How To Make Shaving Your Bikini Line Less Miserable

Anyone who has shaved their bikini line knows the annoying perils that can come with it: nasty ingrown hairs, pesky razor burn, forgetful missed spots. While getting a smooth bikini line can make you feel fabulous in your bathing suit, sometimes the process can be so grueling and uncomfortable, it almost seems like it’s not worth the effort.

Unfortunately there’s no easy solution to fix those shaving woes. Continuously getting waxes can be expensive, and no one wants to hit the pool with a few stragglers peeking out of their bathing suit. What’s a woman to do? Luckily, there are some helpful tips and tricks you can do before and after shaving to make maintaining your bikini line a little less miserable.

Shave towards the end of your shower

By waiting until the end of your shower to shave, you allow the heat and steam from the shower to open up your pores and soften your hair. “This leads to a closer shave with less irritation,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Debbie Palmer. “Hold the skin taut in the area to create a smooth surface and shave from the outside to the inside of the upper thigh and groin area.”

Use a 3-blade razor

“Avoid the 5-bladed razors if you have sensitive skin,” says Palmer. “There is more inflammation and trauma to the skin with the 5-blade razors vs the 3-blade razors.” She also suggests rinsing your blade after every few strokes to get a closer and more even shave.

Exfoliate

“Exfoliating is so important because hairs are stretched with shaving, then recoil down into the hair follicle below the skin surface to give a smooth shave,” says dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey.”Their freshly sharpened tips will pierce through your hair follicle if they are trapped by the dead skin cells that build up on your skin surface daily.” Exfoliating with a gentle scrub or cloth before shaving will help decrease your chances of getting ingrown hairs.

Store your razor in a dry place

Keeping your razor in tip-top shape will help your bikini line look up-to-par. When you let your razor sit in moist air of the shower, it dulls the blade, which can decrease the quality of your shave. “Rinse your razor well after every use to remove bacteria, skin cells, and soap or shaving foam, all of which promote the growth of germs by providing a nice home for germs to grow,” says Bailey. Use a small fan or towel to dry your razor, and store it in a cabinet or drawer rather than your wet shower.

Use a moisturizer post-shave

“Following shaving, apply a moisturizer to avoid dryness and a topical antioxidant to decrease inflammation,” says Palmer. Using a gentle lotion will help prevent dry skin cells from closing over the follicle opening, soothing your skin and preventing irritation.

Wash the area with soap and water daily

Control skin germs by washing and rinsing the bikini area well with soap and water daily, especially after sweating. “If shaving pimples are a severe problem, consider using an antibacterial soap or a surgical skin cleanser with chlorhexidine when you shave,” says Bailey. Shaving causes micro abrasions in the skin, and disinfecting skin when shaving can make a noticeable difference.