Waxing or Shaving? What to do? Bikini rash.. HELP!

[Peacock]

My skin is very irritated in my bikini area. I have a great seat, padded shorts and am using sports lubricant but am still having a problem. I am open to any suggestions. I have had to stop riding for a few days because it is so painful. I shave my bikini area but should I wax instead?

Please help I miss my bike and the road.

[Veronica]

Is the irritation the little red bumps and ingrown hairs or is it something else?

I shave the bikini area quite frequently. Using an exfoliant seems to help keep away the ingrown hairs and red bumps. But you have to be gentle. I use an Apricot facial scrub. Also putting your shaving cream on and letting it sit for a little bit also seems to help. I'm too chicken to wax.

V.

[Peacock]

It's both. I will give your suggestions a try.

Thanks for responding.

[SnowMouse]

Oh my Gooooossssshhh! Shaving in the bikini area is the last place you should shave. I am so anti-shaving, but bikini line shaving just makes me shutter to the bone. Waxing isn't automatically going to stop the uncomfortable phase of regrowth, but at least it happens every 3 or so weeks, not every 3 days.

It is so hard waxing the first couple of times, more so if the area has a history of being shaved, but it does get easier, the hair thins and is easier to remove. Get it done proffesionally too!

And since I don't personally know anyone here....my last hint is...brazillian waxing is the way to go for ultimate comfort!

Gee I can't spell to good tonight, hiccup!

[Cdalekat]

I found that shaving with the hairs (and not against them!!) solved any rash problem.

[icepanthar22]

Brazilian wax is definitely the way to go on that one!!!!

[wavedancer]

What's Brazilian wax???

[Veronica]

From what I've read, it's when they wax everything - front and back. It's called a Brazilian because of the thong bikinis popular in Brazil.

V.

[Peacock]

I have actually waxed in the past and went back to shaving. I am not quiet sure I have the guts to do a Brazilian but maybe a racing stripe instead. Do you usually wait at least a day after waxing before riding again so to not aggrivate the pores?

[snapdragen]

I've heard women describe a brazilian wax as going all the way up to the ovaries!

[wavedancer]

So I tried something called Surgiwax just on then edge of the bikini line and what a disaster! It very quickly turned into this sticky hard mess that stuck to my hands, the skin I put it on and everything within 3 feet. I did remove a few hairs also, but I spent about an hour trying to pick off the residual chunks of hardened wax. Omigod if I had tried a Brazilian, I would have ended up in the ER! Shaving sounds safer.

[luna*Kentucky]

Brazilian...sounds a little scary....

OUCH!

I haven't tried waxing down there, but the whole shaving thing is just plain irritating. First few days your fine and after that BAM , irritation.

I'm still battling....

[Veronica]

That's why I shave just about every day. Seems to help keep all that stuff away.

V.

[icepanthar22]

Im too lazy to shave every day. I just prefer to do it once every 2 months or so...

[icepanthar22]

...get a wax....

i read that post, and realised that is NOT what i meant to say...

a wax last longer, so i prefer one big annpyance every 2 months, rather than daily annoyance...