Planning to wear short skirts or those pretty dresses makes us all just one alarm in every girl’s head – it’s officially time to go grab our shaving kits to remove all the unwanted hair from our legs or hands. It looks so easy, right?
Just apply some shaving cream onto your skin, run the razor up your legs, and wash the hair away. Voilà! Say hello to smooth, soft skin!
But, unfortunately, it isn’t an easy thing to do especially when you’re in a hurry. As much as we know we need to go slow and steady while doing it, we usually end up haphazardly throwing our leg against the sink in our washroom. We head for the soap instead of the shaving cream and we start shaving at our fastest pace. Of course, we’ve done it quickly and given ourselves an extra three minutes to get our winged eyeliner right, but we’ve also given ourselves cuts, razor burns, ingrown hairs, and probably missed some spots too.
The point here is that shaving is something that needs to be done with utmost care. It’s our skin, after all, the most sensitive part of our body. Taking care of our skin is totally our responsibility and if it doesn’t seem like a big deal to you right now, you will see regret neglecting your skin in the long run (trust us).
So, here’s a list of all those shaving mistakes you think you were never making but should stop right now:
1. Using The Wrong Razors
We know that razors are expensive and replacing the blades with every use is another thing to be looked after. And most of us reach out for a guy’s razor in times of emergencies. But, let us tell you that using a guy’s razor is an absolute no-no. Men and women have different kinds of hair, we mean the thickness varies; therefore, even the razors are designed that way (1). Always make sure you have a stock of razors meant for women at home, they aren’t harsh on our skin.
2. Not Using The Shaving Cream Or Gel
There is a reason why shaving cream or gels exist – they protect the skin against any irritation that could be caused while shaving. No matter how intense the emergency gets, do not resort to using soap or go even worse and shave dry. Always keep a shaving gel at home, it will help you shave better and keep your skin smooth. Additionally, shaving creams have ingredients that enable smooth shaving without any razor cuts. If you ever run out of it, consider using coconut oil or olive oil (you could also use it all the time).
3. Not Cleaning Before You Shave
Just think about it, you’re going to use a sharp razor on your skin and you will definitely want your skin’s surface to be clean and smooth. The basic first step when you shave has to be to clean your skin with some soap or body wash and prep it up. You could also consider standing under a nice warm shower, wetting the skin will make your hair soft and a warm shower will open up the hair cuticles making it easier for you to glide the razor and shave.
4. Not Following A Post-Shave Routine
What do you all do after shaving your hands and legs? We’re guessing you just wear on your pants along with a matching top and walk out of the door. But here’s what you should be doing according to us – wash your legs off immediately. Then, apply a body lotion or body butter or any suitable body oil onto your skin; it will keep your skin smooth and moisturized and keeps any sort of irritation away.
5. Not Exfoliating
If a post-shave routine exists, then it’s obvious that a pre-shave routine exists too. Exfoliate! Do this every time before you reach out to that razor and start shaving. Exfoliating helps to remove all the dead skin cells and helps the razor to glide through over the skin smoothly (2). It is said that exfoliating also helps to prevent any condition of ingrown hair. Lesser bumps on skin equal smoother shave. So, exfoliate and start rubbing.
6. You’re Pressing Too Hard
If you’re living under the notion that pressing the razor hard against the skin is going to remove all the hair, you’re wrong, my friend! It’s not going to make the shaving anyprecise. In fact, pressing too hard can lead to a lot of pain as it causes severe razor burns, irritation, bumps and cuts. If you ever feel that you need to press hard to get a clean shave, then, probably its time for you to change the razor blade or the razor itself.
Now you know how to be careful while shaving. Which of these mistakes have you made? Have we forgotten to mention any? Do let us know in the comments below.
