Use a razor and shave the unwanted hair off your body – pretty simple, right? But thousands of women make a lot of shaving mistakes that cause painful irritation or pesky in grown hairs. There is a right way and a wrong way to shave from head to toe. But many do not have a clue.

Summer is here and that means we have to get our legs summer ready. Many of us will be lounging in the sun or we may have a summer holiday planned. Before we get into the Dos and Dont’s of shaving head to toe, we need to remember to pack our shaving kit in our check in luggage when going on holiday. Just like the e cigarettes, razor blades and other sharp shaving equipment need to be checked in. So make sure you do that. Having to leave your valuables is never fun. Especially when they are items you desperately need on the holiday like a VIP Electronic Cigarette or an expensive bottle of perfume. Remember to pack smartly this holiday.

Here are 6 Dos and Don’ts of Shaving Head to Toe

Let’s start with the Dos:

DO exfoliate before you shave

You must never shave your legs without exfoliating first. Dead skin cells can get in the way of having an effective shave. To get the dead skin cells out of the way, exfoliate before you start to shave. Gently scrub the areas where the razor will pass through. Once you’ve exfoliated your skin, give it a rinse and proceed to shave with a razor.

DO soak your limbs in warm water

Warm water helps to open up the pores, soften and hydrate the hairs. That will help you have a closer shave and smoother skin. Make sure that the water is warm and not too hot. If it’s too hot, then your pores will remain closed, thus preventing you from having a closer shave.

DO use shorter strokes while shaving

Have you ever made longer strokes with your razor just because you thought it was faster? The truth is that those longer strokes make you miss hair. That means you have to run your razor several times along your skin. Multiple strokes on the same spot can irritate your skin. So make shorter strokes while shaving to have an efficient shave.

Now that we have the Dos down, let’s have a look at the DON’Ts:

DON’T shave on bare skin

Although it seems faster to run your razor on your bare skin, it’s advisable to go the extra mile by applying some shaving cream on the area you want to shave. This will prevent your skin from feeling sensitive and reduce the chances of having ingrown hair follicles from forming. Shaving cream acts as a protective barrier while you shave. For a cheaper alternative to shaving cream, go for shampoo conditioner.

DON’T shave in the same direction of your hair growth

To have that smooth finish while shaving you must shave in the opposite direction of your hair growth. This gives you a close shave and you get most of the hair off the surface. This is particularly important when you are shaving the bikini area as it helps keeps the nicks away.

DON’T use a razor with a single blade

When you want to shave you need to take into consideration the kind of hair that is growing on your body. Some hairs grow in one direction, like the hairs on your legs and arms. However, the hairs in the underarms are very different from the ones on your legs and arms.

These hairs grow in all directions, thus a razor with a single blade won’t be able to take all the hair in the armpit. However, the most suitable razor for armpit hair is a razor with multiple blades. Multiple blades are able to take all the hairs from your armpit.

Do you have any shaving tips to share? Please sound off in the comments section below.

*Collaborative post.