entire body. Any thoughts?
I am 100% shaved. To avoid nicks I use a dull blade to shave my c&b. Total satisfaction.