This "article" is a compilation of individual several newsletter articles that I wrote for THE CHI TRIBUNE, the monthly newsletter of the Chi Chapter in Chicago, Illinois. For those of you who are interested, Deanna the Editor of the Chi Tribune, sometimes has reprints, I can't vouch for how many or how much she will ask for them but you can write her at:
Chi Chapter
P.O. BOX 40
Wood Dale, IL 60191-0040
As an aside, and (please excuse) something of a plug, you can become an
Associate member of Chi Chapter and receive their monthly newsletter,
promptly on the first few days of the month, by meeting the following
criteria:
Full membership applies if you live within 150 miles of Chicago, or wish to attend more than 4 meetings a year. The price for full membership is only $15.00. So you can see that this is a very good value for the money.
The newsletter averages 6 pages filled with information about outings in Chicago, and national events. In addition to that, you will find the Helpful Hints column as well as several other columns that aim to help you look your best, as well as how to cope with some of the problems we FP's can run into.
If any of you who read this "article" have any questions, suggestions, insults, or what-have-you, I'll gladly respond to your letter, and if it 'inspires' a column, I will respond to you as well as send you a copy of the column. Some ideas that I would like your input on are as follows:
Hopefully, I will get several (hundreds!!) responses, if so I hope to compile them into future articles for the Femme Mirror.
Since I wrote these newsletter articles, I have come accross some new information that I feel should be included here. Whenever you come accross a number in brackets, {1}, check at the end of the piece for the addition.
HELPING HINTS I
The other day in preparation for a grand night, I was shaving my legs and nicked myself badly. Of course, the bleeding took forever to stop, and all evening long I was conscious of this ghastly bright red stripe going up my shin. I had tried to cover it up with a bit of make up but that stung! I thought, what would a GG do?
Then, the idea hit me, why not a column in the newsletter to cover just
that sort of question. Most of us FP's have been cross-dressing for so long
that we have "forgotten" (as if we could!), our first few attempts at
emulating a beautiful woman. There is a large number of sisters who have
only just recently started actively dressing, and they are probably asking
the same questions that this column will, hopefully, answer.
SHAVING YOUR LEGS: Those of us that can remove the hair on our legs,
without fear of ridicule or discovery, know that our legs appear more
feminine if they do not have leg hair on them. There are several methods
of temporarily removing the hair on your legs. This month we'll look at
shaving.
Most of us automatically use the same method on our legs that we use on
our face. Well, this is probably our biggest mistake. Take a minute to
compare the skin on your face with the skin on your legs, both on the calf
and on the thigh. Feel the difference? Since we usually shave our face on a
daily basis, the skin is a little thicker, less sensitive and does not have
the hair follicle right at the surface of the skin. Your legs on the
other hand, are almost the exact opposite. The hair is also different.
Hair on your face is much coarser, and thicker than on your legs.
When you shave your face it is quite natural to scrape back and forth
pressing hard in order to get the smoothest possible shave. If you try
that on your legs you will undoubtedly share my experience, and find
yourself bleeding all over. Look around at all the women you deal with
every day and LOOK for those tell-tale shaving nicks. You'll find you
don't see them very often. If you want to emulate a woman, then you can't
go around with scabs all over your legs.
So, how do you do it?
First, use a new blade, then, take a good look at your legs. Find the
direction your leg hairs grow for different parts of your leg. Hair on the
lower leg typically grows toward the ankle and foot, hair on the outside of
the thigh does too. Hair on the inside of the thigh, usually grows towards
the back of the leg; and on the back of your thigh, from your buttock to
your knee, will grow in any direction it wants. Knowing the direction of
hair growth will allow you to determine how close a shave you get.
If you don't mind the itchy reminder of hair growing back through the
outer layer of skin, then shave AGAINST the direction of growth. It will
take a little bit longer to grow back, and there is a good possibility for
in-grown hairs, but you will have VERY smooth legs for at least one to two
days. You can diminish the possibility of ingrown hairs by applying baby
oil, or some other moisturizer to your legs and/or using a buffing pad
such as a loofah when you bathe.
