Nair Shower Power For Men
I wrote this article two years ago, but since spring is finally here I thought it was worth reprinting since a lot of guys will be doing some manscaping real soon…
Sorry ladies, but this product review is not for you. There is nothing in this post that would be of the least bit of interest to you. Please do yourself a favor and skip this post and come back next week.
OK guys, now that the ladies are out of the room, let me tell you how lucky we are. Guys often joke about the reason their wife or girlfriend is in a bad mood. I have decided that female mood swings have nothing to do with hormones—they are just ticked off by the fact they have to shave their legs!
I’ve been cycling for ten years and had never thought about shaving my legs until this year. There are many reasons cyclists shave their legs, such as making your legs easier to massage, easier clean-up when you crash, and sometimes just to make your muscles pop. I decided to shave my legs so I could use embrocation creams when I ride in the rain or in cold weather (I like the DZ Nuts InHeat Embrocation Cream).
My legs are about as hairy as Bigfoot, so I trimmed them with a body groomer first. The very thought of shaving my legs with a razor conjured up images of the bloody shower scene in Scarface. So, I decided to skip the razor and take the easy route with Nair Shower Power For Men. This is a chemical product (like lye) that you apply to your legs, wait a few minutes, and then wash off the chemicals (and your leg hair) in the shower. The directions are easy to follow and if you follow them correctly most of your leg hair will be gone. However, along with the hair you are also going to lose a layer of skin and have chemical burns that make you look like you’ve worked in a damaged Japanese nuclear reactor. In addition, the next day you will probably have red bumps all over your legs due to ingrown hairs.
A 5.1 ounce tube of Nair Shower Power For Men sells for around $10 and is good for about two applications. I’ve used this product twice and will not be trying it again.
After talking with other cyclists I decided to try another product, Nair For Men Body Cream. This product is about half the price of Nair Shower Power For Men and is a bit easier on your skin, but still nothing I would recommend—too many ingrown hairs.
Finally, I decided to just shave my legs with a disposable razor. However, since I did not want ingrown hairs I shaved them with a Bump Fighter Razor, a product usually used by African-American men to prevent ingrown facial hairs. This product worked like a charm! The Bump Fighter Razor is not sold everywhere—I found mine at a local CVS Drugstore and then ordered the refills from Amazon.com. In addition to being a great razor the Bump Fighter Razor is a lot cheaper than Gillette Mach 3 razors and gives a better shave and I haven’t had an ingrown hair since I started using them.
Chatter Master
March 21, 2013 at 6:52 AM
I swear I did not read this. 🙂
All Seasons Cyclist
March 21, 2013 at 6:28 PM
I’m glad you didn’t read it. Every time I read some woman’s blog that has a warning on it for men to stay out I always regret it later (there are some images that are just to difficult to get out of your mind).
Chatter Master
March 22, 2013 at 4:54 AM
To be honest, if a woman says don’t read it, I probably WON’T read that one. Wait, no, really, I did not read this!! 😉
But yes, some of those images us women don’t want in our heads either!
Irish Katie
March 23, 2013 at 12:46 AM
Hey you….fancy meeting you here!
Chatter Master
March 23, 2013 at 9:11 PM
Hi Ya! 🙂
k
March 21, 2013 at 8:18 AM
I haven’t commented much, but I do, respectfully, disagree. There’s plenty here to interest everyone, and as a pragmatic person who also happens to be a woman, I find it fascinating for a number of reasons when people who don’t often openly discuss grooming do so in a public forum. Plus, it’s purely a marketing coup that we can be fooled to think that gender grooming needs are as different as night and day. My opposite-sex significant other and I share a mix of grooming products aimed at both men and women because of how they work for us. Getting fussy is a waste of time for us. 😀
If there are any chemical hair removers formulated for “sensitive” “women’s” skin out there, you might try those… but it sounds like you found the combination that works for you, which is great. Don’t ever let pink packaging scare you away from a good find.
