Avoid shaving when your skin is puffy.

If you need to, take a cool shower first to remove some puffiness or run an ice cube over your skin before starting to shave.

Use good products and prepare yourself before each shave.

To shave, you will need shaving soap or cream, a sharp razor, something to scrub your skin before shaving (loofah, coarse sponge, or a washcloth), and a lotion. Good does not mean expensive. There are many products on the market, and many are hokey and advertised a ton. Try travel sizes of products you are curious about to see how they work.

Pay attention to directions of hair growth.

Under the arms and on legs, shave against the direction your hair grows. On arms, back, thighs, pubic area, stomach, and other areas, shave in the direction hair grows. This is less irritating on sensitive areas. To tell which direction your hair grows, take a look at your skin. You will notice that individual hairs sprout out at the root and then continue growing out. Some go down, some head up. This is the direction your hair grows and this is what should guide how your shave. Some parts of your body will have hair growing in one direction while others will have hairs sprouting in another direction. Pay attention.

Take plenty of time when shaving and shave in a bath, if you can.

Baths are warm and really soften your skin. They make rinsing simple, and there is no need to balance precariously as you might in a shower.

Make sure you are using the right type of razor.

Women’s razors are best for body hair (on both men and women’s bodies). This is because women’s disposable razors have two blades and a lubricating strip.

Wash away dead skin each day to stimulate your skin and prevent ingrown hairs.

If you shave regularly, loofah each day in the shower or use some other means to get rid of dead skin (you may try an exfoliant or just use a washcloth). It will also keep your skin smooth and ready for shaving. After taking a shower in which you have scrubbed, be sure to apply a gentle moisturizer.

Tend to any bothersome bumps with loofah, good hygiene and moisturizer.

Many women (and men, if they shave their legs) get bumps on their thighs and upper arms, no matter how carefully they shave. To offset this, try loofah before shaving and in between shaves. Keep the area clean and moisturized. If you find that these bumps still bother you, try a different way of dealing with the hair in these areas.

For stubble irritation, use loofah and wear comfortable clothes.

If you have stubble and can’t shave it off right away, it will be itchy and irritating. Use a loofah to keep the hairs soft and avoid clothing that will rub against the stubble and irritate your skin even more.

Women and Men can both use aftershave!

If you find that you are worried about infection and irritation, try using an aftershave on areas you have just shaved (yes, this includes women and men who shave their bodies). The alcohol in the product will disinfect the area a bit, although it will sting, especially if you have nicks.