Preventing razor burn

Triathlon Forum
1

Like any good ST’er, I have started to shave my legs. I have been doing this for about 4 months now. The problem is that every time I shave, I still get razor burn. Sometimes it isn’t as bad, but today it is pretty bad. What can I do to prevent razor burn from ruining the appearance of my sexy legs? BTW, most of the razor burn is above the knee.

Thanks.

2

aloe vera gel. The clear stuff, not the colored stuff with tons of alcohol. And don’t use lotions that have aloe in it. Just go to the source and get the aloe straight.

3

Don’t press soooo hard when shaving and use moisturizing shaving cream. Follow up with some lotion.

4

Shave with baby oil instead of shave cream or gel. I swear by this. You have to slather it on.

5

I have heard the baby oil thing before. A totally hairless Sweedish woman I knew swore by it, but I dismissed her testomonial as she had fine blonde hair and wasn’t nearly as shaggy as I. I did want to try it but I had forgoten it until I just read this thread. I am a major space head.

My tips are:

  • Exfoliate. Before and after. After shaving areas that are prone to get razor burn or ingrown hairs I use the Swiss apricot shit that feels like sandpaper. I love it too.

  • HOT water. Steam. Open your pores. Rinse your blade often in hot water.

  • Go with the grain, and don’t press too hard.

And for the hell of it, here is a pic of my unshaven self. I grow a beard so quick that at the recpeption after my wedding, my wife’s friend asked my if I had bothered to shave that morning. I had. I’m perpetually like Homer Simpson.

http://tinypic.com/59uc2a

6

I’ve also heard to shave with rinseless shampoo, whatever that is. A nurse friend swears by it. She says the shave lasts longer too.

But still, use aloe after.

7

I only get razor burn really high up on my legs (like the areas covered by my boxers). I just use the clippers to cut it short there. I don’t shave past about where my boxers hang.

8

Why why why do you guys shave your legs???

I need answers.

9

Yeah, I get it up high, too.

10

Otherwise, massages are almost unbearable for me.

11

Some pro’s and cons. Probably not all of them but here’s a start. Other than the 3 cons, why NOT shave your legs?

Shave legs because.

  1. If you wreck on the bike, road rash will heal in a week instead of 2-3.
  2. If #1 happens, changing out to clean bandages is much less painful, and therefore gets done more often, which minimizes infection.
  3. Putting on pre race sun block or warming lotion, or post crash antibiotics, is way easier, you use less and it’s more effective.
  4. Massages are more effective and less uncomfortable.
  5. Over a 3 hour ride you get all kinds of road gunk (black pebbles of … who knows maybe car tire wear??, and crap) caught in your hair, especially if you are riding intermittently through water. Without hair you can just squirt a little water from your bottle and clean your shins up while coasting. With hair it just gets all caught up in it, unless you pull your shoes and socks off and give a good rinse with a hose (not effective on the bike).
  6. If you have #5 going and then #1 happens you need to scrub the black pebbles out of your wound, and you end up catching and having to pluck out a bunch of hairs with tweezers one by one in your wound, it hurts like hell in an already irritated/inflamed area.
  7. Clothing on your legs seems to work better without that hair barrier, both warming and cooling.
  8. If you have a wetsuit it’s easier and less painful to get out of it, especially with some strategically placed body glide.

Don’t shave because.

  1. It’s a pain in the ass.
  2. Post shave burn. (Though if you are careful and consistent it can be minimized).
  3. People sometimes call you a wuss. (Though when you are looking really fit nobody says anything IME.)

I find it’s easier to minimize the cons and shave, than try to work around having hair and not shave (ie the pros).