How to Properly Shave Body Hair to Prevent Injury? (Steps & Tips) 

Shaving unwanted body hair is the easiest and fastest way for both men and women to groom unwanted body hair. However, shaving is also one of the scariest methods to treat undesired hair growing on the body, as the idea of using a sharp blade over the skin without precautions can be terrible. 

Moreover, not only does it seem scary, but it has the potential to cause injury as well. People who have never tried a razor in their lives are especially concerned about shaving their legs or intimate areas without injury.

We will help beginners and other shavers who want to improve their shaving experience while getting silky smooth skin without any injuries. Let’s see how to properly shave body hair to prevent injury. Additionally, get one of the 10 best hair removal razors for women here.

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: What Injuries Can Shaving Body Hair Cause?
• Part 2: Steps to Properly Shave Body Hair Without Injury
• Part 3: Tips to Properly Shave Body Hair While Preventing Injury
• Part 4: How to Get Rid of Unwanted Body Hair Long-lastingly?
• Part 5: Conclusion

What Injuries Can Shaving Body Hair Cause?

Yes, you know that a sharp razor can cause injury. Most people consider this injury a razor cut. However, there are more side effects and skin harm caused by a razor. The most common of these are given below. 

• Bumps: As shaving just trims the hair rather than removing it from the roots, the hair is present beneath the skin surface. This hair curls into the skin and makes it appear bumpy immediately after removal and this lasts until hair grows out of the skin.

• Burns: For a hair removal method that uses no heat, burns might seem overboard. However, razor burns are common in reality. They are actually the skin irritation and redness caused by the aggressive use of a blunt razor on the skin. They occur due to friction.

• Cuts: This is the injury you would expect the most from a razor. When you are not using the right type of razor in an appropriate way, it can cause visible or invisible cuts in the skin. Some of these bleed mildly, and others just give you pain.

• Ingrown Hair: Lastly, if the hair under the bumps fails to grow outside and stays in the skin while curling more, it becomes an ingrown hair. Ingrown hair also looks like dark spots on the skin.

Steps to Properly Shave Body Hair Without Injury

Here is your step-by-step guide to shaving the body hair while preventing the injuries mentioned above.

Step 1: Soften the Hair and Prepare the Skin

The softer the hair, the more gentle your shaving experience will be. Moreover, your skin will be smoother afterward. So, the best way is to soak your legs or the treatment area in warm water for a few minutes before shaving.

Also, cleanse your skin beforehand to remove dirt, impurities, excess oils, and product buildup. 

Step 2: Apply a Lubricant

Wet shaving is the most feasible and least harmful shaving technique. So, use a product shaving cream or shaving gel to lubricate the skin. Additionally, soap and conditioner work just fine to provide a thin layer of a soothing agent over the skin to be shaved.

Step 3: Take a Clean Razor

Although electric razors can be used, we will discuss a manual one here. Check out the differences between electric and manual razors. 

Either take a new razor or your reusable one and rinse it with water and a sterilizer to clean it completely as you do not want it to carry any bacteria or viruses into your skin.

Step 4: Shave it!

Now, you have all you need to shave the skin. Take your clean razor and move it over the lubricated skin in the direction of the hair growth. Some people shave the opposite of the grain. 

But let me tell you that your first shave should always be towards the grains and then you can move in the opposite direction carefully for a closer shave.

Step 5: Rinse the Shaved Area and Pamper the Skin

Once you are done shaving the required area, rinse your skin with cold water thoroughly so that no broken hair strands and no remnants of your pre-shaving product are left behind.

Then, apply a moisturizer over your skin and wear loose clothes for a few hours.

Step 6: Store the Razor

Lastly, rinse your razor to remove the stuck hair and shave gel. Ensure that there is nothing left behind on it. Then, put its cap on and store it in a dry place. 

Tips to Properly Shave Body Hair While Preventing Injury

Above is the guide to shaving the hair without injuries. Below are some tips to ensure that you only see smooth hairless skin after the shave leaving no chance for the razor burns, cuts, bumps, and ingrown hair to occur.

