Everyone's talking about the myth that if you shave the hair will grow back thicker and darker. That's not why people will tell you not to shave above the knee. The reason some women don't shave above the knee is because the hair on your thighs is a lot lighter and more sparse than the hair on your shins.
If you wear 3/4-length or Capri pants, you don't need to shave higher than your knee, but sometimes short-shorts require shaving your thighs as well. No matter your hair color, shaving above the knee is completely a personal choice.
Straight up, there is no science to support a reason not to shave above the knee, says Dr Elizabeth Farrell, gynaecologist and medical director at Jean Hailes for Women's Health. Some women don't feel the need to because the hairs on their thighs are finer and thinner than those on the lower half of their leg.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong age for when should a girl start shaving her legs. The most important thing for her to know around the question of “Should I shave my legs?” is that it is a personal decision for her to make.
Not shaving reduces skin-on-skin contact friction, which means when you do activities that involve arm movement, like running or walking, your skin is much less likely to get irritated by the friction. This might lead to fewer skin issues like rashes and ingrown hairs.
“Some girls start shaving their legs as early as age 10 or 11, some girls don't even think about shaving legs up to age 20 and others don't want to shave at all,” Dr. Kronborg added. “The same goes for boys. They may want to try and grow a full beard while others feel more comfortable shaving.”
Strawberry legs is not a condition in and of itself. Instead, strawberry legs refers to the appearance of the pores on your legs and can be used to describe several skin conditions. If you have strawberry legs, your legs may have dark dots that are similar to the seeds in strawberries.
If you're worried the hair will grow back faster and thicker just because you shaved your arms, rest assured it won't. Shaving removes hair at the skin surface and not the root, so the cut hairs can appear to grow back faster, and thicker because of the cut, blunt tops; however, hair regrowth is based on genetics.
The most common cause of ingrown hairs is an improper shaving technique. Cutting hair very close to the skin creates a very sharp tip on the end of each of the hairs. Most of these hairs will grow back out without a problem. However, some hairs can curl back on themselves and grow into the skin.
Razor burn, or folliculitis, generally occurs immediately after shaving or when the hair is growing back. It can leave the skin on your legs red and inflamed, or with raised bumps. Razor bumps are most likely caused by friction from the razor and ingrown hairs.
Peach fuzz — or vellus hair — is a translucent, soft hair that appears during childhood. We all have it but it is just more noticeable on some people. While its purpose is to thermally protect the body by insulation and cooling through perspiration, it is okay to remove facial vellus hair.
You don't have to remove or trim pubic hair for any health reasons. It all comes down to personal preference. Some methods may be easier for you than others but there are a number of at-home and professional options you can try if removal is your choice.
It's Not About Age, It's About Your Child
There's no "magical" age that girls should start shaving, but the general consensus is that most girls start at some point between the ages of 11 and 14.
If you choose to shave, It may be a good idea to wait until you're 12 to 14 years old to shave your legs. Teens of this age are more likely to have the maturity to shave safely without hurting themselves. Skin cuts can result in bleeding and infection.
Go slowly, pulling skin taut before running the razor over the hair. Always shave in the same direction that the hair grows, not against it. Change razors often to avoid nicks, which happen when the blade gets dull. Using shaving cream also may help protect your skin from cuts and irritation.
Of the 500 men surveyed by Schick, 79 percent said they like neatened-up bikini areas, while 21 percent either don't care or are turned off by it. (Of course, if guys want it so much, perhaps they should pick up the salon tab…but that's another story!)
How often you shave you shave your pubic area depends on how close of a shave you're after. Dr. Kihczak says a close shave typically lasts one or two days and requires upkeep every two to three days.
A lot of people with peach fuzz on the face find it unattractive and want to get a smoother appearance to their skin. In some cases, peach fuzz can show up more when makeup is applied, especially powder, as it sticks to the hairs, giving a dusty appearance to the face.
However, repeated ripping of the hair from its follicle via waxing or plucking (which is essentially the same thing, when you think about it) will make hair grow back thicker, darker and coarser… and frequently, more plentiful and faster to re-grow.
Dermablade or Dermaplaning is designed to remove the dead skin cells on the top layer of skin using a small surgical blade. It does not cause trauma to the skin and can be performed every 3 to 4 weeks. It gives the added bonus of removing unwanted hair.
The cause of acne after shaving may be because you're shaving with too much friction, which can irritate your skin. However, you may find that the chemicals in your shaving cream irritate your skin, causing acne around the mouth and jawline area.
Pimples in the genital area may be a result of infection of the hair follicle due to bacteria. Shaving your pubic hair is one potential cause of folliculitis. As your hair starts growing out of the follicle, it curls back toward the skin, causing irritation.
Laser hair removal or electrolysis
Laser hair removal and electrolysis are both considered “permanent” methods to denude pubes: both eliminate hair follicles so hair doesn't grow back.