Question
Hello. I've been shaving (chest, legs, privates) for about 8 months now, and still, to this day, I can not seem to get rid of razor burn and ingrown hairs. I've followed every trick in the book, I think, to avoid these issues, but on my chest and pubic area, still, I get bad razor burn.
Perhaps it comes down to products. Razors, creams, etc.
I guess my question is, if I can't afford laser hair removal and still want smooth, shaved, iritation-free skin, what am I doing wrong?
i'll post my guide to shaving that I had written for another website. It outlines my process..
my ingredients:
1. Regular stick of Dove unscented deodorant
2. Aveeno brand shaving creme (with the light blue cap)
3. Double-bladed disposable razors (triple bladed razors are very bad for people with sensitive skin)
4. A loofa and some shower gel
5. Palmer's Cocoa butter
6. Kalo hair inhibitor cream:
(It may make you raise an eyebrow, but i've been using it and it works)
step 1:
So, the best thing to do is take a shower. Use nice, warm water to open the pores on your skin. A bath also works. Use the loofa and shower gel (#4) to scrub down your skin.. this exfoliates, which is really good for your skin to brush away dead skin, since lots of times, this is what will cause ingrown hair after you shave, which is very uncomfortable.
step 2:
once you've showered, or bathed, drain the water out of the tub so that there's maybe a couple inches of water, so you can sit in the bath and shave.. later your legs up with the Aveeno shaving cream, and shave using long strokes against the grain with VERY LITTLE pressure. you just want the razor to glide against the skin. this will keep you from getting razor burn. once you've done your legs, you're ready to move on to your nether regions.
step 3:
the first couple of times you do your privates, you should maybe just shave "with" the grain. sometimes, when you've not shaved "down there" for awhile, you can get razor burn because your skin is not used to being shaved in that area and is extra sensitive. after you've done it a couple times, though, you can start shaving against the grain much like you did on your legs.. very carefully and with very little pressure. then, if you're a guy (or a hair girl), you can move on to your stomach, chest, and arms. your arms, or at least mine, should shave with no irritation, so just shave them against the grain. Chest can get razor burned, so just use light pressure when shaving against the grain. Your stomach, really, should be ok, like your arms, so against the grain is fine there, too. There is that spot, for me, anyway, between the belly button and the pelvic region. I call this the "belt line" -- I go with the grain here always, because, even when I try to be careful, my pants rubbing that spot all day long will make it very irritated.
step 4:
once you're all shaven, get up and turn on the shower with "cool to cold" water. as cold as you can stand and have it be comfortable. cool water on your skin after you shave will close the pores and help keep your skin from getting irritated. now you can get out of the shower.. dry off by patting the skin instead of rubbing it.
step 5:
once your skin is dry, use the Kalo creme on your legs and your privates, and whatever else you want to make permanent. This is a little known cream that will actually work as a permanent "hair inhibitor" It soaks in to your skin and "tricks" the cell of the hair follicles to stop growing new hair. So each time you use it, less hair grows back, and the hair that *does* grow back is much finer and easier to shave. Eventually, though, your hair will stop growing down there and you really wont have to shave at all.. A word of note: this stuff really DOES work. I've been using it for a month now and it's really working. each time i use it, i'd say 10% of my hair is not growing back. the hair that does grow back grows MUCH slower and is more fine. so rub this creme onto your legs and privates, and other spots, wait 15 minutes and then apply it again.
step 6:
Another 15 mins later, apply the Dove unscented deodorant WITH the grain to your pubic hair area (or places that then to get irritated from shaving). This is actually a trick strippers use to keep them from getting razor burn and ingrown hairs.
later that night, apply the cocoa butter to your skin. it's very soothing and feels awesome.
the next morning, apply the kalo creme to your parts that you don't want to grow hair again. wait 15 mins, then apply again.
---
thanks for reading and for any advice.

