OK, I have thick, Bohemian hair. If I don't shave every day, I have to wait a week or it hurts. Also, the hair pattern is swirly all over my legs so I have to shave in like 4 directions to be completely smooth, especially on my thighs.

I have tried so many different shaving products, and none of them helped. I even tried those hair softening moisturizers (they don't work). The best product I found was Shave Secret, but because it was clove oil, it clogged my razor after every swipe. It was far too time consuming to have to wipe the blades constantly.

I have also tried other hair removal methods, but shaving is the best and most affordable. I use Venus disposables, and besides the oil the best product I've used is my hair conditioner, actually.

I'm wondering what my fellow thick-haired women use to shave and how often you do it.

I use an epilator which is more convenient than waxing. It's a bit more money upfront, but the machine will last you years. Over time the hairs seem to grow back finer. I shave after if I want to be extra smooth. Recently I epilated and then shaved right before my trip and had not have to shave at all for a week.

I use the Gillette Phantom Fusion razor (yeah, the man kind ;) ) and any kind of Skintimate gel. It works better than the other ones I have tried and the blades stay sharp for a good amount of time.

I use Skintimate Shave Gel and Schick Quattro razor. It works for me, but I cannot wait for laser hair removal.

I use Venus.
I'll use body wash or hair conditioner in place of gel and use very hot water to rinse my blade. I just fill up a little bucket.

I use Venus Embrace or Divine w/ BEs Five Oil Blend - it's an all natural oil thats very lightweight, so it doesn't clog my razor. This gives me the closest shave minus any irritation. ITA w/ Erica though - the laser would be a life-saver!

I use Venus Embrace and Gilette Quattro razors. They both work great for a close shave. I use Aveeno Skin Relief body wash as a shave gel. I would love to get laser hair removal if I was rich enough, lol. I have large pores on my armpits and legs, and even with a super close shave, you can still see black dots everywhere where my pores are. :(

I use the Sensor for my underarms and for the rest I use a sugar wax I make at home. If your hair is that thick maybe the sugar wax will work for you as its a Middle Eastern method. There are videos on youtube showing how its done. There are also recipes on how to make it yourself if you search.

I use the normal Venus blades, and for some reason, I find soap works better for shaving than anything else for me. Right now I'm using Tval's (something like Lush, but it's a St. John's only shop) handmade green tea ice cream-scented soap. I always rinse it after every other swipe or so, and sometimes I use a Q-tip to clean it with rubbing alcohol afterwards.

I use Schick Quattro for men. Works really well for me, and I like you am Bohemian! But I have to go over each area about 4 times....not because initially I'm very hairy, but because I want to be completely smooth. I've been wanting to try an epilator but am a little nervous of the pain!

I always use old conditioner or a Philosophy 3-in-1 to shave. As for razors, I've been using cheapy disposables, but I'm realizing it's worth the cost to go back to Venus or Mac3 blades. They do a better job and last longer, so even though they're expensive it's a better buy for me.

I want to try an epillator, but I'm a little bit chicken :)

I use Gillette Shave Gel and the Venus Embrace Razor. This razor gives me the smoothest shave out of any others I've tried.

Wow, thanks ladies! Well, after reviewing all of the replies, the only thing I never considered was sugaring. I looked into it, and I am going to try it. I'll post with my experience. I love that it is natural and can be home made.

I used to use the crazy expensive guy's razors. They work well, but they are so expensive. I found that Venus disposables were the best bang for my buck. Still, I hate shaving. Just like Sammy775, I HAVE to be completely smooth when I do shave, so it takes me a long time no matter how awesome the blades are. It's all or nothing, it seems. ;)

I have let my legs go about a week, so next Monday I will try sugaring at least on my calves. I'll let you all know how it works! If this proves too hard to get used to for summer, I will shave again until winter and try again so I can get my hair used to being pulled out and growing back finer (hopefully). It shouldn't be too bad, since I always wear pants anyway.

Wish me luck! :)

here's a clip about the sugar waxing. Just beware the Alexandria brand is not a true sugar wax as they add other ingredients to make it thick and sticky. It should just have sugar, water and lemon juice. You might have to play around with a consistency by heating it to a certain temperature. I heat mine to 250c but I think I prefer 225c for my next batch.
http://www.alexandria-intl.com/us_store/index.html

Thanks, squirrel. I will try to make it myself this time. If it's too hard, I'll find some pre-made. Good to know about the temperature. I'll need a thermometer, but we should have one anyway. :)

It's very easy to make, you just need to watch the temp so it doesnt burn. www.lialywax.com looks pretty good though. There are different temps to heat to depending on the type of hair you have. I dont really have much hair but you know its kind of fun doing the waxing. Maybe cos I dont have much hair. I thought about doing it professionally but I dont want to wax men.

I also SHOULD shave daily but unfortunatly I am way too lazy. If it really bothers you there are a couple of things that you can do: you can wax (which is much healthier and takes the hairs out for up to a month) or have you ever considered trying to get laser done? I know that it is really effective for people with thick and dark hair. You could remove it for a lifetime if you are willing to invest.

I use Skintimate Shave Gel and Schick Quattro razor. It works for me, but I cannot wait for laser hair removal.

I agree! I work for a marketing company and just started promoting Schick's Quattro for Women. I tried it out and loved it. It gave me a smooth clean shave that lasted a few days. What a treat!:)

According to the May issue of Self magazine the best shaving cream is Johnson's 2-in-1 Shower and Shave Wash, $5.00. "A multitasker that saves coveted bathroom space (not to mention valuable morning minutes), this shave cream lets you skip postshower lotion. Testers said it "gives a close shave," "leaves skin soft" and "gets the jobs of shaving and hydrating done." HTHS!