So I’ve been wet shaving a long time and I’m pretty handy with a DE razor, a half hollow straight, and a shavette, but I’m at a loss for this one…
My wife is getting laser hair removal for several areas including Brazilian, and there are sone places she just can’t shave. Apparently a wax is no good because they are basically destroying the hair root and follicle and it targets the melanin?
So, to the point, my wife took a shower today and did her best, then I took a quick shot with my adjustable DE, but the results were… not so good. I think this may be a shavette problem for control, but I gotta see what I’m doing so a thick soap lather cushion is out. Also there’s some delicate contouring obviously which is pretty different from my leathery flat face.
The treatments are kinda pricey so it’s important to get a clean shave, and anything she can’t do is basically the most important stuff to zap… But I figure the first time I cut her or leave a nick I’m out. I gotta figure out the… uh… Front door back door problems because those are just not flat areas and the risk of failure or accident seems high.
Anybody got experience? Or ideas? Water-based lubricant was pretty decent (the third thing I tried) to help the shave, but tools and materials seem like important choices to make.
Edit: Mods I’d mark NSFW but idk how to do it. This is like my 3rd lemmy post ever.
First off, massive respect for helping your wife with such a sensitive issue. 👍🏻
Now, if she actually wants to shave with a DE or SE razor, it’s generally recommended to start with a less sensitive area than the groin for body shaving. The legs are a really good starting point, alternatively the armpits are also rather tough.
However, in your/her case, if it’s just to get a close shave before a laser hair removal… I seriously wouldn’t bother with a DE. A basic electric body shaver should be mild enough to get rid of the hair but don’t hurt the follicles. Alternatively, there are disposable razors by Wilkinson Sword (Schick in the USA) with a flexible head - means it doesn’t only pivot, but actually adapts to the contours of your body. These here are what I mean. Don’t let her pay the “lady razor tax” though.
As for lather, I’d recommend a brushless cream, shaving oil or a transparent gel to see better. It might also come in handy to use (shower) mirrors. Best of luck!
FWIW, in other contexts where the risk of injury is unacceptable, I have seen a general consensus on recommendations for the Oneblade. It appears that it’s basically impossible to cut yourself, even if you try. So if injury is a major issue, but getting an ultraclose shave and spending 30ish € aren’t, you may want to look into this.
Edit: It can be used dry or with lather.
There’s an “NSFW” checkbox right above the “Create” button, at least in the default UI. If you’re using another app it would depend, but the option is there in all of the popular browser based front ends. I can’t change it after the fact. Hope that helps.
I’m on Voyager and it was not apparent.
Laser hair removal works by shooting the laser at your skin and the hair. You have to have hair that absorbs a lot of light, and skin that does not. So if you have dark pigment in your skin, it will burn
I have a somewhat tanned, chocolatey colored butthole, does this mean I can’t get laser hair removal on it?
EDIT: It’s kind of like the color of a coffee icecream
She is a Targaryen / Viking blend. Shock blonde and light skinned except for leg, pit, and groin hair which is up for laser removal. Just gotta solve the shave a few times so the treatment works.
Those details don’t tell me much. But yes, light skin and dark hair should be fine. If you’re worried tho, you should be able to just ask a clinic that does this kinda work.
If you’re worried about the price, philips makes a portable one called lumea. I haven’t tried it myself tho
They aren’t worried about her hair color or skin color, she is more worried about them giving her dry shave touch ups so it’s better to just get a good shaving result before her appointments. I want to get the right combination of lubricant and razor to minimize her discomfort.
I do some… Non ideal things to clean up my body hair that I would not do on someone else’s sensitive areas.
In my opinion if you use a properly hydrated lather, it shouldn’t prevent you from seeing what’s going on.
I’d focus on getting as much water as possible into your lather. Then use as mild of a DE razor as you own.
I’ve personally never had trouble using a DE “down there.” I typically use a Merkur 34C for this and have had great results.
Granted, I don’t have lady bits down there so I can’t speak to those specific difficulties. I have to assume though that you’d get good results with a properly hydrated lather, a mild razor, and a good deal of care.
Good advice. Basically I’ve got a parker adjustable (which I’m still getting the hang of) and my feather blade shavette. I question the lather because I have used it for lips and chin, but otherwise I basically only dry shave (trim really) now that I keep a beard. The last thing I want to do is give a whole undercarriage worth of road rash by accident if I get all the hairs out. You know?
It could be worth trying milder blades. Feathers are definitely on the aggressive side.
I guess I thought aggressiveness was just in the blade pitch. I thought feather was the way to go.
Is she sure she wants to shave? There are those rolling tweezing things which I’ve never used and sound like mild torture, but pulling the hairs out by the roots usually leaves things bare for longer, and there’s no risk of getting cuts; plus, with such pliable skin in that area, it’s probably less challenging to shave.
Or, maybe an electric razor? There are also hair removal creams especially made for sensitive areas, and things like Cyperus Routundus and Oleum Cyperus oils. The linked NIH study says Cyperus Rotundus is as effective as Alexandrite laser.
I’d try a lot of things before I took a razor to my bits.
Once tried an Epilady. “Mild torture” doesn’t begin to describe the horror.
How bad was it? Really? I’ve no experience, here. I’ve pulled plenty of individual hairs out with tweezers from various places; some made my eyes water. Is it much worse? If I were going to use an Epilady, I’d douse the area with numbing cream and go at it. It can’t be worse than waxing or tweezing, can it?
Am a guy, so my experience in this specific scenario is limited.
If Epilady is not acceptable, even with serious numbing, then I’d try the Cyperus Rotundus. The NIH report looked promising.
Imagine the pain of pulling an individual hair, then multiply that by dozens because it rips out dozens (or more) at a time.
I seriously doubt that any kind of numbing cream short of a full anesthetic would save you from the pain.
Good thing women have a higher tolerance for pain. Or so I’ve heard.
I don’t know. Women put up with a lot of painful stuff; threading doesn’t look like any fun, either. I guess it just depends on the individual.
For those not willing to do that, the Cyperus Rotundus oil looks encouraging.
People like threading because it’s far less painful and more accurate than waxing.
Isn’t it the same thing as tweezing? Pulling the hair out by the roots? Waxing is partially painful because you’re also irritating and pulling on the skin. It would seem that threading is closer to one of those rolling tweezers.
I guess my question is: if they’re both grabbing the hair at the base and yanking it out with the follicle, why is threading less painful?
Waxing also pulls off skin
Well that’s the whole problem, it has to be shaved or else the hair treatment doesn’t work. Can’t be plucked or pulled. The laser works on the pigment of the hairs left in the follicles. Basically we gotta do 2 to 4 punishing but thorough shaves and then she’s (theoretically) free of the razor after that.
After I responded, I did some more reading. It looks like Cyperus rotundus is the way to go. It’s quite similar, though: waxing, threading, or tweezing, apply the oil thoroughly, and then daily until the next wax; repeat a couple of times, and Bob’s your Uncle. Same efficacy, except Alexandrite lasers work only on dark follicles, whereas Cyperus works on all follicles.
