I was just browsing the forums, and looked down at my legs. They are smoothly shaven, with no horrifying bumps. Until recently, that was only in my dreams. Now its a reality, and its a very big deal to me, that I will hopefully never take for granted. Everyone is different, so my recipe for shaving might not help anyone else. Im mostly writing this because Im so happy to be able to shave without problems now.
Since the first time I ever shaved my legs when I was just a little kid, I have been traumatized by ingrown hairs. I have thick hair, similar to what you will find in a wire brush designed to remove rust. I also have thin skin. This hair-skin combination of mine made shaving a nightmare. Each time I shaved, the next morning was always the same. Every single hair follicle had a nice sized pimple. Not a little red bump, but a large red bump with a whitehead. Im suprised I dont have "acne" scars down there.
Anyway, it was so bad that I had to wait months before trying to shave again, so my technique did not improve quckly, and my skin never had a chance to become used to the razor. I tried everything I could... I read countless articles, asked girls for advice, I asked male soccer players and cyclists... no advice ever helped. After trying many exfolliates, lotions, razors, depilatory creams, epilators, waxes, I was ready to give up. I had an umbrella term for the girls of the world who could shave their legs successfully... b*tches :P
Finally, I stumbled onto the right combination of things that worked for me. I can actually shave my entire body without agonizing consequences. Weeeeee! The answer for me was Tendskin, Banana Boat After Sun lotion with aloe, and a Gillette Mach 3 Turbo. Tendskin was expensive, but I only had to use it for about a month. It kept the bumps to a minimum while I learned to shave, and my skin learned to be shaved. I used the after sun lotion to moisurize immediately after shaving, and I applied it liberally. For the first month or so, I would be greasy for about an hour after shaving. Also, I had to make sure I stayed warm. If my legs got goose bumps, the stubbies would digg into my flesh, insuring that they would not grow back smoothly. The next morning I would shower and make sure all the lotion came off. Yes, I used so much lotion that you could see it comming off in the shower the next day. When I was completely dry, I would apply the Tendskin with a soft rag and wait a few hours before applying lotion again. So I shaved every other day following the same routine for roughly one month. Now I just moisturize with a little lotion after shaving, and I dont have to use Tendskin anymore. Also, I dont have to worry about goose bumps on my legs anymore. For whatever reason, the stubbies dont dig into my skin the way they used to. I feel so liberated :)