How to Keep Pubic Area From Itching After Shaving

Choose a razor designed to shave sensitive areas. Photo Credit Manuel-F-O/iStock/Getty Images

If you’ve shaved your pubic area before, you know that it’s very different from shaving your legs and armpits. The hair in the pubic area is thicker and the skin is much more sensitive than the skin on your legs. To avoid ingrown hairs, cuts and razor burn, all of which are responsible for irritation and itching, you need to take certain precautions that include where you should shave, what products to use, and how to treat your skin during and after you shave.

Step 1

Trim the hair you intend to shave with scissors or clippers, suggests Go Ask Alice, a health advice website from Columbia University. This will prevent the razor from clogging.

Step 2

Take a warm shower. Warm water will soften your skin and the hairs. It will also open the hair follicles and pores. Wait until the end of your shower to shave.

Step 3

Massage the areas you are going to shave with a soft-bristled body brush. The Beauty Brains website explains that prepping the area with a body brush helps loosen ingrown hairs.

Step 4

Apply a thick shaving cream. Use a fragrance-free cream or lotion since added perfumes can cause irritation. Leave the lotion on for several minutes prior to shaving. Allowing shaving gel to sit for a few moments will further soften the hair.

Step 5

Use a men’s razor or a woman’s razor specially designed for the pubic area. The Beauty Brains website explains that men’s razors are intended to be used for shaving thick hairs and sensitive skin. You still need to exercise extreme caution, however, as some men’s razors have three to five blades, and the skin you’ll be shaving is much more sensitive than a man’s face.

Step 6

Stretch your skin out flat as you shave. This will reduce cuts and help you get a closer shave.

Step 7

Pat your skin dry after getting out of the shower. Do not rub your pubic skin dry with a towel. Apply aloe vera gel to the area. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation explains that aloe vera soothes sensitive skin and helps ease pain.

Step 8

Apply 1 percent over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to the area two or three times a day. Hydrocortisone helps ease itching and irritation. According to the National Institutes of Health, it also provides temporary relief for redness, inflammation and swelling caused by detergents and soaps.

Warnings

• Do not use ordinary soap to shave your pubic area. Soap can dry your skin and worsen irritation.

Tips

• If you get serious razor burn or frequent ingrown hairs, consider purchasing a bikini shaving kit that comes with a specially designed razor, special shave gel, razor oil and a burn soother.
• Go Ask Alice suggests using a new razor every time you shave this area. A used razor, even one that has only been used once, is more likely to nick and cut skin.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors or clippers
• Soft-bristled body brush
• Fragrance-free shaving cream
• Razor
• Aloe vera
• Hydrocortison 1 percent cream

www.livestrong.com