Shaving is a quick and easy way to get smooth legs. But for many people, shaving is not an option. If your leg hair is thick and black, shaving may leave visible freckles in the follicles, and no one wants that! Shaved leg hair also grows back quite quickly. Thus, if your technique is sloppy or rushed, shaving will cause heat irritation from the razor and ingrown hairs. If you want smooth legs but are looking for an alternative to shaving, there are several techniques you can use.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Waxing and Sugaring
Step 1. Gather your materials
Waxing and sugaring go through the same process, but you'll be applying different products to your skin. If you want to use wax, you can find waxing kits at any grocery store or pharmacy. Sugaring kits are not as readily available as waxing kits, but they can be purchased online or easily made at home.
- A waxing kit usually includes a wax, wax strip, and a stick to apply the wax to the surface of the skin.
- A sugaring kit usually includes a sugaring paste, a sugaring strip, and a stick for applying the paste to the skin.
- To make your own sugaring kit at home, use gauze or denim fabric as a sugar strip and an ice cream stick to apply the sugaring product to your skin. Follow these instructions to make a sugared paste with sugar, salt, lemon and water.
- You'll also need a microwave to warm the wax or pasta to room temperature.
Step 2. Prepare your skin for waxing or sugaring
While this activity is harmless to the skin if you do it with the right steps, it can leave unwanted effects like redness and pain if you don't take proper precautions to protect your feet.
- Make sure your leg hair is long enough to be removed by waxing or sugaring. Ideally the length of the feather is 1/3 or 2/3 cm.
- Make sure there are no cuts, abrasions, irritation or sunburn on your feet. Pulling hair from damaged skin will only make the condition worse.
- Clean the skin with soap and dry your feet.
- Remove dead skin from the surface of the skin by using a scrubbing scrub, loofah or bathing mitt. But don't rub too hard - you don't want to immediately irritate your skin.
- Soak your feet in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Moisturize your skin with an oil-free lotion. The oil on the skin will prevent the wax from gripping your leg hairs.
Step 3. Heat the wax or sugaring paste from room temperature
Over-the-counter sugaring candles and pastes are usually sold in microwave-safe containers. But if you don't have one, transfer the product to a container that you can microwave or heat on the stove.
- Follow the heating instructions as stated on the box.
- Properly heated wax usually has a smooth consistency and spreads easily like honey.
- Sugaring paste that is heated properly will become soft and sticky.
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Be careful not to take too long to heat it up.
Hot wax or sugaring paste can burn the skin very badly.
Step 4. Determine the direction of your leg hair growth
You will need to remove all of the hair in this process, otherwise you could experience painful ingrown hairs.
- This means that when you get to this step, you will be applying the wax in a downward motion, then pulling off the waxing strip in an upward motion.
- If you're sugaring, you'll be applying the paste in an upward motion and also pulling off the sugaring strip in an upward motion.
Step 5. Apply a thin layer of the heated product to your skin with an applicator stick
Don't forget to apply it in a downward motion if waxing and upward if sugaring.
- Do not apply too much or the product will clump and not stick firmly to the strip.
- A 2/3 cm thick layer is the ideal layer.
Step 6. Glue the tweezer strip over an area slightly smaller than the strip
Rub your hands over the strips to encourage them to adhere to the product and to grip the hairs of your feet. Do it gently but firmly.
Step 7. Prepare to remove the strip
Grasp from the bottom with your dominant hand (right hand, if you are right-handed, and left if you are left-handed). With the other hand, hold your skin tight by pulling it upwards from the top of the plucking strip.
Change direction (hold the bottom of the strip, pulling the skin under the strip upwards) for areas with hair growing in the opposite direction
Step 8. Pull off the strip in an upward direction
Do it fast and strong! If you pull it too gently, your depilatory and depilatory products will remain on the skin.
Step 9. Reheat the wax or sugaring paste if needed
This process may take some time for you, especially the first time you do it. You'll get used to working faster with practice, but in the first few attempts, the wax or paste may have cooled so much that it's no longer effective. If the product becomes difficult to apply, reheat it on the stove or in the microwave until it reaches the ideal consistency again.
Step 10. Treat skin that has just gone through the waxing or sugaring process
It's normal to have temporary redness and irritation, but of course you want to reduce the pain in your skin.
- Wash your feet again with a mild soap, making sure you don't use too hot water.
- Apply moisturizer all over the skin area affected by waxing or sugaring.
- If the irritation really bothers you, try cooling your skin with an ice pack.
