The choice to shave your armpits is a personal decision that every girl ponders at some stage. Some prefer a hair-free look or feel while others don’t. I started shaving my armpits when I was a teen, though these days I have them waxed during my monthly salon visit for my legs and bikini area.
Before you start shaving your armpits, exfoliate so your blades don’t get clogged by deodorant and sweat. Never dry-shave and use a good shaving gel or foam. Shave using short strokes and rinse your razor after each pass. Pat dry with a fluffy towel and moisturize. Avoid deodorant for a short while.
Let’s take a closer look at all there is to know about shaving your armpits and doing it safely.
Underarm Hair Removal Options
Disposable razors or razors with disposable blades are by far the most popular and inexpensive way the majority of people shave their armpits. However, there are other options such as:
- Waxing: This is what I do these days and it saves me the hassle of shaving every couple of days.
- Electric Razors: I have tried these in the past but find that I can’t get a close enough shave.
- Depilatories: I only tried a skin depilatory under my arms once and got a burn-like skin irritation.
Your method of underarm hair removal is a completely personal choice depending on your likes and budget. Here are a few tips to navigate underarm shaving safely.
How To Shave Your Armpits
No matter where on your body you do it, shaving is a process. In order to get the best results, it’s important to learn the right and wrong way to shave. Let’s sharpen up your technique and tool choices.
Always Exfoliate Your Skin Before Shaving Your Armpits
Exfoliate your skin either with a loofah or a body scrubber in order to clean your armpits before you start shaving. Firstly, removing the excess dead skin cells will give you a closer and cleaner shave. In addition, sweat and deodorant can easily clog blades, or even worse, can cause infections from bacteria if you happen to cut yourself while shaving.
Never Dry Shave Your Underarms
The rule of never dry shaving applies no matter where on your body you are shaving. Your razor is designed to glide over wet skin and dry shaving is an almost certain way to get razor burn and ingrown hairs.
Wet your skin and apply shaving gel or foam before you start shaving because your underarm area and hair are sensitive. Warm water helps open pores and soften your skin. I used to shave in the shower.
Method To Get The Closest Cleanest Underarm Shave
Even though it may seem so at first glance, your underarm hairs do not all lie in the same direction. So, pull your skin taut and shave using short strokes in varying directions (upward, downward, and sideways) to get the smoothest shave you can. Your underarm area is sensitive so don’t go over the same area too many times or else you risk irritating your skin or getting nicked.
Don’t rush, go slowly to get the cleanest shave. Rinse the blade after each pass to clear it of shaving gel and hair. Never use your fingers to clear the blades because the sharp blades will cut you.
Moisturize After Shaving Underarms
Pat the area dry with a fluffy towel and use a good moisturizer after you shave to soothe and nourish your skin and avoid irritation.
Hold off with putting any deodorant on right away because it can easily burn, irritate, or dry out your skin
Clean and dry your razor blade after every use and store it in a dry location. Keeping your razor in the shower is not a dry location. The moisture causes rust and can ruin the blades before you get to use the razor again. Rusty blades can lead to bad infections if you cut yourself shaving.
Check your razor after every few shaves to ensure that the blades are still sharp enough. Dull blades pull on the hair rather than cutting. This can irritate the hair follicle or cause ingrown hairs.