Hi ladies,

Another problem I've had since having my fusion to T8 is shaving my legs, although I know this isn't a life or death situation! I used to be able to sit on the floor and twist and move myself around so I could reach all the parts of my leg. But since I can't twist anymore or get out of the sitting position, I have real trouble shaving my legs. I can do the front by leaning forward, although it's difficult to see and I have to be careful not to fall over.

I can't get to the back of my calves very easily and as for the back of the top of my legs..I'm sitting on them and can't do it!

Help...anyone?

Have you thought of using a depilatory or even treat yourself to a spa waxing?

I'm AB so I really can't relate to how you have to shave your legs, but just thinking of something that might last longer. I have to shave my legs everyday and been thinking of doing what my niece is having done. She is getting laser hair removal because she spends so much money on the spa waxing and the laser hair removal she is doing is permanent. That to me seems appealing on those areas that really should be shaved more often.

Just curious, if you shave your armpits and if so, do you have any problems?

Waxing is the way forward, quick, painless and lasts a lot longer than shaving.
Tx

I don't really have trouble shaving my legs. I bend 'em this way and that. I just hate how freaking long it takes, especially since I hate missing spots. Heh.

Ouch! I disagree with waxing being quick and painless. It may be quick but it's not painless. It grows back too quickly for the cost of having it done. When I had it done a few years ago, it hurt like hell and riped the hairs out so that I had little bleeding holes all over me which scabbed over. Maybe because I'm a blonde.

I SHAVE EVERY DAY. I sit on my shower seat and prop my leg on the side of the tub and bend...in the hips. I am also fused T10-L3. If you can reach the front, you'll be able to reach the underside if your leg is propped up on the side of the tub. If you do it every day it's quick. I never shave the tops of my legs, but I'm blonde and I only have very light baby hair on the tops.

Get an epilator - it lasts far longer than shaving and when the hairs grow back they're much finer. Waxing is a great way to go as well, I'm very fair and have very fine hair, but if you go to a decent waxer it doesn't hurt, you won't bleed and it'll last for ages.

YOu can wax, Nair or shave.. Its your calll. I naired the hair at first, I was scared of the razors and my unstability. Burning the hair, waxing the hair.. its all the same. I, like city girl am a blonde, so the hair isnt a major issue, but I do just the same and prop my legs up alone side the tub. Every one in a while I take a bath and shave it all.. Its easier that way. I wouldnt worry too much about the hair abehind your thighs.. with all the sitting it should at the least be very thin and fine.. Few more yrs and it will be gone!

Poor ali your having the learn everything again since the surgery.. I know its got to be frustrating, wish we cuold be of more help!

I shave. I used to put my leg up on the side of the tub but found balance was harder doing it that way so what I do now is while sitting on my bench I hold myself upright with my left hand holding onto the bench and use my right hand to shave. I get the front of the legs no problem as you mention, the back isnt really that hard you just need to hold the razor backwards in your hand. The top of the thigh obviously no problem, the back what I do is scootch forward as far as I can safely do so and just reach underneath to shave as much as I can. If I cant get far enough up then I scootch back but then lift my leg up with my left arm and reach with my right arm further up the leg. Sitting all the time anyways I figure if I dont shave all the way up like I used to who really cares? Nobody is going to see it anyways if I miss a spot.

Oh and when I travel, I bring with an electric razor in case I have trouble with the bench or seat that I use and the room in the shower. If I use the electric razor I just sit on the toilet afterwards and shave as much as I can or I go to the bed with a towel under me and shave my legs from on the bed.

I am an 'everyday' shaver as well. I have dark hair and fair skin so it shows unfortunately. Over the years I've tried a variety of things to keep my legs hair free. While in the shower on the bench I just put my heel up on the wall in front of me which made shaving the back of my thighs easy. When I had carpal tunnel and couldn't lift them I began shaving while sitting on the toilet with my foot up on the side of the tub. I have tried waxing and 'Aussie Nads' wax alternative and like CityGirl, it WAS painful and I did bleed. It never seemed to remove all the hair either.

As for laser hair removal I have had my forearms lasered as well as my face. I've had great results with it but I will say... if ANY professional tells you that laser treatment is permanent they are full of it. I go to a medically certified doctor to have mine done and the FIRST thing they warned me of was that it can never be guaranteed permanent. I lack the medical knowledge to explain why our bodies won't allow it but no laser wand can stop the power of hormones. Sorry. Laser treatment has reduced in price significantly over the years (I paid $300 for a treatment package that was $1100 just six years ago).

Someone mentioned depilatory creams. I've recently started using them again and I am very pleased with the results. I have coarse hair so it's nice to have smooth legs for a couple days vs stubble from shaving a day earlier. Possibly the depilatory creams would be a good option for you as you could just apply it while on your shower bench and hose it off. If you aren't able to contort enough to apply it maybe a long handled sponge would help?

Oh and for the record, sitting on your thighs does not stunt the growth of hair (although DAMN I wish it did!) LOL

I'm new to the laser thing, but my niece who lives in New York, goes to this place that guarantees it will be permanent. I believe it takes a few sessions in the same areas in order to kill the root permanently and also it won't work well on people with light colored hair.

I agree about the waxing. If you get someone who knows what they are doing, it may hurt a bit and you might even bleed a little, but it gets better each time you have it done. I tried the Sally Hanson home brand, just because I'm cheap and it was a waste. Not only was I in pain with my eyes watering, but it the wax snapped my hair in half so I still had hair in most areas only it was shorter and it made me bleed very badly. Very messy too. If you go with waxing, find a reputable spa that is highly recommended.