1. Use a Lubricant

Although soap can work well, it is best to use a product designed specifically for shaving. Moreover, keep your skin type in mind while buying a shaving cream or gel. The best replacement you can make is a conditioner.

Also, do not foam the jel/cream/conditioner over the skin, and shave above it as it is. 

2. Shave in the Direction of Hair Growth

Shaving in the opposite direction to that of the hair growth surely provides a close shave. But remember that it also has more potential to hurt your skin. So, always shave in the direction of the hair growth. 

3. Exfoliate the Skin

Skin exfoliation can further help with making it smooth and remove the hair closely from its surface without bumps. You can use sugar, oil, and lemon DIY scrub to exfoliate the area.

However, using an exfoliating glove or a loofah is a better choice. So, exfoliate the skin before shaving as well. 

4. Shave at the End of the Shower

Instead of keeping your legs in the water for a while, just shave at the end of the shower. It will help soften the hair and save time. Moreover, your skin will already be clean, so you can save some more time.

5. Wash the Skin and the Razor After Each Swipe

You cannot remove all hair in one go and must swipe the razor multiple times. So, apply the cream to a small area, shave the hair, rinse it, and wash the razor before moving to the next section.

It might take a longer time. However, this trick is great for people with sensitive skin.

6. Use Cold Water

You use warm water before the shave to soften the hair. But during the shaving, you want the water to be cold or lukewarm to avoid heating the skin.

Additionally, it is best to use cold water at the end of the shaving to close the pores, reduce skin redness, and calm the skin.

7. Replace the Razor

The worst thing one does with a razor is never replace it. Yes, razors are reusable. But they won’t last you a whole lifetime. So, replace the shaving razor after 5 to 8 shaving sessions. This is because using the blunt razor is actually what harms the skin.

Additionally, you can simply buy disposable razors which prevent you from keeping the session count of a reusable razor. However, a disposable razor has fewer blades and would not provide a close shave. So, make a decision according to your preference. 

8. Remember to Moisturize at the End

At the end of the shaving, you would want to soothe the skin because it has taken the trauma of a sharp razor. For this, apply an enriched yet lightweight body lotion to the treatment area. 

Additionally, there are specific post-shaving treatments available in the market. These can also be used to calm and nourish your skin at the same time after shaving.

How to Get Rid of Unwanted Body Hair Long-lastingly?

If you plan on making shaving your go-to method of hair removal, we think you would like to reconsider it. This is because shaving needs to be done at least twice a week and 8 times a month. You need to replace the blade each month and go through the whole process countless times in a year.

So, IPL can be a better alternative to shaving because it offers long-term results and is easier to use than a shaving razor. Furthermore, the differences between both methods of hair removal are well explained in  Shaving vs. IPL hair removal.  

Additionally, if you would also like a recommendation for an IPL device, we suggest the Ulike Air 10 IPL Hair Removal handset. Below are some advantages it has over regular shaving.

• Speed and time required: Although you also need to shave the skin before IPL hair removal, it is quicker as there are only 1 to 2 sessions of IPL treatment weekly. Each treatment takes a total of 7 minutes for the full body. After 6 sessions, you will need only a few sessions. So, it saves a lot of time over shaving.

• Duration of results: While the results with shaving lasts for 2 to 3 days, the results of IPL lasts for 6 months or more. It means that you will also be saving your time and effort here. Moreover, you will always have beach-ready skin.

• Comfort level and ease of use: Ulike Air 10 radiates a cooling wave on the skin and relaxes the skin during hair removal. Moreover, it glides smoothly over the skin adding to the comfort. There is also no risk of bumps, cuts, and redness here.

• Cost and need for replacement: Ulike Air 10 costs over $300. But it is worth every penny because the device lasts for a lifetime and you never need to spend money on hair removal again.

Conclusion 

Shaving can be a little tricky because people fear injuries like razor cuts. Follow our guide to ensure that you remove unwanted hair from your body with a razor while preventing any potential injuries.

Additionally, you can follow the tips mentioned above for an ultimate shaving experience that gives you smooth and soft skin. Also, we encourage you to try IPL hair removal to remove the temporary hair removal methods once and for all.