Painfully itchy legs after shaving

[Techno_Spice]

I need help! About 12-24 hours after shaving (never right away), I develop and overpowering itch on the shaved areas (legs, armpits too, although the legs tend to itch the worst). This itch is so bad that I have woken up in the night reflexively scratching my legs until they bleed.

I've tried all the suggestions the internet has to offer. I've tried:
- nearly every shave lotion the market has to offer, including organic ones and regular body wash.
- nearly every razor the market has to offer; I use replaceable-head razors (Venus Divine) and I replace the head frequently.
- tried lotioning my legs after, and before  after showering with both Aveeno and St. Ives Intensive Healing
- tried using baby oil after, and before & after
- tried using tea tree oil and various other organic itch-calming treatments

None of these have worked

Once the itch starts, there is very little that will end it. I've tried:
- Regular and intensive lotions
- Eucerin anti-itch calming lotion
- Aloe Vera sunburn treatment (I thought the aloe or lidocaine in it might stop the itch)
- Benedryl (just in case it was an allergy to something in my shaving creams)
- OTC Hydrocortisone cream

Nothing works to stop the itch after it has begun. Pretty much all I can do is scratch and hope the itch ends before I scratch down to blood. It is agonizing and keeps me up at night. The same itch happens with Nair as well, but not hair-buffing although I could never get that to work to remove hair very well.

My doctor has no idea and just keeps saying "try a different shaving cream". He's not a very good doctor but I don't have a lot of insurance in-network options there. Has anyone heard of this? Do I have no option but to stop shaving?

[jlsanti]

Not sure if this will help anyone else, but I read somewhere that organic apple cider vinegar helps with this condition (It has to be organic because it unfiltered and the "good stuff" is left in).  I have started using it daily.  I drink one tablespoon of it with a little honey and couple of ounces of water.  I have been doing this for about two weeks and I already see a huge improvement.  

I have also read that apple cider vinegar can be applied directly to itchy spots and I have done this as well.  It seems to help, but I think that drinking it is what is making the difference.  

Just like everyone else in this thread, I have tried everything under the sun!  Lotions, anti-itch creams, shaving, not shaving, waxing, razors.....the list goes on and on.  

I feel like between the organic apple cider vinegar and Eucerin Original Healing, Soothing Repair Lotion, I am definitely seeing some improvement.  If anyone tries this and has some success, please post.

[MissPepper]

This drives me nuts! Can I tell you how comforting it is that I'm not the only one? I just couldn't understand why everyone else's legs seemed so smooth and pretty, and mine are all red and bumpy and driving me crazy at night.

I soak epsom salts in olive oil, honey, and tea tree oil (only a few drops) and then I take a bit of that and a ton of coconut oil together, and rub that all over my body. It's the best thing that has worked so far, especially on my legs. It's not 100% guarantee for immediately after I shave. But when the combination of heat (whether from snuggling under a ton of blankets in the winter or because of summer's heat) AND shaving was making me cry it was so itchy, this became my life saver.

[Tasha505]

also try shaving with the hair, rather than against it

[MissPepper]

This drives me nuts! Can I tell you how comforting it is that I'm not the only one? I just couldn't understand why everyone else's legs seemed so smooth and pretty, and mine are all red and bumpy and driving me crazy at night.

I soak epsom salts in olive oil, honey, and tea tree oil (only a few drops) and then I take a bit of that and a ton of coconut oil together, and rub that all over my body. It's the best thing that has worked so far, especially on my legs. It's not 100% guarantee for immediately after I shave. But when the combination of heat (whether from snuggling under a ton of blankets in the winter or because of summer's heat) AND shaving was making me cry it was so itchy, this became my life saver.

[Mavis89]

I have read all these posts and I suffer with the same thing. I have suffered for about 6 years. I have given myself blisters and made myself bleed. I have changed my shaver many times, been to the doctors with no solution. I shaved not last night but the night before and my legs just started itching about half an hour ago, they never itch straight away. Please help me

[rebeccajoy]

After a horrible night of hours upon hours of insanely itchy and painful legs after showering and shaving around lunch time, I sat and read every single one of these replies. While I didn't find a cure all answer here, it actually was wonderful to know that i wasn't crazy or suffering alone. Anyone else I complained to about this problem just gave me a list of lotions to try and no sympathy. Sorry charlie, but i have tried just about every lotion under the sun.

This itchy legs phenomenon really only plagues me during the winter months. I am able to shave normally during the summer and use eucerin calming creme and all is well. I have a couple theories as to why this occurs, but no real answers. As others have mentioned, I think it has to do with the cold dry air drying out the skin, combined with shaving less often, there fore not enough exfoliation. And I believe the itchiness occurs as the hairs are trying to push back up through the skin. Which is why it is a few hours after the shave that it begins. Also, my leg hairs on the bottom part of my leg are thick and coarse and grow back extremely fast and in crazy directions.

The only solace I found during the bought was to get back in the shower and scrub like all heck with exfoliating wash and lufa. I believe that helped open up the hair follicles, so the hairs could push through easier. I then dried my legs and applied a crazy concoction of anything laying around I thought would sooth. consisting of: coconut oil, benadryl gel, aloe vera, tea tree oil, auquafor, and polysporin. mixed it all together and slathered it on, then topped it with tights and boot socks. ( as I find that when my legs get  cold and goose bumpy it intensifies) also, it added a barrier to the scratching.

The next day I went on amazon and ordered an electric shaver, an epilator and Nisim Kalo Post Epilating Lotion. No way I am I suffering though one more night of this. I just used the epilator (rotating dics pull the hairs out from the root, i didnt know before i read this thread) last night after exfoliating in the shower with hot water. It wasn't as painful as I was bracing myself for (i have never waxed my legs) not to say it felt good, but it wasn't anywhere as bad as the shaved leg itching. I am applying the lotion a few times a day, so far no itching, a little tender, a slight sunburned feeling of pain. now I will wait and see how bad the ingrown hairs are as they come back in (that was one of the biggest complaints on the reviews)

don't give up, you are not alone in your suffering!

[Cyndyloo]

Just shaved 12 - 24 hours ago and my legs are so itchy!! Went on here to find a solution but before I did that I applied TendSkin to my legs. I don't use it properly but I can tell you that it does relieve the itching for at least 12 or more hours. You can purchase on Amazon. Itching has decreased quite a bit now but I know it's not a real solution to the real problem but I thought I would share so that all could have some relief while we research a solution. Hope this helps some of you!