How to Shave your Legs with a Safety Razor

Disposable plastic razors are un-efficient, highly polluting and extremely expensive in the long run. Anyone who prefers shaving as opposed to waxing and other methods of hair removal must definitely change to using a traditional safety razor. From legs to armpits, a traditional razor will do a much better job than a multi-blade razor.

Most people think that traditional safety razors are difficult and dangerous to handle. While it does require some practice to use them, they are not as complicated and scary as you think. The head and bar comb of the safety razors are specially designed to protect you from the blade and to ensure that the shaving process is smooth and effortless. The sharp blades cut the hair evenly and efficiently, so you only need to pass the razor once or twice to completely remove the hair. This reduces the irritation and the risk for razor bumps and razor burn.

Multi-blade cartridge razors on the other hand are designed so that you can shave at any angle minimizing the risk of cutting yourself. The blades are made in such a way so that the first one pulls the hair out from the skin and the following cuts it below the skin’s surface. This increases the risk of having ingrown hairs and razor bumps. The blunter blades of a cartridge razor also require that you apply more pressure and have more passes on the same area, which is abrasive and irritating.

Shaving your legs with a safety razor is slightly different than shaving with a disposable razor. Here is what you need to keep in mind:

• Maintain the razor at a 30 to 40 degrees angle to the surface of your skin. With a smaller angle, the blade will scrape the skin instead of cutting the hair. With a bigger angle, the blade will cut the skin. You can easily understand this by placing the razor against the skin without a blade and move it at different angles. What happens quickly becomes evident. It may seem a bit difficult to maintain the angle at 30 to 40 degrees, but in practice, this is a very natural way of holding the razor.
• Avoid moving the razor sideways. You will inevitably cut yourself.
• Do not apply pressure. Let the razor glide smoothly and the blade do the job. A sharp blade will easily cut the hair like butter and give you a very close shave. If you feel that you need to pass the razor several times or apply pressure, you probably need to change your blade for a sharper one. Feather blades are the sharpest in the market and our absolute favorites.
• Many recommend using short strokes. Personally, we have found out that long gentle strokes are better as they require that you apply no pressure at all. In our opinion, long strokes also make the whole process more calmed and enjoyable, as opposed to several small quick strokes. However, if you have a lot of hair, or if you have thick hair, you may need to go for the short strokes to prevent clogs of hair on the blade.
• A razor with a longer handle will help you have more control over the length of the strokes and to have a more steady pulse. It will also give you extra reach. If you are mainly using your safety razor for shaving your legs, look for a razor with a 10cm handle.
• Use a gliding medium. Whether it is shaving cream, soap, or oil, it will help the razor glide smoothly and depending on the type of product, provide cushioning and protection.