Ok maybe it doesnt stop growing.. just yet.. Eventually in life our hair thins out. WHy couldnt it start sooner?

I know the hair behind my thighs and some of my calf are pretty much thinned out now. I wasnt like this before the injury, so Im not sure what else to contribute it too?

Anyways, Im not professional dont take my word on anything I say. I think everyone knows that. But all the same, your doing great Ali!

Hey I used to hate shaving as it took me forever!!! so I bought the new shower veet hair removal cream, u put it on first then i hop on my shower bench and leave it on while i shower, then it gradually comes off!! it works really well for me and you only have to do it once a week!!

Lol.... I had never heard of that before, maybe some day we will see that show up on MythBusters or something!

Since we are on the topic of hair removal, I'm going to venture into another area. How do you girls deal with the bikini area? I have tried shaving and it's both awkward and fiarly ineffective.

it is very hard to shave while sitting in the shower chair, I bought my own wax pot and strips and i just do it myself.. its easy and not too expensive

Yes, it is truly awkward but I found shaving the easiest for me, although I have to shave to the top of my thighs (Ugg) I wish I could benefit from waxing there. I just remember the pain from waxing elsewhere and can't imagine going through it 'there'
LOL
I do my bikini area from my chair, at the sink. I just sling one leg over the side of my chair and recline just slightly. I used to do it in the shower but yes it is harder on the bench.

I use an epilator, have done for years. I'm T12 and dont spasm though, yet my friend mo, whos T4 tried it and her legs hated it!!!!! I use it about every 8-10 weeks

I too have used the Veet in the shower cream and it is good. I also use an electric shaver, not the greatest but it works. My legs are very stiff to manuver to shave, my husband has helped me out from time to time.

Did you really think I'd just ignore this topic?

Chainsaw. That's how a real man shaves his legs.
I may get a few nicks and scratches but at least I can sleep at night knowing I have baby butt smooth legs and didn't do it with some sissy-fied depilatory
or "ladies" razor.

I used to use it to trim up my Brazilian runway but Stanley got a mite skiddish so I had to back off on that one.

E

E

I wax now but I have also shaved and used Nair in the past. I just find that waxing is easier because I have to do it less often. My hair is pretty fine as well. I just use the Nair (or is it Veet? I forget) wax strips, the ones that have the wax already on them, sit on my bathroom floor, lean against my chair, put one leg at at time up on the toilet and wax away. For a bikini wax, I go and get it done.

I bet there are more guys following this forum than gals

Probably! At least you guys have the balls to speak up and post in it though instead of being all creepy lurker-ish!

I also swear by veet,Nair tends to stink,I also get a rash from it.

Ok I know this thread is almost a year old but since it was revived I figured I would make another post, expecially considering the male posting and possible following...

Anyone ever wonder why guys are such babies when it comes to shaving? The reason I say this is guys are always complaining about razors not doing the job on their face area or something or another about the razors that they are using. If you look at the razors on the market today, men several new razors a year where women dont. For example, I use the Venus razor. This is one of the newest razors and ladies who use it will remember that it came out around 2002 (I had been in my current house for less than a year when I bought my first one). So here we are 7 yrs later with the same later being the latest and greatest. The only difference is now they have added in some vibrating razor of the same line? Dont know what the purpose of that would be to be honest with you. And if you look at electric razors you will see that there are 1-2 womens at most stores where mens there are 7-8. AND women have whole lot more area to shave than men do and the face is nothign when you compare sensitivity to the areas ladies shave!

Ok a bit off topic but shaving related none the less.

EDIT... before I get bashed by the men following this. I should clarify that most men... NOT all men are what I am referring to here.

MMMMMMM, lurker-ish!
I like the red ones best! But the black ones are good too.

sorry

Hahaha, I adore you

I am new to all of this - but I have noticed that my legs stay ice cold - except now that it is getting hot, they stay warmer but the are swelling like crazy! (I am also 6 months pregnant but have never swelled this bad this early). SO, I would say it is a combination. However, I have noticed that before, I had to shave my legs every other day, now I can go almost a week. It is like the hair growth has suddenly slowed way down (this is not the case for my underarms - just my legs). Is this crazy??

For me, the thing is, I was 12 when I was paralyzed, so I hadn't started shaving my legs yet even beforehand, so I don't know how you would do it normally! Like several other people here, I have fairly light hair, so I hadn't really bothered shaving, so I've just started shaving my legs recently and it's hard because it's a combination of figuring out how to shave my legs, just in general, combined with shaving my legs as a paraplegic. This topic has been immensely helpful, because I had no idea how to do it! I've found that sitting on the shower bench and propping my leg up on the side of the tub (on a towel usually) works decently. So thanks for all this information in the topic!

(Oh, yeah, I tried Nair once...turns out I'm allergic to it. *facepalm*)

Roll up a real fat joint and grab a pair of tweezers.
Time consuming but hey, time I got.
And they come out like a baby's beeeehind.

e

Im not a lurker Im a perv & only started looking at this thread incase there was pictures

I use hair removal cream, it lasts longer and no shaving cuts :-D

YOU ARE HILARIOUS!!! E-DOG!!

Anyway, I also use Veet and I don't even deal with the thighs because my hammies are SUPER tight. And so's my back. So I can't really deal with the thighs too well, and I'm impatient, so...

Hmmm, I say "so" a lot....

E-Dog you are classic!!

I've started to use Veet shower cream. Nair does stink!!