On the other hand, if all you want is a quick shave in order to remove
the leg hair for a day or evening, then shave IN the direction the hair
grows. This will give you a satisfactory smoothness, but you will notice
that your stockings or pantyhose will "catch" on the stubble as you pull
them on. You will however, almost completely eliminate the nasty itching
two or three days after you shaved.
Electric razors will give you a very smooth shave, although the shaver still leaves a few "nubbies" that you'll feel catching your nylons, however, the possibilities of ingrown hairs are much less. Regardless of which direction you shave, it is very important that you moisturize before and after you shave. Baby oil is great for this, although it will clog your razor much quicker. "SOFT SHAVE for women", is also very good; however, if you want to economize, just soak in warm soapy water and use a non-scented shaving cream, gel or soap. {1}
IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE MENTHOL OR LEMON SHAVING CREAMS CLOSE TO YOUR GENITALS!!
When you are shaving don't swipe back and forth, but rather use gentle,
and steady strokes, taking extreme care in the vicinity of any bones or
tendons. Take your time, and if necessary go over it with more shaving
cream. Remember don't rub your legs with the towel, but pat them dry. If
you rub immediately after you shaved, you will irritate your skin and end
up with a mass of irritated hair follicles that will look like red
freckles. Apply a non-greasy moisturizer and let it soak in before you
apply any leg make-up or your hose.
That's it for this month, hopefully this will help some of you.
HELPFUL HINTS II
Last month we wrote about shaving your legs with a razor. Although this is one of the fastest ways to remove the hair from your legs, you can expect it to grow back very quickly. It is not unusual to feel "nubbies" the next morning, and need to shave again within two or three days. Besides this, there is the constant itching from the hair growing back. Some of the alternatives to shaving are electrolysis; waxing, both hot and cold; depilatory creams; and tweezing. {2} Electrolysis is the permanent method of hair removal, although it is very expensive and may take several treatments for each hair follicle before it stops growing. Besides the in-convenience of repeated treatments to complete each leg, there is the exorbitant cost involved, and the pain of each individual hair follicle having to be treated. Of course this is assuming that you have found a cooperative salon that would agree to perform this service in a confidential manner. Electrolysis can therefore be classified into the last resort category, better suited for the transexual or the individual considering living as a woman full-time. Waxing gives excellent results, and lasts any where from one to three weeks depending on your individual physiology. Waxiing however, takes considerable preparation on your part, can be extremely messy,and if not performed with care, can be painful and leave you with some ugly looking bruises. This is true of both types of waxing. Hot wax is the process of heating a mixture of bee's wax and other waxes in a double boiler, or one of the new applicator bars with built in heater; applying it to the area to be waxed before it congeals or "freezes", and once partly cooled pulling it off, in effect "ripping" the hair out root and all. Cold waxes work in the same manner except they do not have to be heated, and they usually are water soluble making cleaning up a breeze. If you want the closest "shave" possible next to electrolysis, waxing is it. One note of warning, don't apply leg make up immediately after waxing, or any other hair removal method, since the hair follicles are very irritated and need time to close the pore. Depilatory creams are the next best thing. As long as your skin is not sensitive to the chemicals involved, this method provides a very close "shave" and eliminates the possibility of getting nicked. The biggest problem is the length of time necessary to effectively remove all of the hair. Since the creams are specially formulated for the finer hair of a female it takes a while longer for them to work as effectively on a male. This creates a problem in that some people are very sensitive to certain chemicals in these creams. The best advice here is to test a small area and wait at least 24 hours for any allergic reaction to develop. If no reaction occurs then you should be safe. One other important note regarding depilatory creams, when removing the cream and the dissolved hair do NOT use soap as this causes the cream to become some other compound and it becomes next to impossible to remove from your skin. (It really feels gross)
The last method, tweezing, is really for the individual lucky enough
to have very few hairs to begin with. This is the most time consuming
method of all. It does combine the benefits of waxing in that it takes a
couple of weeks for the hair to grow back, but like electrolysis must be
done on each individual hair, and must be repeated in order to maintain the
leg hair free.
