Nevermore is it necessary for the hairless look than when it comes to swimming.  Recent studies have shown that hairless swimmers can swim further, faster and will lower active drag than those who are unshaven. 

Shaving for a swimmers' body

To create your perfect swimmers body, it's important to have a safe and close shave on parts of your body that you might not ordinarily shave. Take time to prepare the skin for shaving, if you aren't used to it. Use an oil-based skin wash and shaving oil so that the skin is prepared and supple.  Oil based products can have a deep oil coating within the skin and a surface layer of oil so that the blade passing over the skin cuts the hair as close as possible, whilst causing the least potential damage to the skin.  Here are our top tips to preparing your body for a close swimmers shave:

Shaving arm and armpit hair

When passing the blade over the skin, use only light pressure, and ensure that the blade is sharp and as clean as possible. For tips on keeping blades sharper and cleaner for longer, look at our patent-pending Blaidmat. 

Shaving chest hair

Like when shaving the arm or armpit hair, ensure the skin is prepared with an oil-based wash and shaving oil. After shaving ensure you use a soothing lotion or after shaving balm. This has the effect of smoothing the surface layer of the skin, helping nourish the hair root and rejuvenating the surface skin. 

This will have the dual effect of reducing skin irritation, but also having oil-based products helps expel water - an added benefit when shaving for swimming. 

Shaving legs

Legs often present both the softest skin, and some of the most tricky angles to shave. Start first with the flat parts of the leg; the thigh, the shin and the calf. Move the blade slowly over these areas, applying light and gentle strokes. Clean the blade after each pass.  It is better to have more light strokes than fewer pressured strokes. 

Leave the tighter angles around the knee and ankle until last. Take extra time here, with small strokes of light force. Use your wrist to move the blade as much as possible, so that the razor and your hand flex around the contours of your skin, rather than the blade digging in. 

Take your time, use new and sharp blades with plenty of shaving oil or your preferred shave product.

If you are trying a new product for the first time, always sample it on a small part of skin first to ensure there is no adverse reaction, and make sure you continue to shave in a three-stage process. 

Shaving oil and your skin 

Shaving oil offers one of the best options for achieving a hairless swimmers body. It nourishes and protects the skin before, during and after shaving, and has the added advantage of building a short-term layer of water-repelling oil. All combined, this will help reduce active drag and skin irritation at the same time. 

To learn more about oil based skin washes and shaving oils, take a look at our colour collection.