How To Shave your Legs Perfectly (WITH RAZOR / WITHOUT ONE)

I’m sitting by my bed, looking down at my legs. They’re hairy. Then I thought about the last time I shaved. Did I do a good job?, did I shave the proper way? Then I thought to myself on how to shave legs perfectly. Legs are one part of the body where a lot of hair grows. So you can think you would be really pressed to shave this area consistently. But you may be thinking this exactly “how do I shave my leg?” Well, it’s pretty simple and very similar to other ways you shave some of your other body parts. The face, head or chest for example.  But the leg is not just your lower calf, it includes the thigh muscle also. And the thigh is another spot where a lot of hair can grow. Usually, the pubic hairs can trickle down all the way towards thigh, making your thighs very hairy. And along the way with this journey of shaving all parts of my thigh, and leg, I began to see the benefits of leg shaving. Now it’s time to grab your materials you’ll need to go about this endeavor. Tools such as…

1. Trimmer
2. Razor
3. Depilatory Cream
4. Wax (Regular or Sugar)

The reason I added all these is because people prefer different types of hair removal methods. You can trim it, shave it off, use a depilatory cream, or wax it off. The choice is yours. And of course, you would want to remove the most amount of hair in most efficient way possible with little cleanup and must be the least painful. I can go through each one so that you get the drift of how to remove your hair with each method (just in case you didn’t already).

How to shave the back of your thigh?

Shaving the back of your thigh is one of the most difficult since you’re not able to see that area. It’s just like shaving your back. Now that’s an area that’s difficult to shave. But where there is a will there is a way. Now let’s get to it.

1. I would recommend going about this area nice and slow. Since you can’t really see it. The probability that you cut yourself is high.

2. Grab your shaving cream or oil, etc. lather up

3. Grab your razor. Place the razor at the back of the knee. This’ll require some maneuvering to get the perfect angel. You can sit on the edge of your tub. Stick your leg out and turn sideways. You may have to twist and turn it till you get a good angle. If you have a mirror, good, that’s even better.

4. Whichever you choose you must make sure your feet are firmly planted in the ground. So, you won’t lose any balance.

5. Place the mirror on the floor, in front of your leg. Now you can just look in the mirror.

6. Remember short strokes and wash the blade off. Since you may be sitting on the edge of the tub. You can run the water to wash the blade off. Or you can bring a bowl of water and place it in front of you. Make sure you go against the grain.

7. I prefer to sit on the edge of the tub and just angle my leg out the side just enough that I reach my thigh comfortably. Make sure that wherever you’re standing or sitting, you’re firmly grounded and not likely to slip or lose your balance.

8. Now you should be finished with the back of the thigh. You can do the same for the front of the leg. I just wanted to start off with the back because it may be the hardest. So, why not just attack first.

How to trim your leg hairs for the first time?

Alright, let’s start off with the trimmer. You can use any trimmer you want. At times I’ll even use a hair clipper. But that’s for another article. Grab hold of a trimmer, rotary or foil trimmer, it doesn’t matter. First off get some hot water and dip a towel in it. Make it damp. But not too wet. You want to wrap your thigh in the warm towel. This is to loosen the hairs especially if you are a hairy person. If not, you may skip this step. But I always find that the hairs react better to being trimmed off when I wrap my thigh in a hot/warm towel. Now just take your trimmer and go across your leg. You want to go at an even pace. Not too fast and not too slow. Depending on the trimmer you use, it might be able to work in the shower or not. If it can work in the shower I would suggest you do that. One of the problems with trimmers is that the hairs can get caught inside the rotary device (the part that does the cutting). And by you using it in the shower. You can rinse it off at the same time you cut. If you want. You can use a barber’s trimmer. The ones they use to shape your hairline. You want to take the trimmer and run it across the area with hair. You might want to go about this slowly, because when I did one time, I cut myself. If you’re using a barber’s clipper. Make sure the guard is off and you set the blade to “0.” If you use any guard attachment such a 1 guard or 2 guard. Your hair will grow back a lot faster than using a clipper with no guard. There, you’re done.