Well, hope that this comparison of different methods of removing hair was
informative. I tried to take an objective view and provide you with the
cons as well as the pro's of each method. Since each of us uses whatever
method she has found to be easiest or best, this is mostly for those of us
who are still trying out different methods.
That's it for this column, I hope that this proved helpful to those of
you who still aren't sure as to what hair removal method to use.
HELPING HINTS III
How many times have you prepped and primped until you were your most femininely beautiful; only to take a look in the mirror and see a hideous run slowly working its way up your leg? It's every girl's hated curse, the hated run in your nylons. Well, you slip off the ruined pantyhose and toss them into the nearest trash can and wish pantyhose were more like old fashioned stockings.
Well, who said that you couldn't work panty-hose the same way? I know what you might be saying now, Eryca, you goofball, pantyhose have BOTH legs attach-ed to one panty, you can't get rid of one leg without getting rid of the other!
I agree, if you are talking about throwing them away; however; if like
me, you have a hard time obtaining pantyhose, or you buy the nice silky,
sheer and EXPENSIVE kind, it seems a waste to throw out one perfectly good
leg when it's the other one that should go.
Well, why not take out a handy pair of scissors and CUT OFF the offending
leg? Then, when you have two pairs of pantyhose altered in the same manner
you can now wear one on each leg and have.....a new pair of pantyhose!!
The trick is in deciding where to cut the leg off. If you wear control
top pantyhose then cut right below the panty; on the other hand if you
wear sheer to the waist pantyhose, or you don't wish to wear two control
top panties, then cut right next to the seam that comes up from the
crotch, but DO NOT cut the waist band.
Yes, the remaining part of the cut off side will eventually develop runs,
but who's going to know? If you are a perfectionist then you might want to
sew up the two halves into one, but why bother? The important thing is you
now have a new PAIR of pantyhose to wear on BOTH legs!!
Here's another use for old pantyhose, especially for those of you who
need a little help in rounding out your fanny.
If you wear a "PHANTOM FANNY", like me, then no doubt you have both
praised it and cursed it. You praise it when you look in the mirror,and
note that your behind has gained those curves that make the big difference
between a GG's behind and the typical male behind , and you curse it
equally as loud (or louder) whenever you go to the bathroom and you need to
reposition it about 300 times before you are satisfied that it is in place
properly.
Here's the hint, take an old pair of pantyhose that has had both legs
ruined, (control top is best) cutoff both legs right below the panty, and
also cut out the inside of the cotton crotch. It's important that you
leave enough of the leg on each side to hold the inserts in place. Then go
ahead and put on this "crotchless" panty and insert your pads and position
them to your satisfaction. In this manner you won't have to remove this
panty even to go to the bathroom, and VOILA, it will be like if you aren't
even wearing the inserts!! {3}
If you like the idea above, but find you need a strong panty to hold
your penis in place, here's a slight change.Don't remove the cotton crotch
on the panty completely, just remove a hole at the 'rear' of the crotch.
The actual size is up to you and you will have to experiment to get the
right size and placement. The idea is to leave a hole big enough for the
tip of your penis to just poke out through, and, if you want, large enough
for a bowel movement.
The advantages are that the panty will then hold your penis safely
tucked in place, hold your inserts, and allow you to go to the bathroom if
you have been careful as to size and placement of the hole. If you want you
could also "hem" the hole to prevent runs in the remaining portion of the
crotch.
One other advantage is that since you are automatically tucked, you can
now wear some of those frilly panties you've admired but couldn't wear
because you needed a panty to hold you in place.
That's it for this month, hope I helped.
