How to shave your buttocks: step by step and without irritation

Can you shave your buttocks at home on your own?

Yes, but it is one of the most difficult zones of all. While on the legs you can use a whole range of methods and products at home, for the rear the choice is very limited — the main obstacle being that we simply cannot see back there. Around the anus there is also a risk of injury that can cause further health complications later.

Alongside laser hair removal, shaving is the only method that does not hurt — provided you manage not to cut yourself. If you take your time and follow the procedure below, you can do it safely. If it is more of a routine every few days, though, it is worth considering whether to solve the problem once and for all.

Why do people shave their buttocks at all?

The exact purpose of hair around the anus is not fully clarified — some experts believe it protected the sensitive skin from friction and irritation. Today, however, two practical reasons decide.

Aesthetics. On some parts of the body hair simply does not look good, and the buttocks with the area around the anus belong among them. In the past mainly women groomed these spots; today laser hair removal for men is completely normal — men take care of themselves just as naturally.

Hygiene. Places not covered by hair are easier to keep clean. Shaving around the anal opening is therefore popular especially with people in sedentary jobs, where the risk of haemorrhoids is higher and thorough hygiene plays a big part in prevention.

How do you prepare the buttocks for shaving?

The preparation decides whether you end up with smooth skin or with spots. It takes a few minutes and has three steps.

1. A shower before you start. You are about to bring a fairly sharp object close to a sensitive area, so take a shower or a bath first. Warm water opens the pores and prepares the skin and hair; soaking also softens the hair, so you avoid painful pulling and lower the risk of cuts — a razor cuts “soaked” hair more easily.

2. Thorough cleaning. While showering, wash the area carefully with a cleansing gel with an antibacterial effect. Bacteria and dirt could cause inflammation of the hair follicle — folliculitis, which is very unpleasant.

3. Optimal trimming. Shorten the hair to a length the razor can handle without trouble, that is roughly 0.5–0.6 cm. Very carefully guided scissors will do, but an electric trimmer with a permanently attached guard serves better — it also handles harder-to-reach places, of which there are plenty in this zone.

If you prefer trimming dry, you can swap the first and third steps.

What is the procedure for the shave itself?

The shave itself has three steps and rushing does not pay. Do not hurry the preparation, but do the shaving itself quickly.

4. Use shaving gel generously. A razor does not glide over intimate areas and the buttocks as easily as over the legs, so it needs extra protection. Apply a thick layer of shaving gel or cream to the whole area — it improves the glide of the blade, protects the skin from damage and makes recovery easier.

A fundamental mistake plenty of people make is shaving with soap. Classic soap dries the skin, so reach for a special gel or foam for sensitive areas. They tend to be more expensive, but you will notice the difference on your skin straight away.

5. Shave carefully. Make sure the blades are fresh and clean: blunt edges inevitably cause nicks, cuts and irritation. Try to stretch the skin and work in short strokes.

• With the direction of hair growth — the easier and safer option with a lower risk of ingrowth
• Against the direction of growth — a more precise result, but you have to press, which means more nicks and a higher probability of ingrown hairs
• An electric trimmer for sensitive areas — thanks to special blade technology it pulls much less and is relatively painless

6. Moisture and more moisture. You have just shaved an area not necessarily used to it. Use a scrub and a soothing balm, apply a moisturising balm to the whole shaved area and then rinse with cold water — that closes the open pores again. Cosmetics with aloe vera or chamomile are ideal. Before you shave again, give the skin enough time to recover.

And what about depilatory creams?

Skip them in this zone. They contain a large amount of chemicals that can trigger an allergic reaction and are therefore not recommended for treating the area around the anus — and the hair grows back in a few days anyway.

What will you need to shave your buttocks?

It pays not to economise on quality — cheap blunt blades are behind most irritation.

• an anatomical razor with enough fresh, unblunted blades
• or a special electric trimmer developed for the sensitive skin of intimate areas
• an electric trimmer with a protective guard and a replaceable attachment
• cleansing, moisturising and revitalising gels and creams that your skin gets along with

Which mistakes lead to irritation and spots?

