(Potentially NSFW) What's the correct direction to shave an armpit?

You shave the backs of your knees? There’s hair there? You can see the backs of your knees?

I would say due south right to the border, followed by due north.
Repeat until complete.

@gailcalled is that weird? I shave my whole leg. I just assumed that would include the backs of the knees, which I do shave. Maybe I don’t need to?

I’m not spamming you, try this one, the Gillette Venus. It’s the best razor ever, in my opinion. At least give it a try. Your underarms will no longer be angry.

And I always shave up, against the grain of the hair.

@lillycoyote thanks, I’ll keep it in mind next time I’m shopping.

@ANef_is_Enuf: I’d need a chiropractor and a trapeze in order to see the backs of my knees. I always shaved only from the knees down and never even included the fronts of my knees.

@gailcalled I’ve never seemed to need to actually see the backs of my knees in order to shave them. I do shave both the fronts and backs of my knees, basically, just because they are there. I can’t really get all that close al look at my armpits either, but I shave them too.

@lillycoyote : ..they are their what?

One can have an easy peek at the armpits by raising the arm and then looking in a mirror. The backs of knees, impossible. I am going to do a survey among my women friends about this odd issue because now I am curious.

I can look at my own armpits without a mirror, but it makes me feel cross-eyed. I have never tried to look at the backs of my knees, but I’m sure it can be done. I’m not going to attempt it, though.

@gailcalled “they are their what?” LOL. I got in “there” soon enough to edit that one; to change “their” to “there.” Thanks!

And I shave in the shower. I’m not going to complicate things by taking the time and making the effort to peer at my parts in a mirror. I go over my legs and armpits with a razor, in the shower, and that’s it. Then I move on.

I used to shave down with the hair when I did my armpits, no irritation for me at all.

Obviously I have no idea how a woman should shave – but I’m thinking if you are having so much trouble in one small area – maybe get it removed? Today it’s not that epensive for just the armpit area.

The general rule is to shave in the direction that the hair grows so for example on my face the chin area grows straight down while the top lip and cheeks grow at a 45degree angle away from my nose so I change the angle I shave as I move area (I’ve got much better at this since switching to a straight razor!). My armpit hair seems to be growing up so I would shave up. If the area is sensitive then don’t do multiple passes over the same place.

Have you tried using men’s razors? They’re usually smaller, work better and are less expensive than the ones marketed to women. I certainly can’t promise it will make shaving sensitive areas less painful, but if you’ve tried everything else, no hurt in trying this. To actually answer your question, I shave my armpits in a downward motion, upward for the backs of my knees. Sometimes I get razor burn or cuts, most of the time I don’t…it usually depends on how fast I’m trying to do it or if I accidently slip and shave sideways (ooooouch!). Depending how thick your hair is at your ankles/back of your knees/etc., maybe a woman’s facial hair trimmer would work. They’re like little pens with tiny electric razors, and I use mine for tons of stuff, including shaving off thin, light hairs on places i’d rather not shave with a regular razor, like ankles, feet, etc. You can find them in the makeup section at CVS or similar stores.

@zensky has a good idea – have you considered any other kind of hair removal technique for your armpits? It may be more expensive than shaving, but if it saves you significant discomfort, it may be worth it.

@ANef_is_Enuf You can see your armpits despite having a ‘short’ neck? Impressive :P.

I second the Venus razor, btw. I shave mine in all directions, just to be sure to get it all. I do shave the backs of my knees, too.

I agree with @augustlan, I shave from all directions. I also notice that the angles of my armpit hairs growth verys, so if I just shave in one direction the shave isn’t as smooth. I have sensitive skin as well and I also use the Venus razor. Venus is the best. Sometimes I shave my pits in front of a mirror.

Just to say, I shave my face as well as my head….quite tricky knowing where/when to stop actually.

In general, it’s best for people with sensitive skin to shave with the grain, but that’s kind of tricky in the armpit area. I’m wondering if you shave your armpits daily? I have found that when I shave every day, my armpits get very irritated. However, when I only shave every other day, I don’t have any trouble with them at all. If everything else seems to be failing, shaving less often might fix your problem.

@gailcalled I also shave the backs of my knees. And I can see them if I want to, but I usually don’t bother to look.

Try waxing instead.
I can see the backs of my knees if I turn around.. +If you stand in front of a full length mirror, twist your neck, you’ll be able to see the backs of your knees. Hahah.

Let the hair grow in a little and see if you can ascertain which direction it grows. Shaving in the same direction of the hair should cause less likelihood of irritation. The tricky part is most people have hair growing many different directions under their arm, and it makes it tough.

