Irritation, ingrown hairs and wounds are some of the problems that can arise from improper shaving of the bikini line. Here is nurse Heather Helton’s method for shaving the bikini line in a gentle way.
Shaving the bikini line the wrong way can cause a lot of skin problems – that’s why nurse Heather Helton decided to make a video on TikTok where she explains how to do it in the best way.
“No one talks about how to do it”
For Buzzfeed says Heather Helton that her method is based on over 20 years of experience as a nurse and midwife, as well as recommendations from colleagues.
She wants to reach out with her tips to as many people as possible because she regularly receives patients who have injured themselves in various ways while shaving their bikini line:
“It is not uncommon for women to come in with a new wound of some kind on the abdomen. This leads to questions like, ‘What is this – is it herpes?’ or ‘How can I avoid irritation after shaving?’. Shaving pubic hair is common in our culture, but no one talks about how to do it or how to solve the problems that can arise [i samband med rakningen].”
So you do
If you have never shaved your bikini line before, it is best to trim the hairs before you start. You can do this with scissors. Then follow the steps below:
- Start with a warm shower – it softens pubic hair, which is often stiffer than other hair. Wash the area you want to shave with an unscented soap for sensitive skin. This is important to remove dirt and bacteria that may have accumulated on the skin.
- Exfoliate the skin. “This helps remove dead skin cells and thus get a closer shave. A regular, simple body scrub is best, but this depends on what works for each person,” says Helton.
- Now to the actual shaving. Apply shaving cream before you start, and shave in short strokes in the direction of hair growth. “Rinse the razor between each stroke – a clogged razor will not remove as much hair. A men’s razor works best, and be sure to use a sharp blade. Try to minimize the number of times you shave the same area as this can cause irritation,” advises Helton.
- Afterwards, you bathe the skin with some witch hazel. “Witch hazel reduces inflammation,” says Helton. “However, be careful with this as witch hazel can contain varying amounts of alcohol. Aim for an alcohol content of 14% or less.”
- “If you’ve cut yourself with the razor, apply a thin layer of 1% hydrocortisone cream to the area. Let it dry and moisturize as usual,” concludes Helton.
@amodernmidwife ♬ original sound – Jasmine Carter
