Shaving is one of the best ways to keep your skin smooth. However, this can be a challenge, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Often, shaving will cause razor burns, nicks, and even cuts. This can be a common nightmare for girls who want to look their best. 

Fortunately, there are things you can do to save yourself from hardships encountered when shaving.

We share eight shaving tips for achieving smooth, hair-free skin without having to suffer from rash or burns: 

Prepare Your Skin

If you want to keep your skin in good condition after shaving, you need to ensure that it is prepared before shaving.

You can start by cleaning your skin well and then brushing off any debris stuck to your stick. Make sure to hydrate your skin with warm water for a couple of minutes to soften your hair.

This will make shaving more manageable, and thus, will cause lesser stress to your skin too. 

Always Use a Shaving Gel or Cream

Next, when you are shaving, make sure to use a shaving gel or cream.

We know this is common sense, but a lot of people tend to ignore this. Sometimes, it is tempting and natural to grab a bar of soap instead of buying a shaving gel. Plus, it costs less. 

However, your skin will not be pleased with this idea.

Most soaps can cause your skin to dry and makes it prone to damages. Not to mention that it’s easier to cut.

The next time you think twice about buying that shaving gel, think first if your skin is worth the sacrifice. 

Exfoliate Regularly

Exfoliating is another thing that we tend to disregard. It takes more of our time, and sometimes we are too lazy to add an extra step to our daily regimen. 

If you don’t know it yet, exfoliating plays a significant part in keeping your skin smooth after shaving.

This step helps remove dead skin cells and dry skin, which traps hair. And this can cause red bumps. If you have time, remove those dead skin cells so you wouldn’t have to worry about the bumps.

After all, you don’t have to do this every day. That’s because exfoliation can also be damaging for sensitive skin and may irritate when done frequently.

So, pick a schedule from your calendar if when it is most convenient for you to exfoliate. 

Match Your Razor to Your Hair

Some of you may not know this, but the type of razor you use in shaving can also be why you’re having skin irritation.

Remember, shaving causes friction, which can cause your skin to get irritated. The fewer you put pressure on your skin during shaving, the lesser you’re likely to suffer. 

It’s recommended to use a two-blade or three-blade razors if you have straight hair. A single blade razor is recommended if you have coarse hair.

Choosing the right razor can be the make or break for you. So, the next time you get a razor, make sure it matches your hair type.

Shave With the Grain

How do you shave? Usually, it’s from our ankle to our knee. Though this method looks like the right and most convenient way, it can also be why you’re getting that red bumps. 

Try to do it the other way: from your knee down to your ankle. Simply put, “shave with the grain.”

This gives you a better chance of keeping your skin smooth and bump-free. 

Clean Your Blade

Don’t disregard this one. As much as shaving everything in one go is faster, it doesn’t bring any benefits to your skin.

It’s advisable to rinse out your blade every three or four strokes. This will prevent the build-up of hair in the razor, giving you a smoother glide always. This can result in less friction and irritation. 

It’s also best to change your blades frequently. If your blade gets dull, shaving your hair will not be as smooth as before. It would be harder to grab the hair, which can cause redness.

The recommended frequency to change is every two to three shaves. NZ subscription company StraightFace even allows you to change your blades after a few shaves easily. 

Shave Less Often

Now, this again is common sense. If your skin is always irritated by shaving, it’s probably best not to shave it or keep it to a minimum?

Well, for a girl, this can be hard. We always want to keep looking our best, and sometimes unkempt body hair makes us lose our confidence. 

If it bothers you and quickly gets irritation with shaving, it’s recommended to explore other hair removal alternatives. You can try waxing, hair removal creams, or laser treatments (if you have money to spend). 

Moisturize Immediately After

Many women tend to forget about this, but this is one of the most crucial steps.

Even if you prepped your skin before you started shaving, not moisturizing after may cause those red bumps to appear. So make sure that after you’ve hopped off the shower, moisturize those newly smoothened legs.

This will keep your skin soft and free of irritation. 

By following the eight tips above, shaving doesn’t have to be a nightmare anymore. These may all be very easy to follow, but it will make a big difference in how your shaved skin looks. Make sure to use products made for sensitive skin, particularly with the shaving cream and moisturizer