HELPING HINTS IV
How many times have you looked in a beauty handbook and been told to
determine the shape of your face? Then when using their technique to
determine which shape you have, you find vague references that don't seem
to help. Well, I found a different approach that seemed to make sense, and
it is simple enough that I can share it here.
First of all, rather than use the traditional shapes this method uses
four basic geometric shapes. They are TRIANGLE; SQUARE; ROUND; and DIAMOND.
The second step is to actually determine your shape.
To do this, sit down in front of a mirror, and apply small dots to the
widest part of your forehead, with an eyebrow pencil or some other pencil
that will show up against your skin. Then place dots at the widest part of
your cheekbones, the widest part of your chin, and finally, place two more
dots on your jawbones. You should now have four pairs of dots arranged at
the widest portions of your face.
Now we will determine what shape face we have.
There are two methods of doing this. You can make marks on the mirror
exactly where the dots on your face reflect back, or you can just look at
your face and imagine the next few steps. Personally, I like the mirror
method because it is more objective than looking at your face.
Once you've made the marks on the mirror, make comparisons amongst the
four pairs. Is the top pair as wide or wider than the ones at your
cheekbones? How about the ones at your jawbones? How do the ones at your
cheekbones compare with the rest? If you need to, use a piece of paper and
make marks on it to match the ones on the mirror. This is very important,
and be sure to be truthfull.
Ok, all comparisons made? Ready to answer questions about the different
dots? Great, now we will see the different shapes.
TRIANGULAR: If the dots at the forehead are the widest of the four, and
the ones at your jawbones are about 80% of the ones of your forehead, then
your face is triangular. To double check, lay the piece of paper along one
side of the dots on the mirror and try to "connect" them. Since it is
doubtful that they will actually lie exactly on the edge of the paper you
will have to make a best fit line. This means that it is okay if the dots
aren't exactly on the line, as long as they are close. You will notice
that the paper goes up at a distinct angle, on both sides of the chin.
SQUARE: If the dots at your forehead, cheek-bones, and jawbones are
almost all the same width, and the paper shows the dots to be almost
perfectly in a line, almost straight up and down, then your face is square.
ROUND: If the dots at your forehead are wide, wider at the cheekbones,
and the ones at your jawbone are approximately the same as the ones at your
forehead, and it seems as though the dots would line up on a circle better
than a straight line, then your face is round. If you try to use the paper
you will find that the "best fit" line does not actually touch more than
two of the dots.
DIAMOND: If the dots at your forehead and jawbones are approximately the
same width, and the ones at your cheekbones are the widest of all, and the
ones at your chin are almost in a perfect line with your jawbone and cheek,
then your face is diamond shape.
Now that we know our face shape we can easily determine what kind of
hairstyle would best complete our female look. Wigs are available in many
styles and it is difficult to determine which one to get unless someone can
see it on you.
(Those of you that have met Rachel at the chapter meetings, know just
how helpful she is. If you haven't met her, make it a point to go to a
meeting and have her help you in selecting a wig.)
Triangular faces do best with a hairstyle that has fullness that starts
at the top of the ears and continues around the top of the head. A good
rule of thumb is that the space from the bridge of the nose to the top of
the hairstyle should roughly equal the distance from the bridge of the nose
to the bottom of the chin.
Square faces have the primary concern of softening the angular lines of
the face. Choose a hairstyle that has soft waves for this. Wear your hair
away from the forehead but softened. Wear fullness just above but not on
the jawline, keeping it fairly close to your head but exposing a little bit
of ear. Don't choose a very short style or have the length of hair stop
right in line with your jaw. Generally, a medium length hairstyle that just
about touches your neck, with curls or waves, that lays a bit flat on the
top.
Round faces need to lessen the width of their face to make it appear
balanced with their forehead. Hairstyles with a high crown or top adds
height to your face that will lessen the apparent width. A side part as
opposed to a middle part will help also. Keep the hair close at the sides
but off the cheekbone, and away from the jawline. Remember, fluff the top
of the hair and avoid bangs that form horizontal lines accross your
forehead.