Method 2 of 3: Using Hair Removal Cream
Step 1. Buy a depilatory cream
You can usually find a variety of brands at your local grocery or department store. Some of the well-known brands include Veet, Nair and Moom. There are different types for different types of body hair, so don't try to completely remove the hair on your legs with a cream that's meant for the area above your lips or your bikini line!
Step 2. Prepare your feet
Clean your skin with mild soap and warm water, in the shower or bath. Dry thoroughly after you clean the area you wish to de-hair.
Step 3. Perform a skin test
These depilatory creams damage your body hair, so don't be surprised if they can damage your skin if you have sensitive skin or if you leave the cream on the skin for too long.
- Apply the cream over a small area of skin using a cream applicator.
- Leave for as long as instructed on the package.
- Rinse off the cream.
- Wait for 24 hours to make sure your skin doesn't react badly to the cream.
Step 4. If your test is successful, follow the instructions on the package to clean the hair on your feet
The specific instructions for each cream may vary depending on the product you purchased; then read this whole instruction carefully. It is important that you follow the recommended timing on the packaging exactly, as leaving the cream on the skin longer than the recommended time can cause painful burns and terrible scars!
Don't try to rub the cream so it absorbs into your skin. Hair removal creams are not made to disappear like lotions, but stay on top of the skin
Step 5. Wash your feet
After the recommended time is up, use a warm, wet washcloth to wipe the cream off your feet. Do it gently because your skin may feel sensitive. You may need to rinse your feet in the shower or tub to make sure all the cream is gone.
Step 6. Apply lotion to your feet
If you want your freshly cleaned feet to look shiny and healthy, you'll need to scrub them with a high-quality lotion or oil every day. Use a lotion containing aloe vera if your skin feels a little sensitive after you rinse off the hair removal cream.
Method 3 of 3: Get Professional Laser Hair Removal
Step 1. Decide if laser hair removal is the right choice for you
There are many variations in the effects of this procedure, but laser hair removal tends to have the most ideal and long-lasting results on people with light skin and dark hair.
Step 2. Find a professional in laser hair removal
In the United States alone there is no required license for laser hair removal technicians, so think carefully about who you trust to perform this procedure on you. An attractive and inexpensive offer may not be worth the sacrifice of professionalism and technical expertise.
- Find a dermatologist or board-certified cosmetic surgeon who has experience or who specializes in laser hair removal.
- Avoid salons or spas that may allow people without medical training and experience to perform the procedure.
Step 3. Schedule a consultation
Come to the meeting with your complete health record and a list of medications you are taking. During the consultation, the technician will do a test on a small part of your skin to make sure that there is no bad reaction. Bad reactions that usually appear include:
- Blistered skin
- Moving skin
- Injuries
Step 4. Prepare your feet six weeks before the procedure
Although harmless, laser hair removal is a fairly serious procedure, so you should take precautions to ensure that nothing goes wrong the next time you undergo the treatment.
- Protect your feet from the sun; sunburned skin may experience uneven bleaching or blotches during the laser hair removal process. Therefore, let the sun tan on your skin fade first.
- Let the hair roots stay in place for at least six weeks before treatment. You can shave or use a hair removal cream, but don't do anything that will strip your leg hair down - such as waxing or sugaring.
Step 5. Just before the procedure, shave your legs short
While there is debate over this, some studies suggest that shaving the legs short immediately prior to laser hair removal will improve the quality of the end result and possibly even reduce pain during the process. While there is debate as to the veracity of this, it can't hurt to give it a try!
Step 6. Attend the laser hair removal treatment schedule
This process will be painful, but you will be able to deal with it. Don't forget to let the technician know if the pain becomes unbearable. The technician can pause, adjust the intensity of the laser beam, or apply a numbing cream to help you deal with the pain.
Step 7. Face the immediate effects that appear
It's completely normal to experience some discomfort after your treatment session is over. To reduce the pain on your skin, try applying ice or aloe vera cream to the most sensitive areas of the skin. Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as Ibuprofen and Tylenol to help with pain. The irritation and redness that appears will usually subside within a few hours.
Tips
You can make a great scrub by mixing sugar and olive oil
Warning
- Leaving the depilatory cream on the skin for longer than the recommended time can result in painful burns and sores.
- If you don't let the sun tan on your skin fade before the laser hair removal process, you may experience a temporary whitening after the treatment.
- Sunburned, irritated or cut/blistered skin should not be waxed until it heals.
- Pregnant women and women on hormonal medications (including contraception) may find waxing more painful than others.