Are you having irritation after shaving? Or, do you have a permanent state of irritation, redness and bumps? If you live with redness all day under your arms, you likely have folliculitis. For that you can try to cure it yourself by not shaving for at least a week, and applying hydrogen peroxicide to the area twice a day for a week. When you do shave your razor needs to be very sharp. Some people, especially women, are never taught the importance of a sharp razor. When it is sharp it quickly cuts the hair, when it is dull it pulls on the hair, and irritates the skin, and allows bacteria into the hair follicles. If you typically use a razor for weeks, try throwing them away more often for a new one.

If your irritation is immediately after shaving, could be an allergy if you are using shaving cream.

I shave my entire leg. Directly behind my knee I naturally don’t have much hair though.

@JLeslie How often should you replace a razor? I’ve always just used mine until they got nicked or no longer worked.

Depends on the quality of the razor and how often you shave. Try an expirement with a new razor, and see if it clears up. If you eventually start getting irritated again time for a new razor. I change razors about once every two months, but I don’t shave every day. My husband changes about once a month, because he has more sensitivity and prone to foliculitis. He also has a very heavy beard.

The Queer Eye for the Straight Guy guys say to always shave whatever you’re shaving in the direction it’s growing for minimum irritation. I just flail away at whatever, and am often injured, but I always intend to follow their advice. Which I probably won’t, but it sounds like a good plan. ;-)

2 cents here: to keep nick and pain free when shaving (my face, only my face) I follow a strict regimen: First I wash with soap and warm water. Then I add a moisturizer. Then I apply the gel and let it sit for a moment. Then I shave, first in one direction – apply more gel (never shave on a dry spot) and shave in the other direction. I only shave every two days. With the first sign of pull – I change the blade. Currently, I am using the fusion – but the Mach 3 was better, imo.

The irritation can be worsened by your underarm deodorant as well. Stripping the delicate area of top skin cells, which is what we do when we shave, and then applying deodorants filled with potential irritants (mostly the fragrance content) could make the area worse. Have you tried using an unscented one?

I can NOT used one of those razors with the glide strip on them. I am completely allergic to them. I break out in red bumps and it itches and hurts all at the same time. If you are using one of those types of razors, I strongly advise that you stop and see if things improve.

I make two soaps that people love to use when they shave. One contains silk proteins and the other one has colloidal oatmeal and rooibos tea. You could look for a soap maker in your area that makes something similar. Generally, handmade soaps are more gentle on the skin than shave foams.

They say you should only shave in the direction the hair grows, but I never feel clean shaven if I do that and I think @JLeslie is right about underarm hair growing in many different directions. Perhaps you could change to an electric shaver and go easy with it. Your underarm my feel stubbly, but it might toughen up the skin and pores enough to switch back to a razor and get better results.

Using a pinch and gentle pull test, I’ve discovered that I have hair on the backs of me knees.

Dare I say no direction? Let hair grow where it grows naturally…

I am allergic to some of the moisturizing strip razors also, as @cazzie points out. I recommend not using one of those why you try to figure this out. I think Venus has blades without.

are you sure its the shaving that is making your armpits angry? I have irritation related to most scented deodorants. Perhaps its the deodorant you are using after you shave that is making your pits angry.

Getting an amusing visual from the phrase “angry armpits”...

@abysmalbeauty yes, it’s shaving. I only wear deodorant when I’m going out (which isn’t all that often, I’m home a lot.) I’m not a particularly sweaty/odorous person, so I don’t wear it around the house.

It doesnt matter if you personally can’t see the backs of of your knees. If you FEEL hair there shave it. Have you tried hair conditioner instead of soap or shave cream? I aslo think mens razors work better. Try shaving with the hair growth. If you’re sensitive shave during a hot shower. Hope that helps. Also keep your legs straight when shaving to avoid knicks.

As @Luiveton suggested try waxing. It reduces hair growth, and it’s quick.

@ANef_is_Enuf look the direction the hair is growing if it growing down then shave in the opposite direction which is up. You don’t want to over run the razor over your skin because then you will wind up with razor burn. One pass if you are going in the right direction should get the hair without causing the razor burn.

How do you wax your own armpits? You need both hands for waxing, one to pull the strip and one to hold the skin taut.

Don’t wax, get gentlemax laser, it’s awesome. No pain.

I had a trip down memory lane in the shower today. I used to shave the backs of my legs by braille up to the fold just below the knee. That appears when you put your leg up on the side of the tub and bend it. Even at my most hirsute, I had only sparse, fine and blond hair on the back.

Once I passed the ankle area, the rest hardly seemed worth bothering with.

@ANef_is_Enuf Of course you can wax on your own. Get wax strips. They’re really helpful. Warm them up apply and then pull in the opposite direction of hair growth.