Diamond faces should extend the width of the forehead and chin line in
order to balance the width of the cheekbones. One quick way to do this is
to wear a low side part, and placing the hair softly on your cheekbone in
order to minimize the visible width of your face. Fill in your chin with
hair, as in curls or length at the neck area. Don't part in the middle as
this will just emphasize what you want to disguise.
If your face doesn't fall into the categories I discussed above but
rather seems to be a combination of them. Then you might have an oval shape
face. If this is the case then you are in luck. Oval shapes can typically
wear most any kind of hairstyle and don't usually need drastic makeup
techniques in order to disguise flaws.
As an additional note, you should take care to choose the right kind of
hair for your female self. Don't feel limited strictly to a shade exactly
like your own, or to a shade so close to your natural shade that there
doesn't seem to be a difference. Remember, women DO try different
haircolors, and sometimes look much better with a different color
altogether.
Granted, if you have olive or dark colored skin, becoming a very light
blonde, or bright redhead might draw more attention than choosing a less
drastic change. If you like the idea of your femme-self as a blonde, then
look at the lighter shades of brown, with maybe a few highlights in light
blonde. If redhead is your wish how about a strawberry blonde, or an
auburn brown.
Once again, feel free to experiment, after all your femme-self should be
someone that pleases you. Just a little reminder, if you are planning to
go outdoors, you should make every effort to choose a hairstyle and color
that complement you. If you choose a color or hairstyle that stands out in
the crowd, you will do just that, stand out and the last thing you need is
to have people wanting to examine you closely.
Once you have found a hairstyle and hair-color that fits your face, be
sure to take time to find clothing that also suits your body. Don't
idealize what you look like just to wear a mini-skirt, but take a truthful,
objective look at your self in order to make the proper choices.
Women come in all sizes and shapes, and it is not unusual to see tall
women, women with broad shoulders, women with skinny legs, even some with
large hands, heck, if you look around you will find some with several of
these features. The important thing is to note that those women with any of
those characteristics, usually try to downplay them by playing up or
emphasizing their good features.
As men, our work is cut out for us in order to properly emulate a woman.
A very good book for this is Virginia Prince's "How to be a Woman, though
Male". The author takes the time to discuss many different techniques that
will help you in hiding or emphasizing your physical features. Although a
bit dated by now with regards to the fashions it discusses, and the prices
mentioned, it offers many good tips that are very effective, and will
provide a quick reference to many "problems".
The greatest mistake we FP's make is to attempt to dress as a 16 year old
girl would do, or conversely, older than what we appear to be as a woman.
Truly, we need to find a nice happy medium. The first thing we need to
realize is that try as we might, we are not going to look like a 16 year
old, or even close to a 16 year old. (Unless you are very young and can
successfully "pass" as a young teen.) We need to find clothes that fit the
apparent age of our female self.
In order to do this you need to first apply your make up as best as you
can, without over-doing the eye makeup. Then don your wig, and look at
yourself in the mirror. Look for those tell tale signs, such as wrinkles,
crows feet, laugh lines, etc. This will be your best indicator as to what
age group you will appear to be. Then decide if you would be comfortable at
this age, or one a few years older/younger, but the important point is to
BE OBJECTIVE. If at all possible have someone else give you their opinion,
and don't be crushed if they say you look thirtyish when you wanted to be
told early twenties.
Once you've determined your age group, start looking at women that are
that age. Probably the best place for this, is at a mall. There women tend
to get a little bit dressed up without actually wearing nightclub type
dress. While you are there, look for those women that fit your general body
type, and facial shape. Take pointers from them, and decide what kind of
clothing will help you hide or emphasize your features. Then just look
around in the stores or the mail order catalogues in order to get that type
of clothing.
Well, that's it for this month, hope it was informative.
HELPING HINTS V
I would like a brief moment to ask you a question or two. Ok?
Number one, how many of you actually buy your femme clothing at a store?