The most common mistake is dry shaving with a blunt blade against the direction of growth, followed immediately by getting back into tight underwear. Hair in this area grows faster and is coarser and less pliable, so it resists removal more than elsewhere.

What to avoid and what to follow instead:

Mistake	What to do instead
A blunt or dirty blade	replace blades in time, keep the razor clean and dry
A razor left in the damp	damp suits bacteria — dry it and store it outside the shower
Shaving with soap	a special foam or gel for sensitive areas
Depilatory cream around the anus	skip it — risk of an allergic reaction and irritation
Dry shaving	always a thick layer of shaving gel or cream
Strong pressure against the growth	shave with the growth and do not press
Daily shaving	let the hair grow back, the skin needs a break
Tight underwear right after shaving	“air out” as much as possible, avoid tight underwear
No exfoliation	a scrub ideally the day before shaving, it removes dead cells

Regular hygiene is part of the basic routine too — shower at least once a day, and more often for athletes and people who sweat a lot. And do not economise on treating and soothing products for sensitive areas.

Spots appeared after shaving. What now?

A rash after shaving usually has two causes. The most common is the wrong technique — then it is enough to cool the affected area and apply a soothing product. The second option is transferring an infection from the razor: if you leave it in a damp environment, bacteria multiply in it quickly and get straight into the irritated skin at the next shave.

So disinfect irritated skin first and only then treat it with a moisturiser or another fragrance-free product. Perfumed products do not belong on a freshly shaved zone.

It is similar with ingrowth: some skin is more prone to it, especially when the hair is stronger or more curled — and in that case no shaving technique helps much. If an ingrown hair does appear, a warm compress, gently lifting it towards the surface and a cream with salicylic acid will bring relief. The complete procedure, and when a doctor is needed, is in the article about ingrown hairs in the intimate area.

When should you skip shaving and choose a laser?

When shaving repeats every few days, the skin regularly reacts with spots, or you simply cannot reach the area around the anus, it is time for another solution. Poor visibility and the risk of injury around the anus are exactly why some kinds of home depilation are not recommended for this part of the body at all.

Unlike shaving, laser hair removal destroys the root of the hair, so no new hair grows from it — and there is nothing to grow inwards. Complete hair removal is achieved after 5 to 8 sessions spaced four to eight weeks apart, with a visible difference already after the first visit. The road is therefore longer than one shave, but the result is long term: in up to 80 % of clients the hair does not reappear in the treated area, and in the rest the growth is markedly weaker and lighter.

The treatment is done lying on a bed: the area is covered with hydrogel and the hair is removed step by step with the laser beam. The beam targets the melanin inside the hair and reaches only its root — the surrounding tissue stays intact. It is over in a few minutes and, thanks to the cooling built into the laser, you will not feel pain during the procedure. If you are worried, we will also calm the spot with an anaesthetic cream.

Older devices could handle neither light hair nor tanned skin. We work with two modern lasers — the alexandrite Deka Motus AX Moveo and the diode LightSheer DUET — and a trained specialist chooses the right one according to your phototype and hair type.

No special care is needed after the treatment — just avoid greater physical strain for two days and direct sunlight and hot baths on the treated area for a month.

What does hair removal of the buttocks cost instead of shaving?

Treating the buttocks costs 1 500 CZK per session — the same for women and men. Part of the buttocks or the intergluteal cleft comes to 1 000 CZK. Against that stands shaving every two or three days for a lifetime — blades, gel and time add up. The prices below are indicative, per session, and apply to individual zones.

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

Compared with shaving, not only the time falls away but also the repeated investment in blades, gels and soothing products. More about the zone and why the rear is the hardest area for home depilation is in the article about hair on the buttocks, and the full price list on the page about laser hair removal of intimate parts.

At Laser Clinic we treat clients at three Prague branches daily from 9:00 to 21:00 and the first consultation is free — at it we choose the right laser and the number of sessions for your type of hair and skin.