How to shave intimate areas step by step

How do you shave intimate areas properly?

Shaving the intimate area has six steps: a shower, thorough washing, trimming the hair to 0.5–0.6 cm, a thick layer of shaving gel, the shave itself with a sharp razor, and finally soothing care. Do not rush the preparation; do the shaving itself quickly. It is the order of the steps that decides whether you get smooth skin or a series of spots.

Step	What to do	Why it makes sense
1	Take a shower or a bath	Opens the pores and softens the hair, so the razor does not pull
2	Wash the area with an antibacterial cleansing gel	Bacteria and dirt can trigger folliculitis
3	Trim the hair to 0.5–0.6 cm	The razor handles shorter growth without catching
4	Apply a thick layer of shaving gel or cream	Improves the glide of the blade and protects the skin from damage
5	Shave with a fresh, clean blade on taut skin	A blunt blade causes nicks, cuts and irritation
6	Apply a scrub and a soothing balm, rinse with cold water	Closes the pores and helps the skin regenerate

Steps 1 and 3 can be swapped — especially if you prefer trimming dry.

How do you prepare the intimate area for shaving?

The preparation has three parts: soaking, cleaning and trimming the hair. Without them the sharp blade reaches sensitive skin unprotected and the risk of cuts and inflammation rises sharply.

Soaking in the shower softens pubic hair, so shaving does not pull painfully. A moistened hair is also easier for the razor to cut, which lowers the risk of cuts. While showering, wash the area thoroughly at the same time — ideally with an intimate hygiene gel with an antibacterial effect. Bacteria and dirt are a typical cause of folliculitis, an inflammation of the hair follicle that is very unpleasant.

The last step of the preparation is trimming. Shorten the hair to a length the razor can handle without trouble — approximately 0.5–0.6 cm. Very carefully guided scissors will do, but an electric trimmer with a permanently attached guard is more comfortable and copes with harder-to-reach places too.

What is the correct procedure for the shave itself?

First apply a thick layer of shaving gel or cream to the whole area, then check that the blade is fresh and clean, stretch the skin and shave quickly and without pressure. A razor does not glide over the intimate area as easily as over the legs or the face, so it needs extra protection.

The direction in which you guide the razor is a compromise, not a dogma:

• With the direction of hair growth — shaving goes more easily and safely, with fewer nicks and ingrown hairs.
• Against the direction of growth — the result is more precise, but you have to press and you risk nicks and a higher probability of ingrown hairs in the groin.

An alternative to a razor is a good electric trimmer designed for intimate areas. Thanks to special blade technology it does not pull at sensitive spots as often as older devices.

How do you care for the skin after shaving?

Immediately after shaving use a scrub and a soothing balm, apply a moisturising balm to the whole shaved area and finally rinse with cold water. That closes the open pores. Before you shave again, give the skin enough time to recover.

Pubic hair grows faster and is coarser and less pliable than elsewhere on the body — and it resists removal all the more. So that itching and spots do not become the rule, three habits pay off:

• Regular intimate care and showering at least once a day; for athletes and people who sweat a lot, more often.
• Do not economise on treatment and soothing products designed specifically for intimate areas.
• “Air out” as much as possible — avoid tight underwear and go without when you can.

What do you need for shaving the intimate area?

Quality equipment is cheaper than treating irritated skin. The basic kit looks like this:

• An anatomical razor with enough fresh, unblunted blades — classic razors are a better choice for this area than disposable ones.
• Or a special electric trimmer for intimate areas, developed for sensitive skin.
• An electric hair trimmer with a protective guard and a replaceable attachment.
• Cleansing, moisturising and revitalising gels and creams that your skin gets along with.

What mistakes are made most often when shaving intimate areas?

Most spots and ingrown hairs in the intimate area do not appear “just like that” — they have a concrete cause in the technique or the tools. The table sums up the most common ones.

Mistake	What it causes	How to do it differently
A blunt or worn blade	Nicks, cuts, irritation	A sharp blade, replaced after about the fourth use
Dry shaving	Pulling the hair and a higher risk of cuts	A shower beforehand and a thick layer of shaving gel
Untrimmed long growth	The razor catches and pulls	Trim to 0.5–0.6 cm
Guiding the razor against the growth with pressure	Nicks and ingrown hairs	Shave with the direction of growth, without pressing
Daily shaving	Irritation, spots, ingrowth	Let the hair grow back
Tight underwear right after shaving	Friction and irritation of freshly shaved skin	Loose underwear from natural materials
Depilatory cream applied to the genitals	Disruption of the natural microflora, inflammation with discharge	Cream only on the groin and the bikini line, exactly per the instructions

If you are wondering whether home natural recipes would prevent the spots, read our analysis of home remedies for hair removal — with some of them the reality differs from the promise.

Which intimate styles are the most popular?

Shaving the intimate area does not automatically mean getting rid of all pubic hair. At home women more often focus on the bikini area or the groin and only lightly tidy the most intimate part. The most common styles include:

• The classic triangle — the most common and simplest shape.
• A heart or a diamond — done with a stencil and can be finished with stick-on crystals.
• A rectangular strip, the so-called landing strip, in any width.
• Anything else — there is no limit to imagination.

What matters is only that the woman and her partner are happy and that nothing sticks out of the bikini bottoms or underwear. Complete removal of all hair, that is the Brazilian style, is sensibly left to a laser clinic or a beauty studio.

Men also decide whether to remove only the hair around the penis and testicles or to go by the all-or-nothing rule. Ongoing grooming of the intimate area is now a normal part of body care for about half of men.

When does it make sense to move from shaving to laser hair removal?

At the moment when shaving starts costing you more time and discomfort than benefit — that is, when spots and ingrown hairs keep coming back and stubble reports for duty every other day. Laser hair removal ends this cycle by destroying the root of the hair, not just its visible part.

Indicative prices per session at Laser Clinic:

Zone	Price per session
Deep bikini	2 500 CZK
Classic bikini	1 500 CZK
Buttocks	1 500 CZK
Buttocks — partial	1 000 CZK
Intergluteal cleft	1 000 CZK

We confirm the exact price according to the zone and extent at the free consultation, where we also choose the right device. We work with two types of laser — the diode LightSheer DUET and the alexandrite Deka Motus AX Moveo — because each handles a different type of skin and hair. Before you decide, go through the risks and contraindications of laser hair removal as well; they belong to an honest decision just as much as a price list.

You will find us at three locations in Prague — Vinohrady, Karlovo náměstí and Vysočany — open every day from 9:00 to 21:00. We have summed up the details of treating this sensitive area on the page about laser hair removal of intimate parts.