Remove Leg Hair

Woman who is checking her legs for leg hair
 
Q: I have fairly pale skin and my leg hair is dark and thick, if I shave in the morning I usually have stubble by that night and definitely the next morning. When I shave I get black spots or can even see the hair underneath the skin.
 
What is an inexpensive method to remove hair to get smooth and beautiful legs? Would tanning my legs help kind of hide the black spots and the hair that is beneath the skin? Any suggestions and help would be great; looking forward to your response. Thank you.
 
A: It sounds as though the problem you have is a combination of factors. You have dark, thick leg hair that seems to grow rapidly combined with translucent skin which allows the stubble to be more visible combine to make even your recently shaved legs look unsightly.
 
I would recommend looking at a variety of different hair removal methods which may work better for you in your situation. You can try waxing or sugaring, where an adhesive is applied to the legs and removed using cloth/paper strips. The hair is pulled out from beneath the skin’s surface in most cases. The result is a smoother, longer lasting lack of hair. Depending on how deeply removed the hair is, this could resolve the visibility factor as well.
 
There is also the option of using depilatory creams to dissolve the hair at or below the skin’s surface. This has the benefit of making the hair ends finer and therefore the new growth is softer until it grows out sufficiently. This could also help minimize the hair’s appearance beneath the skin’s surface.
 
As for the visibility issue, if the use of waxing/sugaring or depilatory creams don’t eliminate the visibility of the hair beneath the skin’s surface, you can try using a “skin safe’ bleaching cream to lighten the leg hair stubble and diminish its appearance. In addition, while I would never suggest conventional sunbathing or tanning beds, you might want to consider using a sunless tanning product or bronzer to help add some color to your legs and make the hairs less visible. In fact, combining the bleaching of the stubble with sunless tanners and waxing or depilatory creams could give you the look you want.
 
A word of warning, though, some people – especially those with fair skin types – can be very sensitive to some depilatories, bleaches and other hair removal products. Be sure to perform a patch test on your skin in an out of the way place by dabbing a small amount of the product to be used. Allow the product swabbing to sit for 10-15 minutes and then wipe the area clean and wait 24-48 hours, watching for signs of possible reaction. If you see any redness or irritation where any product was placed, DO NOT USE that product on your skin.
 
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What product could I use to keep my legs looking shiny?