If you do, do you try the article on there, or do you just buy your size?
Number two, have you ever noticed a dress, skirt or blouse, that looked
absolutely great, feminine, and comfortable only to buy it, take it home
and discover that it makes you look awful? or fits like a burlap bag?
Number three, how many times have you wanted to buy something, or try on
a dress, skirt etc and not be committed to keeping it?
Rather than wait for the answers, I am going to take a wild stab at
answering them and offer a couple of helpful hints.
In answer to number one, I feel that the actual number of FP's that
actually buy items in the store, is low. For the most part, it is limited
to the more confident FP's in male dress, or in full female dress. Sure, we
have all managed to buy an item or two, with the typical excuses; It's a
gift for my ____. (fill in the blank); There's a costume party and I need
it for my costume.; etc, etc.
(NOTE: Why not jot down your favorite excuse, send it to me in care of
the chapter, and we can share it with others?)
But, except for the FP that enters the store as a woman, or doesn't give
a damn what the sales people think, those of us that buy the item at the
store, rarely if ever, try the item on. The result? An almost unanimous
YES!! to question number two, and a cautious approach to buying anything
that you aren't sure of.
What's a girl to do? Well, there are many answers, some in the very easy
and practical range, and some in the more difficult and almost unaccessible
range.
You could sew your own clothing, but this takes a lot of time, skill and
availability of the sewing machine, working area, and hopefully a fitting
form to check for fit. Except for the lucky talented few this option
proves to be in the latter category, difficult and unaccessible.
So, let's cover one of our options. Mail order houses have been in
business since the turn of the century, and have always provided some great
values. For the FP, they can be a life saver. True, you can't feel the
material, determine the true color of an item, and it does take a while for
the item to reach you. But the advantages far, FAR,outweigh the
inconveniences.
To begin with, the biggest boon to the FP is that it will really cut down
on "impulse" shopping.
You know what I mean, how many of us have item upon item, that we bought
thinking that it would look great, only to wear it once, decide that we
didn't really hate it and therefore refuse to discard or return it to the
store. You'll save money this way.
The second greatest advantage is PRIVACY! Not only will you be able to
try on the shortest skirts, the most figure hugging dresses, the filmiest
negligees, but if you don't like them, RETURN THEM! All this with no
recriminations, no "knowing" stares, no silly excuses, no more items that
looked great on the manequins but looked awful on you. For those of you
that are looking for that "Oh Wow!" bathing suit, some even offer the
opportunity to return the bathing suit.
Many mail order firms offer their own credit cards, some even offer a buy
now pay later program that can stretch your payment out as long as 3 months
down the road. All of them give you PRIVACY, and a return policy.
Well, by now I hope you see the big advantages behind mail order. Let's
list a few of the mail order houses.
This list is for your information only. I have not personally contacted
each one, so I can't vouch for all of them.
Fantasies in Lace, Inc.(305) 581-2366 or 8412
3608 W. Broward Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla 33312
Fantasies in Lace caters to TV/TS, they have a large collection of
catalogs for $25.00 and it is well worth the money. Tell them you saw it
here. In addition to providing catalogs that cover the vast range of
clothing, they also offer wigs, and other specialty items. Some may be
offensive to you, when you write them, try to specify what kinds of items
you are interested in, and they will send you the information you want.
Additionally, if you ever make it to the Ft. Lauderdale area, they have a
store, that will allow you to "walk-in" dressed as a female or not and try
on the items, they also offer specialized, individualized make-over
sessions. If you call, and wish to make an appointment, Terry is a TV, and
will offer much help. For those of us who need help, Four stars, if you
don't need help, well, their selection could be expanded, so 3 stars.
East of Eden
P.O. Box 561105
Miami, Fla 33256-1105
They have two very good catalogs, for about $3.00 each. I've not yet
received mine so I am not well informed on their requirements or product
line.
Lerner!
