I am seeing a woman who is a die-hard runner; just turned 30 and has 25 marys and about to do her 8th Boston in a few months… She’d like to shave (vice just a reasonably close trim) but has been told that she’ll risk a great deal of irritation due to all the salts and open pores and who knows what else. I’ve never heard of that, but she does have a predisposition to ingrown hair and other skin irritations.
So - as a guy I’m obviously waaaayyyy out of my element here. Ladies - does that make sense or can you shave w/o subsequent discomfort?
are you talking about her arm pits, legs, or “you know” down there? Has she never shaved? I’ve never heard the bit about, “irritation due to salts” either. My husband will shave his legs once in awhile, because he knows I love it. And does not experience any irritation, though then me. I’ve never done it, but some people like waxing. If she is shaving or trimming “down there” maybe she should wax that puppy. and try it now, while she has time.
I only get a bit of irritation in the pits, but I exfoliate after shaving (for a few days) with something mild like Body Shop’s mango body sugar. I have never had a problem re: training or racing. FWIW, I wax down there and have no issues and I run & ride commando.
Unless she’s NEVER shaved, then I would just shave 2 or 3 days before the race and not worry about it. God knows so many other things could happen during the race and it’s not like you can do much about them, eh?
I’m guessing you’re talking about defuzzing the, er, beaver.
I do a combo of epilating and shaving. I use the epilator for most of it, and get the “hard to reach” areas (actually, more “super sensitive”) areas awith a razor. I HIGHLY recommend Noxema’s bikini razor. I was always prone to ingrown hairs and cutting my self. I’ve had ZERO problems with the Noxema shaver.
When shaving or waxing anywhere, there’s always a chance for ingrown hairs and irritation from the razor. I would NEVER use a disposable razor–spend the $$ and get a decent razor with a replaceable blades. Depending on how thick/coarse the hair is, any stubble is probably more likely to irritate than sweat or salt–especially in the bikini line area while running or biking. So if she goes the shaving route she should stay on top on the stubble patrol. If she waxes, the hair takes longer to grow back and usually grows back initially not as coarse.
I think it’s funny that so many of us stumble when discussing certains parts of our bodies. Not directing this solely at you mmrocker since we all do it, but I think it’s interesting that this thread has gone on so long and no one has said genitals or vagina or whatever other word is appropriate for the bikini area. Instead we say beaver or nether regions.
I have found by far the cheapest way to remove hair from – ok, i’ll say it, the GENITAL region, using this product below. It’s marketed for African American men because of their proclivity to get “razor bumps” when using a regular razor on their beard. it costs pennies per usage and is WAAAY cheaper than any of the shite marketed toward women like Nair or what have you. You mix the powder up into a paste, apply, let dry for about five minutes and I remove in the shower with a washcloth.
Afterwards, I apply some type of gentle lotion or oil. I usually try to do it at night so I can refrain from wearing undies (or else go commando) and not “irritate” the freshly shorn region. Ends up smooth as a baby’s bottom, no bumps, no ingrown hairs! Might not smell as perfume-y as the “depilatories for women” but it’s about $3.50 for the jar below and will last quite awhile. Oh, and it’s usually in an obscure location in the shaving products area on a bottom shelf.
I say beaver b/c it amuses me. Vagina is so cold and clinical. I mean, when I’m discussing Grey’s Anatomy (the book, not the show), I’ll use labia and whatnot. But in casual discourse, I’m far more likely to use beaver, va-jay-jay, or goodly bits. Probably b/c I have all the maturity of a 12 year old, though.
ETA: Beaver, to me, is sort of the surrounding areas, FWIW. The va-jay-jay is more the internal bits. “Good Bits” is mroe of the lip area, possibly the clitoral region as well.
Yes, I know what you mean. There’s no perfect word. I actually use Vagina a lot with my girls because I don’t want them to spend their life saying “down there”, but it is very clinical-sounding. Maybe we need a contest to give our “nether regions” a new name. It should get the attention of the ST guys, if nothing else.
Hey DawnT, I think I just ragged you out on a different thread. I think is thread is funny. all the different names for the who who. When I use vagina in class with teenage girls, they freak out. They seem more comfortable using slang. So, we call it our snapper. They instantly feel more comfortable about talking about stuff.
I’ve thought about doing a Brazilian wax but the pain has always stopped me. The stuff that cindyloohoo mentioned looks like a definate possibility.
BTW - I call it my hoo-ha. Came from a skit done on Saturday Night Live where someone said “Would you like to touch my hoo ha?” My husbad calls his nether regions his hoo-ha as well. We laugh every time one of us says it.
Whatever she does, do it now! As has already been mentioned, the days before a race are the worst time to experiment with sharp objects on sensitive areas.
Is the “P” word inappropriate? It does sound kinda 70’s ish…like it should be uttered by some moustacheod guy with gold chains. I don’t think I could get used to “labia and what not”.
I think it depends, as do many of them, on the circumstances.
At our house (which, admittedly is only two of us), whe have a variety of interchangeables…
HooHa
Hoopter
Goodbits
Va-jay-jay
Peeps
Beaver
Beave
Little friend
Business area
Steve
The Taco
Fuzzy Button
Netherland
Special-tees
And more. We have some for his goodlies, too. Now, obviously were there something wrong or going on where we needed to use a “medical” term, we’re both capable of doing it.
tell her to do it in stages. I made the mistake of going from all to nothing a few years ago (while slightly drunk…). She should get a good razor, and get some bikini zone gel (apply to prevent ingrown hairs and razor burn - works wonders) I have never had a problem with it since in terms of chafing or issues, but i also body glide almost everywhere before a race because I have sensitive skin.
funny note: here at Denison, all of our dorms are co-ed except for one mens only dorm, and one women’s only dorm. The womens dorm name? Beaver Hall. Yup, thats right. We get a kick out of it
The beaver does not like a close shave. Tell her to start getting full brazilian waxes. I tell yah, it is the BEST thing I ever did re: body/esthetics. And I can usually run the same day.
the KEY here is lots and lots of bodyglide on Miss Puss while running.
I used to go the full wax route, but now I am a convert–I use the epilady for all but the most elastic skin. Those areas I touch up with the Noxema razor, and it’s fabulous. Cheaper and easier than the brazillian. Plus, after the first t ime, the epilady doesn’t hurt much at all.
