“How often should women shave their legs, pubes, and armpits?”
Whoooaaaa, we’re gonna stop you right there. Just to be super clear, our realest answer to this question is: “As often as they want.” Body hair is natural and what you do with it is 100% up to you – if you want to let it grow, let it grow. There’s no actual need to shave… ever.
That being said, that swishy just-shaved-legs feeling is one of those little things that makes life feel even more worth living. If you’re wondering how often to shave to maintain smooth, hair-free skin without causing irritation – read on to learn how often to shave for the results YOU want.
Shaving Cheatsheet: How Often to Shave, By Area
|
For a Clean Shave |
For Trimming or Maintenance |
Other Tips |
|
|
Legs |
Every 2-3 days |
Every 3-5 days |
Shave legs less in the winter to give your skin a break. |
|
Armpits |
Every 2-3 days |
Every 3-5 days |
Lotion’s not just for your legs – moisturize your pits after shaving to soothe irritated skin and make your close shave last longer |
|
Pubic Hair |
Every 2-3 days |
Every 3-5 days |
Use a trimmer before shaving if you wait over a week between shaves. |
|
Peach Fuzz Facial Hair |
Dermaplane every 1-3 weeks |
Dermaplane every 6-8 weeks |
Oily or acne-prone skin may benefit from more frequent dermaplaning – sensitive skin may benefit from less. |
|
Excessive Facial hair |
Every 2-3 days |
Every 3-5 days |
Consider a permanent hair removal option to get rid of PCOS-related facial hair for good. |
|
Sensitive Skin |
Consider a different method |
Every 3-5 days |
Shave less frequently to avoid irritation. Consider using a safety razor and shaving with the grain. |
How Often Should You Shave Legs?
Shave legs every 2-3 days for a clean, close shave. Go up to 3-5 days if you’re more interested in infrequent maintenance. To avoid irritation and give skin time to heal, we recommend waiting at least 48 hours between shaves.
Depending on your personal reasons for shaving, you can likely get away with less in the winter. If you’re shaving more for aesthetic reasons, keep those legs covered up and let your hair grow till it bugs you. If you shave for more sensory reasons and you hate the feeling of hairy legs under jeans or leggings, stick to your regular routine.
How Often Should You Shave Armpits?
Chances are, you can stick to the same shaving routine for legs and armpits. Shave pits every 2-3 days for a clean, close shave, or go up to 3-5 days if you’re not concerned about a perfectly hair-free appearance. (Or even less frequently if it’s not tank top szn and no one’s seeing your pits. Or even if it is and they are. You do you!)
How Often Should You Shave Pubic Hair?
It’s always a matter of personal preference, but especially when it comes to pubic hair.
Like legs and armpits, shave every 2-3 days for a clean, close shave, or every 3-5 days for less frequent maintenance.
Pubic hair tends to be coarser, curlier, and longer than body hair in other areas. If you go more than a week or so without shaving, consider cutting long hairs with a bikini trimmer before shaving again.
How often to shave pubic hair might be more, shall we say, event-specific than other areas. You might find yourself only grooming/shaving for a specific swimsuit bottom, or spicy evening plans. It might depend on your preferred bikini line style, too!
Related:
How Do You Shave Your Bikini Area?
Top 3 Benefits of Shaving Pubic Hair
Say Goodbye to Razor Bumps on Your Bikini Line
How Often Should You Shave Your Face?
If the facial hair in question is light peach fuzz: dermaplane anywhere from once every 2-8 weeks to remove dead skin cells & peach fuzz.
If we’re talking excessive facial hair caused by hirsutism/PCOS: shave every 2-3 days to avoid irritation. Experts recommend waiting 48 hours between shaves to give skin time to heal. If that’s not going to cut it for your fast-growing PCOS-related facial hair, consider other hair removal options that last longer and are gentler on delicate facial skin.
Related:
Is It Normal for Women to Have Facial Hair?
Facial Hair Removal Methods, Ranked
Shaving Facial Hair: Why It Might Not Be the Best Option
How Often Should You Shave Sensitive Skin?
When it comes to shaving sensitive skin, less is more. Shave no more than every 3-5 days to give your skin time to heal and your hair time to grow back.
Technique also matters here. Here are a few tips to prevent razor bumps and avoid irritating sensitive skin:
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Shave with the grain
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Use a safety razor
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Wait until the end of your warm shower
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Use shaving cream
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Exfoliate 24-48 hours before shaving
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Immediately follow with a soothing, aloe-based body lotion
Related:
How to Stop Itching After Shaving
Is it bad to shave every day?
It’s not exactly BAD to shave every day – the razor police won’t nab you. But it’s not recommended. Shaving every day can cause irritation, ingrown hairs, and dry skin.
If your body hair grows back fast enough that you want to shave every day, consider using a different hair removal method to give your skin a break.
Does shaving more often make your hair grow faster?
No – this is actually a myth. BUT it’s easy to see why it persists – we don’t blame you for asking.
Shaving hair does not change its thickness, color, or rate of growth. However, removing hair via shaving does give hair a blunt, sometimes angled tip. This causes hair that grows back after shaving to feel coarse, prickly, and stubbly as it grows out – more so than other hair removal methods.
Shaving Alternatives for Better Results
If smooth, hair-free skin is your goal, shaving is NOT the only way to get there.
Permanent hair removal methods like laser hair removal, electrolysis, and IPL can get rid of unwanted body hair for good. At-home IPL handsets like Lumi slow down hair growth so you don’t have to shave as often. They offer a permanent reduction in body hair in just 6-12 weeks. Lumi is FDA-cleared for safe, effective permanent hair removal. It works on leg hair, armpit hair, pubic hair, and more. It’s pain-free, easy to use, and suitable for sensitive skin.
If you’re not as interested in a permanent solution, consider methods that remove hair at the root rather than cutting hair at the surface of skin. That way, you can remove hair less often without as much risk of razor burn or ingrown hairs. Methods like waxing, epilating, threading, and plucking remove hair at the root and only need to be done every 2-4 weeks.
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Shaving Frequency FAQs
Does shaving more often cause ingrown hairs?
It can, yes. Every time you shave, you introduce the risk of ingrown hairs – so more shaving = more risk of ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs are caused by cutting the hair beneath the surface and the hair then growing back at an angle beneath the skin. Shaving against the grain with a safety razor can reduce the chance of ingrown hairs, even if you shave more often.
What skin conditions make it so you should shave less often?
If you have eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, or acne, consider shaving less often or using a different hair removal method.
How does skin/hair type influence the optimal shaving frequency?
If your hair is light or fine, you might be inclined to shave less frequently. If your hair is especially dark and coarse, you might be inclined to shave more often. But it’s totally a matter of preference! If your hair is especially sensitive or dry, consider shaving less.
What other factors can influence ideal shaving frequency?
Aside from personal preference, here are a few factors that may influence your ideal shaving frequency:
• Climate – If your skin has recently experienced significant sun exposure or if you live in an especially dry climate, consider shaving less.
• Season – No one shaves as much in the winter, right? Between seasonal dryness and long pants, feel free to take a break from shaving during the colder months.
• PCOS – Excessive hair growth might make it so you need to shave more to achieve a hairless appearance.
• Race/ethnicity – Asian hair generally grows back the fastest compared to other races. African hair often grows the slowest.
• Personal preference – What you want is MOST important here – if your hair grows back fast but you just can’t be bothered to shave often, don’t do it! Hair removal is such a personal choice – you do you!
