Exactly How to Shave Pubic Hair Safely If You Have a Vagina – If you have a vulva and you’re wondering how to shave pubic hair the right way, you’re in good company. There’s a lot of curiosity (and variety) when it comes to intimate grooming practices. Case in point: When one TikToker asked her followers about current pubic hair trends, the responses were all over the place. (Our favorite: “I put mine in a messy bun so that it’s curly in the morning.”)
Let’s get this out of the way first: What you choose to do—or not do—with your down-there hair is 100% up to you. Maybe you like to leave it alone. Maybe you opt to go totally bare. Or perhaps you prefer to give it a little trim from time to time. There are no wrong choices here. But if shaving is part of your normal routine or you want to experiment with it, it’s important to know how to do it safely and successfully.
Here, dermatologists share exactly how to shave pubic hair, including the best tips, tricks, and product picks that will ensure your skin is smooth—no ingrown hairs here, thank you very much—and healthy.
Let’s go over some dangers of shaving pubic hair first.
While you absolutely can shave your pubic hair safely yourself, if you aren’t thoughtful about how you do it, you can increase the risk of irritation, cuts, ingrowns, and skin infection. To that end, you absolutely should not grab any old razor and get to work; a dull (or clogged) razor can up the likelihood of all of the above, according to the experts SELF spoke with.
Aside from a sharp, clean blade, you’re also going to need body soap and water, shaving cream or gel, and a moisturizer to use when you’re finished. Check, check, check, and check? Keep reading for our product recommendations, as well as detailed directions for how to shave pubic hair like a pro.
Exactly How to Shave Pubic Hair Safely If You Have a Vagina
“There are certain steps that are important for shaving pubic hair,” Gary Goldenberg, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells SELF. Many of them are also key if you’re shaving other areas of your body, like your legs or face, he adds.
But before we get into the specifics of what to do—and not do—we have an important PSA (pubic shaving announcement): Never put any of the products below (moisturizers, shaving creams, scrubs, after-shave lotions, etc.) in the vagina, or you’ll risk disrupting its bacterial and/or pH balance, which could lead to painful inflammation or even infection. Stick with your upper vulva (mons pubis) and outer lips (labia majora). Okay, with that out of the way, here’s what to do:
Trim first if necessary.
If your pubic hair is a bit long, consider cutting it shorter with scissors or a bikini trimmer before you start shaving. Otherwise, excess hair can end up clogging up your razor and impact its ability to deliver smooth results, Elyse Love, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at GlamDerm in New York City, tells SELF. Yes, it’s okay to snip your pubic hair with scissors—just make sure you’re carefully staying above the surface of the skin, of course, Dr. Love notes.
Shave your pubic area before other body parts—or use a dedicated razor for the job.
Some people have a separate razor for different body parts, but if you don’t, Dr. Goldenberg recommends at least paying attention to the order in which you shave. “I would start with your pubic hair so that the razor is the sharpest,” he says. Next, he suggests moving to any other areas you want to shave. “Obviously, you have to be careful because the sharper the razor, the easier it is to cut yourself, but a sharper blade does make a difference,” he adds. That brings us to our next point…
Always use a sharp (ideally single- or dual-blade) razor.
Dr. Goldenberg says that sharp razors allow you to get a close shave without pressing too firmly on your skin, which can cause irritation and cuts. While many models have an indicator strip that tells you when the blade is dulling, Dr. Goldenberg says you might need to change yours more often than the strip would suggest.
Pay attention to whether the razor “pulls the hairs instead of easily cutting them,” he says. Pulling means it’s stretching hair and skin, which can increase the risk of infection and irritation, Dr. Goldenberg explains. So if it seems like your razor is dragging instead of cutting (i.e., there are still hairs left even after a couple of passes or you feel a slight, uncomfy tug while shaving), it’s time to replace it. If you’re looking for a general marker, Dr. Love recommends swapping it out after every five shaves, per guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Similarly, less is more when it comes to the number of blades. “Razors with a single or double blade allow for much more precision. You can easily control the swipe of the blade, much more so than you can with razors that have multiple blades,” Dr. Love explains. (According to the AAD, this may also help minimize the likelihood of razor bumps.) Gillette’s Simply Venus 2 Blade Disposable Razors ($12, Amazon) fit the bill, as does Bevel’s Premium Safety Razor ($50, Target), which was designed specifically for coarse or curly hair.
Shave at the end of your shower.
You’ll get the closest, smoothest results when both the hair and skin are soft, Dr. Love says. In other words, you’ll want to shave pubes wet and reserve the process as the final step of your shower routine, after the water and steam have had some time to soften your pubic hair and skin; about 10 minutes is ideal, Hadley King, MD, a clinical instructor of dermatology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City, tells SELF. This will both make it easier to de-fuzz and help further decrease the risk of razor burn, she points out.
Start with soap and water.
Begin by making sure your skin is clean—you want to get rid of any oil, dirt, or sweat that could clog your pores and cause irritation and bumps, per Dr. Goldberg. “Wash the area with a little mild soap and warm water,” he says. Again, using warm or hot water will allow for a closer and smoother shave, he adds.
Apply shaving cream.
