People shave their hands for a variety of reasons. Swimmers, runners and cyclists shave their arms to cut their racing time by milliseconds. Bodybuilders shave their arms to look more aesthetically pleasing in competition. Others simply prefer to have smooth hands instead of hairy limbs.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare your hands
Step 1. Exfoliate your hands
The presence of dead skin cells can lead to skin irritation and ingrown hairs. To prevent shaving irritation and ingrown hairs, exfoliate your skin one to two days before shaving. While showering or bathing, apply a branded or homemade scrub to wet hands. Rub the scrub over your hands several times and then rinse with water.
Step 2. Trim your hair with a hair clipper
If you have long, thick hair on your hands, shaving it with a traditional razor blade can be a long, daunting and tedious task. To achieve a close shave, the hair must first be shortened with an electric clipper. Run the clipper gently over your forearms, elbows, biceps and shoulders.
Step 3. Rinse your hands
Cutting hair tends to make people itch. Shake your hair off your skin and take a shower. Rinse with warm water to reduce irritation and rinse cut hairs from your hands and body.
Before you shower, clean up where you cut your hair: shake out the towel or sweep the floor
Part 2 of 3: Shave your hands
Step 1. Wash your hands
To reduce the chance of skin irritation, be sure to wash your hands before shaving. Wash off dirt and sebum from your body with a mild cleanser. Rinse your hands thoroughly with warm water.
Step 2. Lubricate your hands
Specialty beauty products such as shaving creams and gels help protect the skin from irritation and cuts. It is possible to cover the entire hand with shaving cream or gel at once, but this can result in a large amount of product wasted. Instead, it is best to apply the shaving product to specific areas of your hands as you shave. When you're done with one area, apply shaving gel or cream to the unshaven part of your hand.
Step 3. Shave your hands
Divide your arms into small sections for more convenience.
- Run the razor from the inside of your wrist to the top of your forearm and stop at your elbow. Move from your forearm to the outside of your wrist, shaving straight lines. Repeat the same on the other hand.
- Shave the upper arm in the same way, from elbow to shoulder. Repeat on the other hand.
- Bend your elbow to tighten the skin. Run the razor slowly over the delicate skin of your elbow. Repeat on the other elbow.
- If you shave your hands for swimming, it is best to leave the hair on the back of your hand. Hair on this part of the body allows you to feel the water as you move through it.
Step 4. Rinse your hands
After shaving both hands, rinse them under warm water. Warm water can help reduce irritation and reduce the chances of shaving irritation the next day.
Part 3 of 3: Reduce Shaving Irritation and Take Care of Shaved Hands
Step 1. Apply aloe vera to your hands
Shaving irritation can cause problems even for the most experienced and neat "barber". If you get a red rash with small bumps on your hands, quickly apply aloe vera to the area of irritation. Aloe will soothe irritated skin and help it heal. If your hands need a moisturizer, choose a lotion that contains aloe.
Step 2. Experiment with other folk remedies
In addition to aloe, there are other folk remedies for relieving irritation, namely:
- Apply apple cider vinegar to irritated areas of your skin.
- Take a soothing oatmeal bath.
- Apply avocado puree to the rash to soothe and moisturize the skin.
- Rub coconut oil into your skin.
Step 3. Shave your hands every 1-2 weeks
While some people only choose to shave for certain reasons, such as a race or swimming competition, others may choose to shave their hands on a regular basis. The average person will have to shave off hair from their hands every 1-2 weeks. If your hair is growing faster, you may need to shave more often.
If you experience skin irritation more often, try to shave less often
Advice
- Rinse the shaver with warm water to prevent bacteria growth.
- Change the razor blade often. Use more than one blade per shave if necessary.
- You will have to shave one of the hands with your non-dominant hand. Shave slowly and gently at first until you feel more confident.
- The newly regrown hair will be prickly at first, but it will soften over time.
- Use an after-shave moisturizer.