P.O. Box 8303
Indianapolis, IN 46283-8303
This is one of the subsidiaries of Lane Bryant, their other lines,
Lerner! Sport; Tall Collection; Roaman's, and Lane Bryant will cover almost
every need. Very nice clothes. I personally buy most of my clothing from
their different lines. I heartily recommend the Tall Collection if you are
over 5'10", and weigh a little bit more than the average female. This
company is for GG's, but so many men buy clothes from them, that the
operators are quite at ease talking to men, however, as far as I know they
are "under the impression" that the clothing is for wear by women. Their
return policy is rivaled only by JC Penneys, and Sears. They offer
countless sales, and you will get many catalogs to browse through. Their
prices are very reasonable. Definitely 3 stars.
Designer Direct 1-800-2929
Designer Circle
Salem, Virginia 24156-0501
Their prices are very reasonable for some hard to find looks. Great color
selections. I like their prices, although I haven't bought from them yet.
JC Penney's--They have stores nation wide, and no one address will suffice. Their catalogs offer one of the widest ranges of items, as well as their special catalogs for Tall, and Over-size women. They routinely offer shoes in sizes larger than 10, with some going as high as 12 or 13 in regular and wide widths, definitely one of the prettiest shoe lines available at very low prices. It is extremely easy to return items to them, simply take it back to a store, or mail it back, for exchange, refund or whatever. Their prices are the best bargains around. If you order by phone, and request home delivery, it is to your home via UPS and usually within 3-4 workdays, they are extremely efficient, and they deserve a fourstar rating.
Sears--Another nation wide store, very similar to JC Penneys, although their shoe selection does not cater to the larger sizes we FP's sometimes need. Their shoes are generally only offered up to size 10, with a very few limited styles availabe in 11, unfortunately those in size 11 look like old-biddy styles. Return is the same as JC Penney's, although delivery via Sears might involve going to the store to pick it up. True they try to have the item within 3-4 workdays, sometimes delays can take 2-3 weeks. Compared to JCP, I give them a 2 and a half stars.
Of course there are more than just these, I listed these due to their
selection, and prices. Give them a try and see if you don't find the
clothing you want.
That's it for this month, hope I helped.
Eryca MI-2308-S
{1}
Regarding the process of moisturizing prior to and after shaving. Although this may seem to be a bother, it will actually make your shave easier. Soaking in a warm, or even mildly hot tub, will do wonders for opening the pores, and letting the hair come even closer to the surface of the skin. This will give you an even closer shave. If you use an electric razor, then soaking in a warm tub might seem counter productive, but in fact it is not. Just be sure to dry off completely before you start shaving. Otherwise, you will find the shaver "sticking" to your skin, and secondly face possible electric shock. So please do be careful, but don't dismiss the benefits of a warm bath.
{2}
There is a new method that very closely resembles waxing, yet does not use wax. EPI-LADY and REMINGTON both manufacture this item, in different models, but both take the same approach.
The EPI-LADY machine, utilizes a coiled spring that is rotated via an electric motor. As the hair enters the spaces between the coils, and the coils contract as they leave the loop, it grabs the hair and pulls it out all the way down to the hair root. This method is excellent, as it only takes a small amount of time to do the same job that an expensive wax will do. EPI-LADY also comes in several models, cordless, one with different speeds, and the original which requires a small converter and only runs on one speed. Price is $39 to $79, depending where and when you buy it.
The Remington machine, Smooth and Silky, uses a rotating spring that does the same job as the EPI-LADY but it offers the opportunity of having different springs for different people. I haven't checked prices as yet.
Both systems have the disadvantage in that it involves careful use in order to ensure that all the hairs are removed, and of course, subsequent continued use in order to maintain the legs hair free.
If you choose to use either one of these systems, please be very careful and DO NOT use them on your genitals, face or armpits.
{3}
If you want, you can then use one of the "thong" panties, those panties that are a small triangle of material that will cover and hold your penis, but have only a strap running from the crotch to the waist. You can obtain these from specialty houses that cater to TV's and Female Impersonators.