How to shave your legs for the first time

Exfoliate first. As always. I think this part is where it’s necessary to use a hot/warm towel. It’s mandatory. It helps to loosen the hair follicles and open the pores. This can also prevent bumps after your done shaving. Just because your shaving your leg doesn’t mean you won’t get razor bumps. You’re going to want to grab some…

1. Shaving cream, gel, or oil
2. A sharp razor (if you’re using a double edge razor) or multiblade razor (gillete)
3. I never used any sort of aftershave cream on my legs, so don’t worry about it here, but if you want you can grab your favorite aftershave

You want to elevate your leg, by elevate I mean, hold your leg up on a stool, chair, or bathtub. You can raise it on the kitchen sink that would be fine. Spread the shaving cream, gel, or oil all over your thigh and leg. Make sure you get a good amount in there because the blade from razor is using that lubrication to cut the hair and not your skin. So, don’t be stingy with the lubrication. Now take your razor (either double edge or multi-blade) and put it at the end off your leg, nearby the leg. If you’re shaving your thigh, you can place it at the end of your knee. Now pull the razor across the area. Not too slow and not too fast. Sometime the razors will get filled with hair. So, you may want to stop half-way, wash it off, and continue the stroke. You want to continue this until everything is clean and smooth. Rinse everything off. You can rub some moisturizer on your legs right after. Its alright if you don’t shave your legs perfectly the first time. Then you’re done.

How to shave your legs without shaving cream?

Let’s say you have all the above, but no gel, cream, or oil. Look around the house. Trust me. You can use things such as lotion, cooking oil (but you may not like that smell), sometimes I use soap. You can use your hair conditioner, shampoo, a body wash, your dish-washing soap. Each one has its pros and cons. Hair conditioner is great because it’s a HAIR CONDITIONER. So, it would work well in conditioning your hair. Prepping it be cut off. Shampoo is okay. It lathers well as you should know. It can help your skin also in a really good way. The body wash lathers up good also. Dish-washing soap doesn’t irritate the skin too much and lathers up good. When you’re trying to select an alternative to shaving cream, the main thing you must look in to is its ability to lather well. I wouldn’t choose the bar soap. If you have a body wash that comes in a bottle, you can use those, because those usually lather up a lot better than bar soap. You can use cooking oil since its an oil. Doesn’t have to lather up good, but it makes an incredible lubricant for your razor to glide on. Simply use on these choices and drag your razor across the area. Then you’re finished.

How to shave your legs without a razor

You can shave without a razor. It’s called a dry shave. The ways you accomplish a dry shave is by using an electric shaver or trimmer. You can buy a good quality one.

1. Wash your face first, though.
2. Pat your face dry.
3. If you have long hairs I recommend cutting your hair a tad bit if you can. If you can’t, then forget it.
4. Charge it up.
5. And glide it across your face.

The key here is to get a good quality trimmer. Good quality trimmer means a powerful one. You have to glide it across your face at a steady pace. Too fast, you might not get all the hairs. Too slow, it might pull on your skin. And you want to use the weight of the trimmer. Meaning don’t press down into your skin. This sort of thinking can cause more damage. You get a clean trim by pressing directly on to your skin as hard as you can. Just think of it as your shaving. You don’t press the razor into your skin, do you? Then don’t do it here. Other than that. The other methods are expensive. Laser hair removal, IPl hair removal, etc. There’s waxing, epilating. And those are the other methods that you can try, but why? It costs money. When you shave or trim your legs I don’t believe you have to worry too much about pimples or bumps after you finish shaving. Not saying you can’t get any but its rare. The only thing you may worry about is your hair growing back too fast. It’s better you get accustomed to shaving your thigh and leg often. because you’ll be doing it often. So, try a few of the tips I gave you and lock down a routine. So, when your hair grows back you already primed and ready and know what to do.

How to use a depilatory cream on your thigh

You don’t have to wash your thigh before nor exfoliate it.

1. Take the depilatory cream and rub it on the area with all the hair. Make sure it gets a good coat on it. You want to make sure you cover every hair follicle.
2. Don’t worry too much about the smell. Because I know it does stink. That’s just the chemicals that will help get rid of the hair.
3. You want to wait a few minutes. Most depilatory creams recommend an amount of 15 -20 minutes. Majority of the time its only 15 minutes.
4. Take a damp washcloth or rag and wipe away the cream. When you wipe the cream of your thigh, the hair will come off along with it.
5. This to me is the best way. Only because it involves the least amount of risk. I mean if you don’t have sensitive skin, then you’ll be fine.

