Bumpy Ride: A Long Journey To Rid My Legs Of Hair Bumps

Since I hit puberty, I've been cursed with hair bumps on my legs. Because the hair on my legs is coarse and grows in a curly pattern, sometimes as the hair grows out, it curls back under the skin into the same follicle. And because the hair is trapped under the skin, even after I shave, I still have many unsightly ingrown hairs.

The condition isn't physically painful, like razor bumps; but it is emotionally painful, as I've spent many years hiding this condition beneath long skirts and pants - even during the dog days of summer.

For half of my life, I've had a serious case of leg envy. Every time I see a woman with silky smooth gams, I selfishly hope that she silently suffers from stretch marks, bacne or some other embarrassing ailment that isn't apparently obvious. It just isn't fair!

I've tried a million and one products and techniques to solve the problem...and while I've yet to discover a panacea, I have found a temporary solution.

To keep hair bumps to a minimum, here are my shaving suggestions:

1) Don't start shaving as soon as you get into the shower/bath; allow the steam and warm water to soften the skin and hair.

2) Next, exfoliate (like all get out) with a scrub that won't irritate skin. Right now, I'm enamored with LaLicious Coconut Cream Sugar Soufflé Scrub, an all-natural sugar scrub made with coconut oil that absorbs quickly and easily into skin, leaving it moisturized and protected without feeling greasy. Pure cane sugar crystals buff away dead skin cells while sweet almond and vitamin-e oils condition, moisturize, and smooth you to perfection. And it smells amazing; if heaven has a tropical all-inclusive resort, this is probably what it smells like. By exfoliating, you will release the ingrown hairs that are trapped beneath the skin.

3) Slather your legs with an ultra-hydrating shave cream; I'm a fan of eos Shave Cream, which is so moisturizing, you can shave wet or dry (though I recommend wet). Then shave with a new or relatively new razor; the sharper, the better. Gillette's Venus Embrace razor takes shaving to a whole new level of smoothness with 5 blades that deliver a dramatically close shave.

4) Finally, when you emerge from the bath/shower, don't towel off completely. While your legs are still a smidge wet, slather on lotion or body butter. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion is an excellent choice because it heals, softens, and tones - plus an 8.5 oz bottle costs less than $5!

Even if you don't have issues with ingrown hairs (I hate you...just kidding...okay, not really), you can benefit from my bumpy journey to smooth stems. The above routine is highly recommended for achieving your closest shave ever.