All Seasons Cyclist
March 21, 2013 at 6:30 PM
I just don’t think my wife and I will ever be sharing grooming products. She is a “girly girl” and I can’t ever picture her using my body wash (“Axe Snake Peel Shower Scrub”), nor do I want to smell like her moisturizer (but it smells awesome on her).
st sahm
March 21, 2013 at 9:07 AM
^ I swear I didn’t read this either!!
By pure coincidence may I randomly and politely suggest a product by Noxzema with an ingredient called capislow…a shaving cream for women that softens and shrinks hair follicles. After a few weeks it minimizes growth. You burly men might not like the scent (refreshing cucumber melon) but if you presoak your legs in warm water there shouldn’t be irritation or any rash. It’s very gentle.
All Seasons Cyclist
March 21, 2013 at 6:45 PM
Presoak the legs in warm water? I take two showers every day, but I don’t think I’ve actually sat in a bath tub since I was about eight years old. I am afraid that if I started “presoaking” my legs that my testosterone level would fall and I’d probably start watching reruns of Oprah — not to mention that two of my sons (both veterans of the war in Iraq) would probably run me out of the house.
st sahm
March 21, 2013 at 9:40 PM
Hahaha!!!
frankoshanko
March 21, 2013 at 9:09 AM
This confirms that I won’t be using ANY such products!
All Seasons Cyclist
March 21, 2013 at 6:45 PM
Good choice!
samlowephoto
March 21, 2013 at 12:12 PM
When I first started shaving the gams years ago, I tried a host of depilatories. Why? I feared the razor, and just didn’t relish the idea of looking like squirrels routinely attacked my legs while I was out on the bike in shorts.
I thought I had found a great product, it was a Sally Hansen hair removal cream. After several uses, I had an experience that felt as if the cream had been switched out for battery acid. Not fun. It was then that I invested in a proper electric trimmer, high quality razor, and equally high quality creams.
I’ve never looked back. Yes, it requires more maintenance, but, like you, I’ve come to appreciate winter embrocations (my favorite is the Rapha “Mt. Ventoux”) and all-in-all, combined with all the other work I do — a regimented training plan, diet plan, training wheels vs. race wheels, etc., I can simply view this as yet another investment in my cycling performance.
Plus…it’s like self-pampering. After all, isn’t one of the reasons that we ride to feel good? As in really, really good?
All Seasons Cyclist
March 21, 2013 at 6:48 PM
I’ve never tried the Rapha “Mt. Ventoux” embrocation cream, but will have to put it on the list. I love being able to ride in shorts in cold weather with the creams. However, it is still too early for the embrocation cream where I live — it was only 9 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday morning (with a wind chill of around -10F).
Urban Rider
March 21, 2013 at 8:36 PM
I didn’t read it either. Promise. Nair has a product for course hair safe for the bikini line. It is called Nair pretty…you could ask your wife to pick it up for you. 🙂
Otherwise once you’ve shaved your legs, it really doesn’t take very long to do them regularly. There are shave gels and creams available in a pump rather than aerosol, so it’s a bit better environmentally.
All Seasons Cyclist
March 21, 2013 at 10:45 PM
Thanks for the info! I might actually try this — and yes, I will ask my wife to pick it up for me. 🙂
stumblingtowardgrace
March 22, 2013 at 7:24 AM
I’ll admit I read it. I’m always on the lookout for good shaving products. Especially ones that don’t leave bumps. I’m going to give those razors a try (and I hate the smell of Nair).
I’m a girly girl too. And the whole manscaping trend is distressing. I understand cyclists doing it. I really do. But … ah heck I LIKE the burly look!
All Seasons Cyclist
March 23, 2013 at 9:59 PM
Yeah, my wife kind of likes the burly look on me as well (which is a good thing — I think I would look really bad in a dress).
Irish Katie
March 23, 2013 at 12:45 AM
Hahaha … like stumblingtowardgrace I too read it. Warnings …pfffft.
And what is wrong with a razor? *waves mine around like its a sparkler*
All Seasons Cyclist
March 23, 2013 at 10:00 PM
Katie, it’s that waving around of sharp objects that gets men scared (especially when said sharp object is in the hands of a redhead).
