I am one of the guys who likes to shave my privates but I often end up with red irratated "bumps", particularly on the soft skin between the inner leg and "the package" - I have seen advertisements on TV for a product designed for ladies that is meant to get rid of shaving irratation - does it work?  do you recommend this or are there other ways to deal with this issue?

Any hints on how a single guy can shave his anus would be most appreciated as well, I simply think it is more hygenic.  Women often have such nice hairless anus's - is this simply because they have naturally less hair there or do many women shave there too?  If so, how do they do it?

Reealing with Shaving Irratation

Really haven't had shaving irritation, as I use the disposables with the strip, and also make sure to use plenty of warm water after letting shaving cream soak in a bit.

However, several people in various conversations, and the beauty supply as well, have recommended "Tend Skin",  to alleviate any irritation and ingrown hairs.  I was told to let the man in my life try it as well, in this case, the men in my life.

Is this the product you had in mind?

As for shaving hind regions, oh boy oh boy, one cannot overlook a thing ... guess I'd better take another  look, huh.  But I've never been told of anything there, not that it would start growing now.  Yet, a man with soft fuzzy hair I would not mutilate with a razor.  And perhaps with a fine scissor, but only to  trim.

Do let us know what you find out, so we can pass it on.

xoxo

ff




-- Modified on 10/9/2001 11:16:34 PM

Reealing with Shaving Irratation

Ingrown hairs are more of a man's problem since our hair tend to be thicker.  That's what gives you the red bumps.

Tend Skin, comes in a blue bottle.  Can get it at any upscale "legit" spa or department store like Macy's, etc, though gonna have to go to woman's cosmetics.

Believe it or not, Visine works too, just not as well.

I can imagine, Shine R_6. Guess the Visine "gets the red" out of the bumps too?  

Poor guys have their own sets of problems, although I have had, come to think of it, a couple of incidents with ingrown hairs, when the hair wanted to burrow under my skin and go/grow the other way.

I love it when I locate the "secret" ingredient in something else (as you have in Visine), and it doesn't create any side effects; you can get 2 for 1, so to speak in that you  pack fewer things in your travel bag. I'd go for that.

However,  I think women (I know I do) love to see a gent in a spa, beauty supply or at the women's cosmetic counter.  

-- Modified on 10/10/2001 12:27:00 PM

Yeah, the red bump thing is really embarassing to me, it reminds me of acne and who wants something like that anywhere near "down there!"

I've been trying a couple of things to get rid of it, the first is a "soapless" liquid soap called "Purell" which is most Isopropyl Alcohol and water and then I've also been usuing a traditional skin belmish medication (generic store brand) with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide.  It appears to be clearing up a bit although the surrounding skin is still a bit red, maybe some Talcum powder might be the next thing to try?

I'm not too comfortable going into a beauty supply store but I've found lots of stuff in drug stores.

It works well.  I've used it after waxing and found that using it before the irritation appears helps prevent it.  I think the active ingredient is acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), which exfoliates.

2nd Street Beauty in Long Beach (two locations) carries it, and, for you scaredy-cats who are afraid to enter a beauty supply store, here a couple of sites that sell it online.  

http://tendskin.com/

http://www.greatskin.com/product/ingrownhair.



-- Modified on 10/10/2001 7:40:28 PM

Reealing with Shaving Irratation

I use cortizone cream and/or Bactine antibacterial spray.

My routine during summer months is 1) shave and dry off 2) apply Bactine spray 3) I carry my cortizone cream in my purse and I apply it if I see any red.   Usually the Bactine is enough.  I only use the cortizone if I sweat a lot and my skin gets irritated.

The soap you mentioned isn't gonna do squat, in the long run.  The problem is ingrown hairs, not zits.  Body hair is finer than facial hair, and body skin is more tender than facial skin, generally, unless you've been a full-time nudist your entire life.  When you shave body hair close to the skin, it can curl "in", and if the skin is delicate, the prospensity toward ingrown hairs in increased.  That's what you've got.

Arms and legs, which are much more exposed, don't bump as easily.  Butts and pubes, which are covered most of the time, unless, of course, your Faye Desiree, it seems, , are more sensitive and easily irritated.

Benzoil peroxide will clear it up, eventually, only because it will eventually dry out the skin, which is then tough enough and allows the hair to grow out.  But you're not gonna solve the problem, becuase next time you shave you'll get bumps, and eventualy the skin will get used to the BZ, and the law of diminishing returns applies.  So what you're doing really isn't making it better, it's just shortening the time to clear, and temporarily.

How do I know this?  I am one hairy MOFO, and when I started weight training, I began to shave down to accentuaute my new body cuts.  But, I got serious bumps on my fanny, which tended to get even more irritated because I regularly freeride mountain bike, and bicycle seats are bad enough. I went through the same issues as you, tried some stuff until I met, through work, a former gay porn entertainer turned counselor/psycologist to gay adult industry workers.  Somehow the conversation turned mainstream gay beauty images that prefer "hairless" and since most all men I know are hairy, but many gay men are not, I asked the dumb question -- "Are gay men just hairless by nature."  No, no more than the general male population, but many gay men shave down, and that's where I learned about Tend Skin and Visine.  I've heard about Bactine and Cotizone cream as well.  

In short, either talk to a cut, hairless gay porn star (a rudundancy?) or listen to the women.  And get over your psuedo-macho fear of visiting the cosmetics section.  Listen, just by participating on this board, you are no longer in Kansas.

Ciao

Most men do not shave their package and anus, however, I do.  Being Italian, I have more hair than most and it is thick.  I usually shave 2 or 3 times a week in that area unless I know I am going to be with a woman, then I will shave immediately preceeding the encounter.

I initially had trouble shaving around my anus and my inner butt cheeks, but found a solution.  I sit on the edge of the bathtub with no water in it, and sit so that just my tail bone is on the inner edge of the tub.  Then I position a small mirror in the bottom of the tub so that I can see where I am shaving.  Then I begin my shaving ONCE over the area with a dry Mach 3. *Never more than ONCE dry or it will burn*.  If I see I did not get all the hair I will use a small amount of shaving cream and go over the area once again.  The mirror will get dirty and you may have to clean it off a couple of times, but you have GOT to have it to see where you missed.  It takes a bit of practice to learn to move the razor upside down and in a reflection, and get your butt in the right place, but you will get the hang of it.

After shaving I apply a liberal amount of Rexeme Cream.  This stuff is amazing.  I have never had an ingrown hair.  Any irritation I may have is immediately cleared up by this stuff.  I have included a link to their web site.

I hope this helps.

Good Luck!

MCS