How to Get Rid of Bikini-Line Razor Burn

Razor burn in your bikini area is embarrassing and painful. Here's how to get rid of it.

You shave your bikini area to look smooth, sleek, and sexy, right? But then you get an ugly rash that looks even worse than those few strands of hair. Bikini-line razor burn is a common occurrence because most women shave improperly, which irritates the skin. Shaving not only removes hair, it also takes off your outer layer of skin — the epidermis — and the layer below is especially sensitive in your bikini area. When you shave, you’re literally injuring your skin tissues, and the body’s natural response is to send blood to the wounded area to heal it. Your blood vessels dilate, your skin develops a rash, and suddenly, you have bikini-line razor burn. But there are easy ways to prevent and get rid of the burn. Try these tips:

• Stop shaving. Sounds obvious or perhaps impossible, but not shaving is the best way to rid yourself of razor burn. If you can, leave your bikini hair alone, especially in the winter months.
• When your bikini-area hair grows out, usually after about two to three weeks, get a bikini wax instead of shaving. Have this done at a professional salon, as it can be painful. There are two kinds of wax treatments that work well on bikini lines: strip wax, where hot wax is applied and removed quickly with an adhesive strip, and molding wax, where hot wax is applied to the skin and left to harden, then peeled off. Both work well, but one may be preferable to you.
• Can’t face the bikini-wax route? Try a hair dissolver or lotion depilatory instead. They cause less trauma to the hair follicles.
• If you must shave, be sure to trim your pubic hair first so that the razor isn’t ripping out long strands. Hair should be no longer than ¼ inch when shaving. Be sure to use a sharp, clean scissors.
• Lubricate your bikini area immediately after shaving. An unscented moisturizing lotion will reduce dryness on your newly shaved skin and reduce itching.
• Try applying aloe or baby oil to razor-burned areas.
• Shave after you bathe, not before or during. Allow your skin to become extra hydrated before tackling it with a razor.
• Spare the soap. If you’re prone to razor burns, use shaving cream instead. Find one that contains aloe or other soothing ingredients.
• Shave down, not up. You may be tempted to go “against the grain” and shave your hair in an upward motion for speed. But if you shave in the direction of the hair growth instead, in a downward motion, you are less likely to irritate your hair follicles and cause razor burn.
• Reduce intense redness immediately by applying hydrocortisone cream. Hydrocortisone cream is available at most drugstores without a prescription and works instantly. The hydrocortisone constricts the blood vessels so that less blood flows to the area, which reduces the redness. But use this only for one or two days, or your skin may become even more red and irritated.
• Treat your skin with benzoyl peroxide, a common acne medication. This can minimize bumps that result from razor burn.

Bikini-line razor burn can be prevented, and you can get rid of it easily with a few smart steps.