Shaving or removal of unsightly hair on the legs is something that has been conditioned in our society for women over time. But more and more you see men embracing this for a myriad of reasons. Some of these reasons are aerodynamic, oddly enough! For men, shaving legs may not be commonplace and seen as 'not masculine', however I do not see this as the case. When I was a youngster, I shaved my legs, and ever since then, the hair is not as thick as it was. I suppose I was 13 when I did this. It was due to the fact that I wanted 'less drag' when I biked. I suppose I was ahead of the times. If you are a swimmer, it's also a very good idea to streamline your body as well by doing this. Here are some great shaving tips for men that will make shaving your legs a lot easier and ensure your health in doing so.
The removal of your leg hair should be done in the shower or bath, after you have been exposed to warm water for a little while. It will soften the hair, making the process that much easier. When a hair is dry, any razor of any type will 'pluck' the hair, resulting in soreness or possibly breakage of hair, resulting in ingrown hairs. Using water or moisture will ensure an easy cut. Being able to keep your leg straight and having a full reach will also help you to avoid nicking yourself, as well as keeping the skin how it naturally is and will decrease the possibility of ingrown hairs by cutting too far below the surface. Removal of leg hair by shaving will take a lot of moisture out of the skin, so it's very important that you do what you can to try and put some of that back in afterwards. After shaving your legs, especially if it's the first time, let them air dry as much as possible and apply a moisturizing lotion to help them get acclimated with being shaved as they will be susceptible to bacteria. Do not use anything but a completely clean towel to dry them, but after a first shave, air drying is best.
Always use a quality shaving cream liberally and don't ever use regular soap. It can block your pores after the shave and cause your legs to lose the ability to retain their natural moisture. Shave from ankle upwards toward the top of your leg in gentle strokes. Do not press too hard, because this can cause ingrown hairs by shaving too close to the skin. Rinse your razor after every short stroke to prevent hairs from blocking the blades. If you have sensitive skin, you can also conversely try shaving in the same direction that the hair grows, down the leg. This may prevent red bumps that you may get after shaving. Of course, this will not give you as close of a shave as the preferred method, but in beginning to shave your legs, it's best to err on the side of caution to avoid razor burn and any discomfort you may feel.
Shave thoroughly until you have used all the shaving cream, and don't be scared to use too much. If you are shaving your legs for the first time, try and remove as much hair as you can with scissors, or even a beard attachment with an electric razor if you are quite hairy. The more hair you can remove before starting with the razor, the better. Remember, to have a clean shave, it's important to minimize the grime that you get in your razor. This is a combination of hair, cream, and skin and of course will dull the blade after repeated use, so change the blade often. Leg hair is coarse and while not as wiry as facial hair, it appears in a high density along the leg, you so must be conservative with your stroke and generous with your moisturizer afterwards. I recommend a gel over a cream, because the foam seems to work better with more wirey hair then with longer hair such as on the leg. Be sure to stay away from creams or gels with fragrances, especially in shaving the legs. Always remember that the skin is the largest organ of the body, and needs the same level of attention as any other organ in terms of keeping it healthy.
For men, leg hair removal can be important for several different reasons, be it simply aesthetic or if you are in a line of work or are facing endeavors that require you to do so. It's important to have good tips for removing leg hair at your disposal and to practice these methods for a good shave. If you have any other good tips, feel free to email me and share at hairremovalformen [AT] gmail [DOT] com, and I will include them in a 'user submitted tips' section. Thanks for reading!