No need to twist and turn your leg in odd angles to shave or trim it. And it gets rid of the hair more than shaving or trimming can do. It gets real close to the skin sometimes even under the skin. And cuts away at the hair follicle from that length. Try it out.

How to wax your thigh

You can do this yourself or you can go to the salon. I would suggest doing it by yourself. It’s cheaper. And you can go at your own pace because it can be quite painful. But if you’re not too sure, then head to your salon. If you want to head to a salon, you must beware of the salon’s etiquette and you must have waxing etiquette yourself.

How to do it yourself!

If you buy a waxing kit. Take the wax and place it in a wax warmer. You got to melt the wax beans first. Then you can wax it. Take the wax using a wax applicator and place it on the thigh. It doesn’t have to cover the entire thigh but were going to do this piece by piece. Strip by strip. Now take a wax strip and place it on top of the wax area. (it’s important to note that the wax that you place on your thigh should be the length of the wax strip.) This is to make sure the strip covers the wax entirely. Press down firmly on the strip. Grab it from one of its edges and yank it off as fast as possible.  

How to use sugar wax (my favorite) on your leg

The recipe….

1. I would recommend going about this area nice and slow. Since you can’t really see it. The probability that you cut yourself is high.

2. Grab your shaving cream or oil, etc. lather up

3. Grab your razor. Place the razor at the back of the knee. This’ll require some maneuvering to get the perfect angel. You can sit on the edge of your tub. Stick your leg out and turn sideways. You may have to twist and turn it till you get a good angle. If you have a mirror, good, that’s even better.

4. Whichever you choose you must make sure your feet are firmly planted in the ground. So, you won’t lose any balance.

5. Place the mirror on the floor, in front of your leg. Now you can just look in the mirror.

6. Remember short strokes and wash the blade off. Since you may be sitting on the edge of the tub. You can run the water to wash the blade off. Or you can bring a bowl of water and place it in front of you. Make sure you go against the grain.

7. I prefer to sit on the edge of the tub and just angle my leg out the side just enough that I reach my thigh comfortably. Make sure that wherever you’re standing or sitting, you’re firmly grounded and not likely to slip or lose your balance.

8. Now you should be finished with the back of the thigh. You can do the same for the front of the leg. I just wanted to start off with the back because it may be the hardest. So, why not just attack first.

Should you shave your thighs?

That my friend is all up to you. I know you may be asking yourself how do you shave your legs or why would you. I’ll tell you most of the time people shave their legs for aesthetic, relationship (pleasing your spouse) or employment reasons. The same reason people shave their chest. Not saying that it doesn’t happen but rarely is it for comfortability. So, you should ask yourself before you start cutting away, are you supposed to shave your thighs? Does your job require you to shave it? Are you in the modeling or acting industry? Is your spouse a smooth leg lover and hates the sight of your hairy thighs? Do the hairs on your legs get stuck to your pants in hot weather and make it uncomfortable to walk and move around.  Or maybe it’s the summer time and you want to hit the beach. Or you’ve been working out and want to show off your leg muscle definition. If the answers to these questions are “yes”, then my friend you should consider shaving it off or waxing off. If you’re into more permanent options then, try laser or IPl hair removal. Either way, it must come off. With this, you can use wax strips if you want. But it’s not recommended. You just use your fingers. Grab some with your fingertips and drag it across your thigh or leg. You can flick off with a flick of your wrist and the hair should come with it. Shaving your leg is just another part of the hair removal regiment. After you’ve finished reading this, you should be well enabled to go about shaving your legs. Make them nice and smooth and ready to be revealed on the beach. 

Leg Shaving F.A.Q

What age should a girl shave her legs?

I would say when it starts to become noticeable. But ultimately that decision is up to you. I would start my daughter shaving early as possible and let them know there’s nothing wrong with it. I remember my father and mother would allow my brothers to shave early on. This would allow them to get a hold of good shaving technique. But the age range would be between 11-14. At those ages, young girls will be mature enough to handle a razor. But if you feel they are mature enough to handle it earlier than the age of 11, then do so.

Are you supposed to shave up or down your legs?

