ive had kp as long as i can remember. the worst is on my arms and thighs. ive always had trouble with shaving my legs because they never get smooth and the razor seems to irritate it even more, so i stopped shaving my upper legs about six months ago. summers coming and im embarrassed to go in a swimsuit... any suggestions?

Well I'm not that smart when it comes to this but I do have the same problem but I just decided not to worry about it and not show it to anybody. How about using Veet? you know the razorless shaving thing...

I don't shave above the knee, but I have pale & fine hair on my body. (This includes eyebrows and eyelashes which are almost nonexistent, so it's not without drawbacks.) My husband says it's not un-sexy to have some hair on the body. If yours is dark though, instead of shaving or depilatories (which have always burned my skin and left rashes), try just bleaching it. Bleach creams from somplace like Sally's beauty supply are cheap enough that if you don't like it, it's no big deal. And the results are very long lasting, like a couple of weeks. And unless you have somebody getting reeeal close to you, nobody will notice the fuzz.

I've had trouble shaving my legs as well, when the kp on my calves worsened. Veet just irritates my skin and doesn't get rid of all the hair anyway. I have found that acid creams (bha or prescription with urea are the ones I've tried) help a bit. Although these creams didn't really help with the look or feel of my skin, they seemed to help just enough that I could shave without too much irritation. I'm on to oil pulling now and had similar results with it, as well as other benefits that aren't kp-related. If you want to try OP, see the thread "worst case of KP cured naturally" (sorry i don't know how to make the link). Make sure you have a nice soothing moisturizer too... I like shea butter stuff as it it good for very dry skin and doesn't seem to irritate sensitive skin. Good luck.

wet your legs, then put a coating of Vaseline on, then apply shaving gel, then shave.
much better shave, the blade glides alot easier and smoother.

I'm wondering about laser hair removal. Because it would remove the hair, isnt that less kp because the hair is not coiled up inside? Also, of course, that means no shaving and therefore no irritation. Plus, my guess is that with the hair gone, AHA lotions might have a better success rate since there is less to block it going into the skin.

leg hair removal is a great idea and it would work, but thats alot of hair to treat both legs might be expensive.

Honestly, i'd rather get rid of all the hair now while i'm young. Sure it's a lot of money, but if it helps build your confidence and get rid of your skin condition, why not? I'd rather spend money on myself like that than on clothes or something stupid that i won't care about in a month or will have to throw out.

go on this website: Waxing and Hair Removal Products from Veet

I shave my legs and dont really get any irritation.. if anything it makes my legs super smooth and i finish with some lotion...=)

Shaving just irritates my skin and gives me nasty ingrown hairs. I have been using veet for about 4 years now. The hair is alot less now and alot finer and I only have to veet my legs every 2-3 weeks instead of shaving everyday.

I use the veet 3 minute hair removal creme for sensitive skin. It makes my legs super smooth and it's some thing that I couldn't live without. It's even great for sensitive areas. Give it a try.

Electric shavers can help a lot!

It doesn't matter that some of them are designed for men, everyone can use them. There are many brands, price ranges ($14.00- $300+) and even wet & dry mechanisms.


I like to use the ones with individual heads. These heads adjust to every contour of your body. Some people (like my father) use them near moles, so they don't bleed. It gives the closest shave, without hurting the skin or irritating.
I even shave my arms with it!

I use an electric razor.. you can buy one (for women) as little as 20 dollars that you can shave in or out of the shower. Or at the very least, when I shave I rub oil or vitamin oil on my legs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil helps keep moisture in, and glides across your skin easier than just the shaving foam (causing less irritation).
My Kp was at its worst when I tried to use a chemical remover on it (nair, and veet).
waxing irritates it, but then again, it doesn't irritate it that long, and you get to spend a couple weeks not worrying about your legs.

But most important, try the electric razor.

Hi Justine

I personally find that veet and similar creams irritate my skin horribly and I can't bear the thought of those chemicals! Laser hair removal is only suitable for darker hair, and wax strips have caused my KP to flare up terribly. So the best thing I have found is to use an electric shaver followed by lots of unperfumed moisturiser or even better, sweet almond oil. The resulting shave may not be quite as close as wet shaving but my skin is never irritated by this method and my KP is unaffected by it. In fact, the appearance of my legs is improving and I think this mthod of shaving may be the reason. If wet shaving, try using a protecting shaving cream instead of foam etc - Ambrosia by Lush is excellent and does not irritate at all. I use it underarms. LUSH Fresh Handmade Soaps and Natural Cosmetics


All the best!

firstly waxing!

I do it all the time and it beats shaving by far and makes exfoilation much easier but when I have to shave my legs exfoliation with a natural soap before, during and after.