Do not, we repeat, do not shave dry. “Shaving cream decreases the amount of friction between the razor blade and your skin, ensuring it glides more smoothly and decreasing the likelihood of irritation,” Dr. Love explains. There’s a good reason why it’s called razor burn—those painful bumps are an indication that the blade inflamed the skin, she adds, which is why it’s so important to cover the entire area you’re shaving in an even layer of shaving cream.
While any formula is better than none, because we’re talking about a delicate area of the body, Dr. Love recommends choosing an option that’s free of alcohol (which can be drying) and fragrance, especially if your skin is sensitive in general. Bonus points if it contains moisturizing and soothing ingredients, she says. We like EOS Shea Better Sensitive Skin Shave Cream ($5, Target), which is fragrance-free and touts skin-calming colloidal oatmeal, as well as Oui The People’s Sugarcoat Moisturizing Shave Gel-to-Milk ($64, Oui The People), a splurge that contains hydrating marula oil and soothing aloe.
Body lotion or hair conditioner can possibly replace shaving cream in a pinch, but Dr. Love doesn’t recommend it in general. “Lotion isn’t made to be a gliding medium and isn’t designed to work with wet skin,” she explains. “And hair conditioner is meant to soften hair, not protect the skin, so it may not be a good substitute.” That said, if a moisturizer, conditioner, or even body wash allows your razor to easily glide over your skin and doesn’t cause any post-shave irritation, then no harm, no foul.
Be gentle.
Though it’s tempting to go over the same patch of skin until it’s ultra-smooth, resist the urge—keep it to one or two passes to minimize irritation. And if you’re wondering which direction to shave pubic hair in, always follow the direction of the hair growth, the Mayo Clinic says. This not only ensures a closer shave, but it also decreases the likelihood of irritation and ingrowns, Dr. Love adds. Use light pressure too; it can be tempting to push down harder as you go, but stick with short, light strokes throughout the entire process so you don’t aggravate your skin, Dr. King advises.
Rinse your razor after each stroke.
As you might imagine, a razor that’s clogged with hair and shaving cream isn’t going to be as effective or sanitary. (FYI, this is a good shaving tip for anywhere on the body, not just the pubic area, Dr. Love notes.)
Then rinse and dry your skin.
Dr. Goldenberg suggests rinsing the area with cooler water (to soothe skin and prevent inflammation) and patting yourself dry with a clean towel to get rid of excess hair and shaving cream.
Don’t forget to moisturize.
Finish your shave with the moisturizer of your choice. While Dr. Goldenberg says many of his patients use a rich moisturizer like coconut oil, “I don’t love the idea of something very heavy, like oil, because you can clog pores,” he explains. He does add the caveat that if you’ve used a heavier product that you like, you should feel free to stick with what works. “But if you’re shaving for the first time, I would prefer a lighter lotion or a cream just to make sure that you don’t get pimples, essentially from [blocking] the follicles or the pores,” he says.
We recommend a gentle fragrance-free moisturizer like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for Normal to Dry Skin ($13, Target). Dr. Love adds that even plain aloe vera gel can be a good option to increase hydration and soothe any potential irritation. One to try: Earth’s Daughter Aloe Vera Gel ($12, Amazon).
Prevent ingrown hairs.
These pesky bumps show up when hair grows back into the skin instead of out and away from the body, causing inflammation, the Mayo Clinic explains. This is more likely to happen with coarser, curlier hair, which is why ingrown hairs can be so common after removing your pubic hair. The good news for razor wielders: “I find that shaving tends to be less likely to cause ingrown hairs than other hair removal methods such as waxing or sugaring,” Dr. Love says. “Ingrown hairs are a problem with regrowth. When you’re shaving, you can continuously keep shaving the hair so that it doesn’t have the chance to grow out much, which it has to do before you can wax or sugar again.”
Still, following the above steps to help prepare the skin for shaving can help cut down on this uncomfortable issue. Exfoliating between shaving sessions—again, being mindful to keep any product away from your vagina and on your bikini area only—is also a good idea, according to Dr. Love: “By exfoliating the surface of the skin, you’re removing dead cells and clearing a path for the hair to regrow.” She likes the Nécessaire Body Exfoliant ($30, Sephora), a gentle option that combines both chemical exfoliants and physical ones.
You may also have luck with serums that are meant to prevent ingrown hairs (many of which have those gentle exfoliating acids). Tend Skin’s Solution ($16, Amazon), for example, contains the anti-inflammatory agent acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). And Fur’s Ingrown Eliminator Serum ($36, Ulta) is formulated with lactic acid, which can unclog pores, as well as soothing aloe.
Above all, if you choose to shave your pubic hair, just take your time.
Don’t rush this process. A 2012 article in the journal Urology estimated that from 2002 to 2010, there were 11,700 “grooming-related injuries” in the genital area (regardless of people’s sex assigned at birth), and researchers confirmed that 385 of those people wound up visiting the emergency room. What’s worse? A full 83% of the total injuries involved a razor.
In related (better) news, Dr. Love says you really can shave anywhere around the vulva, so long as you’re being gentle and have a stable hand. Of course, if you do experience any serious cuts or signs of infection (like an increasingly painful ingrown hair that’s filled with pus), it’s still a good idea to see your doc to be on the safe side. Remember—they’ve seen it all!