Rule of thumb is to shave in the direction of hair growth. I think it’s safe to say that everyone’s hair on their leg grows in the same direction. It grows downward. Or you can go against the grain if you feel like it. Shaving upward. That all depends on your skin’s sensitivity. Going against the grain means a closer shave, but also means skin irritation. But shaving with the grain, according to many shaving enthusiasts is the correct way to shave your legs.

How do you shave your legs without getting bumps?

Razor bumps and shaving go hand in hands. But there are a few ways to offset the sight of bumps. You can either let your skin heal itself. And the razor bumps will go away by themselves. Use creams specifically medicated to heal razor bumps. After you’re done shaving you can apply a moisturizing cream to the area (this is the best way to deal with razor bumps). You can put some sort of cold compress on the area. This can bring down the skin the irritation a little bit and help the skin heal from the razor bumps.   

Why do I have to shave my legs every day?

Daily leg shaving is okay but to a certain extent. It also depends on your skin’s sensitivity. If your skin isn’t built for such shaving demand, guess what? Expect some skin irritation, razor burn, and some ingrown hairs. But I shave every other day, doing this prevents my hair from obviously growing to its full length. Then I won’t have to walk around like a werewolf.

Double Edge razors are better than multi-blade razors?

I’m kind of 50/50 on this. Using those double edge razors are like dipping back in time. Back In the old days, most men would use these things. They are efficient because they use one razor and one razor only. Using these prevent your skin from meeting multiple razors. I use a safety razor. But then I switch to a multi-blade razor when I need more mobility in the blade handle. The more blades on a razor equal more pressure that is distrusted across the surface of the skin. When you use one of the multi-blade razors, within in one pass of the razor your skin gets hit with the blade about 6 times. That’s not a good thing. But people buy them all time and use them without a problem. The number of blades in your razor is important. The less amount of blade you have can result in shaving cuts and nicks. But using a safety razor uses one blade and delivers a very close shave. Also, it can prevent razor bumps or any irritation.So, it’s best to try both and see how your skin holds up.

A few more leg shaving tips I’ve come to do find out in the past few years.

Your leg shaving process starts as soon as you hop in the shower

You can hang out in your bath for a while. Maybe from 10-15 minutes. The steam and heat help to loosen up your pores. Your hair becomes soft and the follicles open up, making it easier to shave. But I wouldn’t stay too long in the shower. Because staying in there so long can swell and shrivel up your skin. This is not good for shaving.

As soon as you wake up in the morning. Get to it.

Its just good to get it out of the way. So, while you’re brushing your teeth, heating up your coffee you can get down to business with shaving. It can be a time consuming and difficult task if you’re not used to it. So, it’s best to get it out of the way.

Please if you don’t have shaving soap, cream, foam, or oil. Find something!

It’s okay if you want to dry shave. That’s not the difficult thing here. But it’s risky to do so. Especially if you’re not used to the shaving process. Shaving with some sort of lubrication can help avoid shaving cuts and shaving nicks. You don’t want those. I would stay away from bar soap, but only use it as a last option.

Replace that razor when its time   

At the first sign of my blade being dull, guess what? I’m throwing it out. There’s no need for it. But you and I are very different. I use a safety razor, so I have at least 2 packs of available razor blades at my disposal. They can trap bacteria, create razor bumps and give your skin redness that will take a few weeks for it to disappear.

Try shaving up your leg before you shave down the leg

When you go through your first pass of the shave. I like to shave in the direction of my hair growth which happens to be down the leg. I wouldn’t go shaving upward especially if you have sensitive skin, but if that’s what’s good for you. Then go with it. Going against the grain can bring a closer shave but with that close shave comes irritation, and shaving cuts. But once your hairs are much shorter, your skin is lubricated (shaving gel/cream), then shaving against the grain is much easier.

Got to tackle razor burn as soon as it rears its ugly head

Close shaving is great but comes with ingrown hairs. Close shaving comes with untreated razor burn. And they can turn into scars. So, to help prevent any of this I like to use an exfoliating body scrub. I mostly use it twice a week in order to help shed my skin from all the dirt and dead skin cells that can help trap hairs. The bumps on the other hand, I’ll put a warm compress on the affected part. I believe the heat relaxes my hair follicles. After showering I like to put aloe Vera gel on the affected area.