Answer
Hello. I've been shaving (chest, legs, privates) for about 8 months now, and still, to this day, I can not seem to get rid of razor burn and ingrown hairs. I've followed every trick in the book, I think, to avoid these issues, but on my chest and pubic area, still, I get bad razor burn.
Perhaps it comes down to products. Razors, creams, etc.
I guess my question is, if I can't afford laser hair removal and still want smooth, shaved, iritation-free skin, what am I doing wrong?
i'll post my guide to shaving that I had written for another website. It outlines my process..
my ingredients:
1. Regular stick of Dove unscented deodorant
2. Aveeno brand shaving creme (with the light blue cap)
3. Double-bladed disposable razors (triple bladed razors are very bad for people with sensitive skin)
4. A loofa and some shower gel
5. Palmer's Cocoa butter
6. Kalo hair inhibitor cream:
(It may make you raise an eyebrow, but i've been using it and it works)
step 1:
So, the best thing to do is take a shower. Use nice, warm water to open the pores on your skin. A bath also works. Use the loofa and shower gel (#4) to scrub down your skin.. this exfoliates, which is really good for your skin to brush away dead skin, since lots of times, this is what will cause ingrown hair after you shave, which is very uncomfortable.
step 2:
once you've showered, or bathed, drain the water out of the tub so that there's maybe a couple inches of water, so you can sit in the bath and shave.. later your legs up with the Aveeno shaving cream, and shave using long strokes against the grain with VERY LITTLE pressure. you just want the razor to glide against the skin. this will keep you from getting razor burn. once you've done your legs, you're ready to move on to your nether regions.
step 3:
the first couple of times you do your privates, you should maybe just shave "with" the grain. sometimes, when you've not shaved "down there" for awhile, you can get razor burn because your skin is not used to being shaved in that area and is extra sensitive. after you've done it a couple times, though, you can start shaving against the grain much like you did on your legs.. very carefully and with very little pressure. then, if you're a guy (or a hair girl), you can move on to your stomach, chest, and arms. your arms, or at least mine, should shave with no irritation, so just shave them against the grain. Chest can get razor burned, so just use light pressure when shaving against the grain. Your stomach, really, should be ok, like your arms, so against the grain is fine there, too. There is that spot, for me, anyway, between the belly button and the pelvic region. I call this the "belt line" -- I go with the grain here always, because, even when I try to be careful, my pants rubbing that spot all day long will make it very irritated.
step 4:
once you're all shaven, get up and turn on the shower with "cool to cold" water. as cold as you can stand and have it be comfortable. cool water on your skin after you shave will close the pores and help keep your skin from getting irritated. now you can get out of the shower.. dry off by patting the skin instead of rubbing it.
step 5:
once your skin is dry, use the Kalo creme on your legs and your privates, and whatever else you want to make permanent. This is a little known cream that will actually work as a permanent "hair inhibitor" It soaks in to your skin and "tricks" the cell of the hair follicles to stop growing new hair. So each time you use it, less hair grows back, and the hair that *does* grow back is much finer and easier to shave. Eventually, though, your hair will stop growing down there and you really wont have to shave at all.. A word of note: this stuff really DOES work. I've been using it for a month now and it's really working. each time i use it, i'd say 10% of my hair is not growing back. the hair that does grow back grows MUCH slower and is more fine. so rub this creme onto your legs and privates, and other spots, wait 15 minutes and then apply it again.
step 6:
Another 15 mins later, apply the Dove unscented deodorant WITH the grain to your pubic hair area (or places that then to get irritated from shaving). This is actually a trick strippers use to keep them from getting razor burn and ingrown hairs.
later that night, apply the cocoa butter to your skin. it's very soothing and feels awesome.
the next morning, apply the kalo creme to your parts that you don't want to grow hair again. wait 15 mins, then apply again.
---
thanks for reading and for any advice.

Answer
personally, I found that with my coarse hair, shaving just never did the job well. I would get irritation and ingrowns no matter what methods and products I used. I think it just comes down to the type of skin and hair that you have. With my light skin and dark coarse hair, there was always a shadow and stubble appearing within 24 hrs, so it never looked like there was no hair. That is why I chose to wax, but there are of course downsides to that as well. Laser is the only thing that worked for me so far...

Answer
That's a weird "shaving guide" and it makes some BS claims, too. There is NO cream you can apply to your skin that will make hair just stop grownig permanently. Like, if all you had to do was slap on some cream to be hair-free, then everyone would go to the drugstore, shell out $3.99 for a tube and electrologists, laser techs, waxers, etc wouldn't exist.
If you're gonna shave, you just do what you can to minimize the burn/irritation. Warm water and the steam of the shower gives your pores the chance to open, shaving gel/foam prepares the surface, and a new, sharp razor cuts the hair as close to the surface of the skin as possibly.
If you get irritation/bumps, keep the area clean, use anti-bacterial toner, apply something like Bikini Zone or a hydrocortisone cream for the swelling and hope for the best. That's all you can do.
I personally got laser because I couldn't avoid irritation on my underarms and bikini line NO MATTER what I did. Even waxing made it red and ingrowns just couldn't be stopped.
If you have that kind of skin (like I do), then I'd really recommend you save your pennies and jump on the bandwagon when a clinic is offering a good deal.

Answer
May I suggest to begin a savings plan so that you may afford LHR?? For an example, you may set aside $20 per week for a few months and you'll find that you'll have some money to begin treatments. To do this, it requires a commitment and discipline so that you don't "dip into" the money you are saving. You may be surprised that the $20-$30 a week may not be missed, after you've done it for a short while.
I ain't rollin' in dough, either. That's kinda what I've done so that I pay cash for each treatment. I've been doing this for around two years and I am very pleased with the results.

Answer
electrolysis is another option at $60/hr on average. So if you go once every 2 weeks for 30-60 mins, it might be doable.
both of my doctors also take credit cards, so that's an option since a lot of places do i've noticed.

Answer