How to Shave Your Legs (Men)

Getting Ready to Shave

Determine an end point. Consider how much of your legs you wish to shave. Although this may not be true for everyone, men’s legs tend to be just as hairy (if not hairier) the farther up they go, which makes knowing when to stop difficult. Think about the reason why you’re shaving your legs: is it for aesthetics or a practical purpose? Then take a look at yourself naked in the mirror and decide where would be a suitable place to stop. Consider how much of your legs and above will be visible to other people. Are you going to be wearing shorts in the near future? Do you change clothes in locker rooms frequently? Is someone special going to be seeing you naked? If you’re shaving for aesthetic reasons (dancing, bodybuilding, modeling, or plain old preference), you will most likely want a very smooth shave along your entire legs and possibly your genitals and rear as well. If it’s for a practical purpose, like swimming, running, or preparing for medical treatment, you don’t have to worry so much about how you look. However, depending on how long you plan to keep your legs shaved, you still may want to consider their appearance if this is going to be a long-term practice.

Trim your leg hairs. If this is your first attempt at shaving your legs, use scissors or an electric groomer to shorten your hairs before using a razor, which would clog up pretty quickly if you were to shave your legs immediately. For a quick and easy job, use an electric groomer if you have one. If possible, go outside in your shortest pair of shorts, since this will be messy. Otherwise, spread one or more large towels on the floor and stand on those for an easy clean-up afterward. If you live in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors for miles, feel free to take care of your private areas in the great outdoors, too. If not, retreat inside once your legs are done and then finish up with a towel spread on the floor to catch the falling hairs. If you’re only shaving your legs for athletics, this step alone may suffice for your purposes. Depending on how thorough you wish to be, this may also be all you need to do as far your private areas go. Remove the groomer’s skin guard for the closest shave possible.

Take a shower. Rinse off any trimmed hair that may still be clinging to your legs. Hydrate the remaining leg hair to weaken it for an easier shave. Remove any dirt or grime that may clog your razor or possibly infect any shaving nicks. Exfoliation is another important step. Exfoliate your legs by rubbing a loofa over your skin in soft circles. Pay special attention to your thighs and any other sensitive area. If a shower is unavailable, wash, exfoliate, and rinse your skin with a bowl of water. Then wrap your legs with warm, wet towels and let them hydrate your skin for a couple of minutes.

Shaving Your Legs

Use the right razor. Use a five-blade manual razor to reduce the chance of cutting yourself. Start off with a brand new blade, since you will most likely have a whole lot of hair to get rid of. A new clean razor will also make razor bumps less likely. Keep a few extra replacement heads on hand in case the original blades begin to dull during your shave. Rinse the blades under hot water before you start. This will lubricate them and provide a smoother shave.

Get back into the tub. Take another shower while you shave. Or draw a bath. Or simply sit on the rim and use the tub to catch your hairs as you shave them off. This way, all you have to do to clean up is simply wash the hairs down the pipes. Although you could also use the tub to catch your hairs when you first trim them with the scissors or electric groomer as part of your prep, these longer hairs are more likely to clog your drain.

Lather your legs. Use a shaving cream that forms a nice, thick, easy-to-spot lather. Avoid thinner, translucent, or transparent creams, which may make it easier for you to miss spots. Remember that, unlike your face, you will be shaving areas that you will have to bend and twist to see. Make the job easier by using a product that catches the eye. If this is your first time, shaving both legs will probably take a while. To keep your lather from drying out, break each leg up into parts (left calf, right calf, etc.). Only lather the area that you plan to start with. Then, once that area has been shaved, lather and shave the next, and so on. For best results, pick a product that is rich in lubricants and moisturizers. Avoid lower-tier brands that create excessive foam.

Choose where to begin shaving. With so much area to cover, this project is going to take time. Consider how well you handle lengthy projects in general. Come up with an attack plan. Think about the following: Thicker areas will likely clog and/or dull your razor right from the start. Starting with the thinnest patches of hairs will probably extend a blade’s usefulness. Unlike shaving your face, you will be dealing with areas that are hard to see. Also, if you are shaving your genitals along with your legs, you undoubtedly want to treat these with extra care. If you tend to rush projects as you approach the end, start with these more delicate tasks and leave the easy stuff for later.

Begin shaving. Keep your strokes short to prevent your blades from clogging. Rinse the razor frequently under hot water to remove hairs and shaving cream. Keep your pressure on the blade as light as possible. Replace the blades if you are unable to remove hairs without applying a great deal of pressure, since this probably means they are either too dull or too clogged to be any good. To avoid nicks, razor bumps, and irritation, shave with the grain, in the direction that your hair grows. But if what you want is the closest shave possible, shave against the grain. Use a handheld mirror to see what you’re doing when you reach the back of your thighs and higher.

Finishing Up

Rinse off. Drain the tub if you took a bath. Turn the shower back on if it isn’t already running, or stand up and dump water over your legs. Remove shaved hairs clinging to your legs, as well as leftover shaving cream. Run your hands over your legs to test their smoothness. If needed, repeat the shaving process over areas that need more work, and then rinse off again. Always rinse off before shaving again. Minimize clogging your razor with hairs that have already been shaved, or being fooled into thinking that they are hairs you missed the first time.

Wash your legs. Prevent any nicks or other infections from becoming infected. If possible, use body wash with tea tree oil and/or witch hazel as ingredients, which will help soothe and heal your skin. Exfoliate again with a loofa, rubbing your legs gently in soft circles.

Dry your legs. Use a clean towel to prevent bacteria from infecting cuts and other irritations. Pat your legs dry with the towel. Avoid rubbing them, which can further irritate sensitive areas.

Apply lotion. Rub an antiseptic post-shave conditioner into your skin. Destroy any possible bacteria that may still linger in sensitive areas. Moisture your skin to help it recuperate. Use a moisturizer designed specifically for men. Since men’s skin typically produces more natural oils than women’s, using women’s products may lead to clogged pores. Continue to moisturize your skin daily to avoid irritation as your hairs grow back.

Tan those legs. Now that your legs are shaved, check how they look in natural light. If your leg hair was quite dark and your skin is pale or fair, consider using a self-tanner in the short term, since the contrast may now be striking. If you’re going to keep your legs shaved for the long term, consider sunning them regularly.