Skincare expert says we’ve shaved the wrong way — and it’s causing irritation

One skincare expert has said you could make an adverse shaving mistake that’s irritating your legs — and a simple change could make all the difference

Have you ever shaved your legs and left with irritated skin and those annoying little red bumps commonly referred to as “strawberry legs”?

Whether or not you shave is a personal choice, but it shouldn’t be comfortable after using a razor – which is why a skincare expert explained exactly what causes skin irritation during shaving and what we can do to stop it.

Joanna Kenny posted a video on Instagram to reveal that the biggest mistake we all make when shaving our legs comes from the direction we move the razor.

The UK beautician claimed that going against the hair and shaving from ankle to knee are more likely to cause irritation and red bumps, so always turn your razor over and shave down.

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Joanna, who posts under the username @joannajkenny, first shared an image from a razor commercial showing a woman shaving her leg before explaining why it’s wrong.

She said: “It’s images like this that are responsible for so many of us shaving our legs the wrong way. If you get irritation or strawberry legs after shaving, this could be the reason.

“I don’t usually shave my legs, but you’ll have to see for yourself.

“Turn the razor upside down and shave the leg away from you in the direction of the hair growth.

“Or don’t shave.

And Joanna – who is campaigning to end the stigma surrounding female body hair – captioned her video: “WE SHAVED WRONG. Are razor brands responsible for us shaving the wrong way? the same image of shaving the leg in their ads.

“Or is shame about visible female body hair responsible for the lack of education?”

Joanna, who also posted the video on her TikTok account (@joannajkenny), received several comments from people who were shocked to learn how to shave properly – as many of them had no idea.

One person said, “Okay, I’m 31 and I’ve been doing this wrong for TWENTY YEARS.”

While another added: “Why am I only learning this now at 31?”

And a third said: “25 years on this planet and I never knew.”

Shaving in the direction of the hair growth won’t give you as close a shave as it does against it, but the end result won’t be as irritating.

Joanna said, “Going against hair growth definitely gives a closer shave — unfortunately at the cost of irritation.”

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