TMI Q about shaving the bikini area

waxing would probably be much easier on your skin than shaving, after the first time. it's much more gentle on your skin.

if you do shave, use a razor with 3 blades. don't use oils, it'll clog the blades. exfoliate first with some sugar. use a BRAND NEW blade every time you do the bikini area. only shave towards your labia, not down your leg. don't even shave any other part with it. when you get out of the shower, put some natural lotion (ise use shea butter) mixed with some tea tree oil. use tea tree oil mixed in lotion every time you get red. you can also put peppermint in it. if you're having a red bump emergency, mix a few drops of tea tree oil into toothpaste, smear it on (ewwwww and sticky) and put on pants with no underwear and wash it off a hour or so later.

in general, when you shave your bikini line you shouldn't wear underwear as much as possible. don't shave more often than once a week or ever two weeks if possible. always exfoliate first.

honestly though, it's a lot easier on your skin to get waxed. the bikini line doesn't hurt to wax nearly as much as if you wax the whole thing. don't do it at home unless you're experienced in it.

I agree with Sapphire-chan about so-called women's razors. I use DH's now on those rare occasions when I shave something. The hard is that tend to not have the grippy handle that women's razors have, but still, much gentler, and if you have a DH who shaves, it cuts down on clutter to just share.

On a totally unhelpful note, I think it's pretty much nuts to shave such a sensitive area. I have a swimsuit that is very slightly skirted that covers most of the hair. It's not a granny suit at all, more a baby-doll style if that makes any sense. I got it at wal-mart : It was very cheap. I also use a sarong sometimes for more coverage. But then I have billions of scars on my legs from self-injury and won't be winning any bathing-beauty awards anytime soon, so I've had to get thick-skinned about my appearance in a swimsuit.

Quote:
Where do you get this Moom stuff? Does it cost less than a bathing suit

Quote:
I did not know you were not suppose to shave against the grain. Perhaps this is where I went wrong? I always assumed that to get the closest shave (and therefore not have to do it again as soon) that you should go out towards the hip.

How do you all go without underwear? I wear skirts most of the summer and that just seems a little too "free". I have worn dh's boxer-brief-like underwear and that helps. I usaully wear those for a few days after the shave.

TTO, eh? I would not have thought of that. I think I have shea butter somewhere......

I have tried waxing. I am not 100% against it. But in the past attempts, I followed the directions only to have a lot of pain but most of the hair remain. Same thing on my legs. But then, thinking it didn't work, I tried it on dh and the poor guy ended up with a 100% hairless swath on his leg.....oops. The other issue being that money is super-tight. Like, we are on a non-essential alert. Unless it is to pay a bill or buy food, we cannot spend it. So I am looking to "make due with what I have".

Quote:
I will be raiding dh's razor stash..... Can he use it after I do? Can I use it more than once?

I agree that it is nuts. I am banned from Walmart (they have my wanted poster up due to a scathing letter to the editor) but we do have another discount type store. I checked them out and they did have what I was looking for but still $20 that I do not have. Plus I feel like it is a waste to have these other 2 suits that are just sitting here. I do not think they are granny at all! My last one had a string bikini top and a super-cute little low-rise skirt. I practically lived in it last summer and as a result, the butt is thread-bare and one of the straps actually wore through.

I wish I just had the guts to trim the hairs short and pretend they are not there.....just like I pretend the thigh cellulite and belly bag don't exist....... It is not like anyone is really gonna notice in the 30 seconds between taking off my sorong and being in the water.....

Quote:

yes, don't shave against the grain. the bikini area is the only area you don't shave against the grain. if you get your skin really used to shaving there, eventually you can, but if you're having ingrown hairs, don't do it.

i like wearing boxer/briefs too if going free is too much in a certain outfit. some really nice silky thongs don't irritate me either (since they don't rub against the bikini line). buy yourself some boxer briefs that fit you well. other than that... wearing a skirt to me is the perfect time to go underwear-less! it bothers me more with pants.

if you use cloth pads (or pads at all) don't shave when you have your period. the rubbing will irritate the hair growing in.

as for waxing-- i think it's generally only a good idea if you either really know how to do it well, or can get it done in a salon. doing it yourself usually means you'd pull off too much skin.

in another post you mentioned using your husband's razo-- i wouldn't do that, personally, b/c the bikini hair is really hard on razors and dulls them VERY quickly. buy yourself your own nice men's razor and splurge on lots of blades so you can change each time.

my other current favorite thing is a trimmer, the kind you use the give buzz cuts. you can buy some that are small and fit well in your bikini area. if you take all the extentions off of it, you can use it to do a close shave. that can help with ingrown hairs.

Quote:
I think that's what I'd do. I don't shave, but in buying razor blades for my husband who shaves occasionally, I've found that decent ones are REALLY EXPENSIVE. If you'd need to buy fresh blades regularly (don't know how fast your hair grows, but back when I cared, I had to shave daily) or invest in an electric razor, you could probably buy yourself a new suit instead.

Does your husband have an electric razor or beard trimmer you could borrow?

Bleaching would be another longer-term option, if it would help camouflage-

Good luck- I hate the swimsuit dilemma, and have been wearing a hideous dorky skirted suit for the last few years-

Not what you're looking for but I gotta chime in w/the people who say wax! Honest to goodness, it is so quick and not that painful. I'd never do it to myself but go to a salon.

But yes exfoliate!!!

Like most women -- except some very very lucky ones with light and/or fine hair -- I'm quite dark and coarse down there. And until recently, I've had the same issues as OP -- redness, ugly bumps and itchy discomfort. Through years of trial and error, I've come up with this soltion and it really and truly works for me:

1. Gentle exfoliation in that area every day I DON'T shave. I just use my wash cloth and soap (diluted bronners w/ whatever EO I happen to like at the moment).

2. For the first shave of the season, I use little scissors to trim the hairs as close as possible. BE CAREFUL!

3. For shaving lube, I use my hair conditioner. It helps make the hairs nice and soft and slick.

4. Use a brand new razor. I've had luck with the Venus kind.

5. Shave in the direction the hair grows. If there are any stubborn strays, I might give just one swipe against the grain to clean it up. I know you're not supposed to do this, but the one gentle swipe doesn't seem to do much damage.

6. After showering, I liberally apply Bikini Zone Creme to the area. It's probably a chemical nightmare, but it really helps with the bumbs. A previous poster said something about tea tree oil, so that might work too.

7. Follow the Bikini Zone w/ shea butter.

8. Reapply Bikini Zone and shea butter after every shower until it's time to shave again (every 2nd day or so), or when it gets a bit itchy. The BZ helps this too.