Start exfoliating, it’s one of the most important parts of shaving

Exfoliating helps to get rid of those dead skin cells. When you shave, you’re exfoliating anyway? But you want to make sure you tackle the issue before the shave. Dead skin cells can help to clog your razor, thus rendering it useless. You can exfoliate daily by using a mild loofah scrub.

Got to lather up

Shaving creams, gels, shaving oils, even hair conditioner can make a good lather. That is all good, but I would be wary of using soap. I know how easy it is to use soap since it’s right by your sink and readily accessible, but soap can dry out your skin a lot faster. While certain hair conditioners and shaves can help provide moisture because that’s how they were made.

Done with your shave, now be gentle with yourself

After shaving is an unrelenting process on your skin. I like to avoid any washcloths or loofahs. This tugging freshly shaven skin can cause a lot of irritation. And you should know by now, irritation can lead to redness and bumps

Got to find the best product that fits you

It’s best to find a better product for your skin. Everyone is different so you’re going to have to go through trial and error to find something for your type. If your skin is always dry, stay away from alcohol and fragrance-based products.

Wait for the end of your shower

You might want to end till the end of your shower to pull out that razor. I believe the heat and steam do something to your hair to soften it up and open your pores. The pores opening make it easier to shave.

Thighs matter just as much as your lower leg

I’ve already written about shaving and waxing your thigh. Make sure to pay close attention to that area. So many people forget about this area.

Just because you’re stroking longer doesn’t mean you’ll get a better shave

A common misconception in the shaving world. The best results are from smaller strokes and not pushing down too hard. A long shave could mean that the razor is dull. With a good razor and one short pass of the razor, the blade gets caught with a lot of hair in it preventing a longer stroke.

Get the “right razor” is a mistake?

There are too many razors out in the market because everyone has a different preference and marketers at these big companies are shoving new innovations down our throat constantly. I can shorten your results by telling you to look for razors with pivoting heads, soft grip, and 4-5 blades. All right, maybe I didn’t shorten your results. But now you can start looking for something good.

Giving your legs special attention (extra attention)

Alright, so you’re done shaving. Let’s say you live in a sunny state and you want to show off your legs. But you got to be careful because freshly shaved skin is less resilient to the suns glare. I always stock up on sun blocking lotion before I go out. But after 24 hours of shaving my skin. I don’t really worry about it. It’s only if I shaved right before heading out.

Keeping your razor blade upright is important or is it

They always say to hold the razor in an upright position. But I don’t think that is that much important. Holding upright supposedly prevents it from getting damaged. Especially the damage to the blades. But holding it upright like in razor holder. The blade doesn’t get as wet. Imagine laying it down the sink. How many times have gone to brush your teeth, wash your face and outer area of the skin gets wet? Keeping your razor dry is of the utmost importance. Bacteria can thrive in damp, wet conditions. Anywhere there is moisture.

Thou shall not forget aftercare

Taking care of your leg after your done shaving is often forgotten. Too many times people only take care of their freshly shaved skin after they’ve done shave their face, chest, or most importantly, the private area. If you already suffer from red bumps after shaving. Then maybe aftercare is a must. I would stay away from lotions or anything with a fragrance. This is to make sure to avoid inflammation. If you want to moisturize your skin after shaving try, Aloe Vera gel or something natural. There’s always shea butter or witch hazel. Also, when you’re done shaving you can soak a towel or washcloth in cold water and hold it to your face. This can help close your pores

Look to use a mobile razor head

The movability of the razor head is very important. Especially dealing with areas such as your knees and other areas such as your ankles. I find that when the bone is right near the skin surface, I need a razor that can move and contour with the curves of my skin and move over these trickier spots.

Shave your knee

Your knees are the trickiest spot of leg shaving. But all you must do is just bend your knee a little bit. Then slowly shave it with your razor. When the knee isn’t bent, the skin is shriveled up and hard to shave. So, bend it a little. Conclusion: Now you know how to shave your legs. A lot of people always forget shaving the thigh area ( i don’t know how they forget). But if shaving isn’t for you, then you wax your thigh, even try a dry shave. Hope you get a lot from this article. Oh, before I forget, you can check my article on shaving while pregnant. In it, I take a section of the article to talk about shaving your legs while you’re pregnant.