Bad Leg Irritation/Razor Burn

My lady friend has very bad luck in the shaving world.

She suffers from constant razor burn, irritation and ingrown hairs. I have lent her my DE and a fresh blade to see if it helped alleviate the problem, but it couldn't even nick the hairs on her legs. She has very course leg hair which she can only seem to remove with cartridge blades.

Heres a picture of her knee/thigh and a zoom picture of the back of her calf.





Does anyone have any suggestions as to how she may alleviate this?

She might need a different blade in the razor.

This page might also help: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Leg_shaving

Stop shaving til they clear up then use a a de like a slant or an adjustable. Limit the passes and use a good cream like Mama Bears or something. Maybe even a straight razor. But let them clear up first.

What does she use for a cream? A switch to something like KMF may help, but yes tell her to give it a rest for a bit so she can heal. I would also suggest using tea tree oil to help heal the bumps.

Guys often report that these problems are less with a straight razor. Why don't you PM me your name and address, and I will hone and mail one of my straight razors that has a flawed scale. There will be nothing wrong with the blade. The flaws will only be cosmetic.

Try the straight razor and if it doesn't help, keep the straight razor on your mantelpiece above your fireplace!

Looks like my wifes legs if she tries a DE and goes to fast with short strokes with no creme. she needs to slow down, use a seriously heavy creme (trumpers rose my wife likes). Reapply creme. Maybe try an pre shave oil.

neilt said:

Looks like my wifes legs if she tries a DE and goes to fast with short strokes with no creme. she needs to slow down, use a seriously heavy creme (trumpers rose my wife likes). Reapply creme. Maybe try an pre shave oil.

Click to expand...

+1. All the women I know consider 'shaving' to mean flailing away at their legs as quickly as possible with a blunt cartridge over dry skin.

Women don't need quite as much prep as a guy's face does, but if you teach her to slow down, use a proper cream, take short controlled WTG strokes, etc., she'll benefit greatly.

Yes slow down by all means. I have a daughter who thinks shaving is done in the fastest time possible

Well, I'm new to this, so I'm not sure how much help I'll be. But, I am female, so that is one plus for me.

Suggestions:

1. Let it heal. Until her skin is in better shape, any razor will just make a bigger mess of those legs.

2. Pick a different blade for the DE. My suggestion would be to try a brand known for its sharpness.

3. Emphasize short, slow strokes. Yes, it will take a long time at first. But, it speeds up after you learn how to use a DE. FWIW, the few women I've talked to about this generally do one pass, ATG, plus touch-ups. Also, emphasize little to no pressure. This is much different than hacking at your legs with a cartridge.

4. She needs good lather, and be sure she relathers before touch-ups. If you doubt her lather making technique, maybe try a brushless cream like Cremo. Be sure she knows to use just a little bit, and that even though her razor doesn't look clogged up like it does with foam, it still needs rinsed frequently.

Hope this helps a little. Feel free to contact me if you think my limited experience might help.