Irish Katie
March 24, 2013 at 12:10 AM
Heheh….you know you can always get away. Just bobbit to the left or right…errr…I meant ‘bob’ to the left or right. *grins*
All Seasons Cyclist
March 24, 2013 at 8:38 AM
Now that was funny *he says as he covers his important areas*
elisariva
March 23, 2013 at 7:37 AM
Come on – tell me not to and I will just out of curiosity! Welcome to my world. Nothing beats a good razor and effective shaving cream. Soap will never do. Word of causion – be careful when shaving the area by the outside ankle. So easy to remove a few layers of skin. Ask any woman, we all have scars there.
All Seasons Cyclist
March 23, 2013 at 10:02 PM
I’ve already discovered the tender area around the ankle! WOW — does that area bleed or what? The first time I cut myself there I thought I was going to need a blood transfusion before it was over.
Urban Rider
March 24, 2013 at 2:10 AM
You need to keep a styptic pencil on hand for such occasions. My boyfriend has one for when he cuts his face shaving. The styptic pencil stops the bleeding.
Jean
March 23, 2013 at 9:28 AM
I scanned out of curiosity. My partner will never shave and that’s fine by me. He cycles daily. He complains enough about shaving his face and keeping his beard looking even when he’s still sleepy.
I no longer have to worry about shaving techniques….my genes are such that I’m becoming hairless as I grow older. (No kiddin’.)
All Seasons Cyclist
March 23, 2013 at 10:03 PM
I have to shave my face every single day or else I look like a homeless man on skid row! In fact, sometimes I have to shave twice a day (and that is no fun at all).
cupcaketravels
March 24, 2013 at 10:51 AM
Oh and when you do cut that area around your ankle -don’t to the first thing that comes to mind and stick it under the running shower – it will sting twice as bad!
Yes I read it too… I like the sound of those embrocation creams.
All Seasons Cyclist
March 24, 2013 at 4:43 PM
Too late for the advice about sticking my foot under the running shower — another lesson learned to late. On the other hand, the embrocation creams are fantastic!
canadianinjersey
March 25, 2013 at 9:02 PM
Welcome to the pack. I joined the shaved peleton 2 seasons ago. My wife wasn’t thrilled with the look, but I like it, partly for practicality, and partly… I don’t know why. I haven’t tried any of the depilatory creams, but the Bump Fighter razors were my favourites — until I went retro on shaving in general and bought a double-edge razor. It’s more trouble than a regular razor but works way better. You have to experiment with the combination of blades and razor. I’ve got a Merkur adjustable razor, and for the blades, I use Merkur for shaving my face, and the slightly less sharp, and less expensive, Wilkinson blades for my legs. Double-edge blades are generally quite a bit cheaper than cartridge blades, and I’ve grown to love the closeness of the shave, in spite of the greater risk of nicks if you get careless.
All Seasons Cyclist
March 25, 2013 at 10:25 PM
This will be my third year with shaved legs — any way I do seems to take a lot of time!
bgddyjim
April 3, 2013 at 12:36 PM
I have two Gillette Sensor razors (four or five blades, who can remember anymore – I remember when three was a big deal). I use a new tip on my face for two or three weeks (they say up to five, but not with my beard) and then switch the old razor to the shower where I use that one on my legs until the next face razor is ready. I’ve only ever cut my kneecap one time and have never had problems with ingrown hairs. Also, I’m not ashamed, I shaved mine at first because they interwebz said to, once I learned (two days later) that it was bogus I kept shaving them because my legs look AWESOME!
All Seasons Cyclist
April 3, 2013 at 1:59 PM
I start shaving my legs in the spring so I can use the embrocation creams — then I end up shaving them all summer because I like to see the calf muscles pop — they really do stand out when the hair is gone!
bgddyjim
April 3, 2013 at 4:35 PM
They most certainly do.
Robert Paul Ellentuckw
July 30, 2013 at 6:00 AM
You can find a moisturizer with Capislow in it. Therefore you have to shave less frequently. Takes muck less time. No bleeding involved in moisturizing.