Tips for using the Cleancut Shavers and Trimmers.

1. First, remember the initial cutting is going to take some time. Don't think you're going to get it done in the half hour before dinner. Pencil in an hour plus, open some wine, put on some music. What better way to waste an hour?

2. Trim hair to SHORT stubble with the Cleancut PS335 or PS334 Trimmer (or other trimmer of your choice.) Usually you can just drag it over the area to be shaved. But be careful, some trimmers can bite. Biting is VERY unlikely with our Cleancut PS335 or PS334 Trimmers, but treat all cutting devices with respect when you're working "down there." Keep skin (especially loose skin) pulled tight and flat with your fingers. If using a trimmer other than our Cleancut Trimmers try to keep the metal blades from direct contact with the skin (easier said than done.) Try to get it as short as possible without getting pinched.

3. Did we mention that the hair needs to be trimmed short, VERY SHORT? Preferably like a man's 5 o'clock shadow. Almost all the problems with the performance of the Cleancut Shavers are caused by not getting the hair short enough with the initial trim. If using a Cleancut Trimmer go against the grain (direction of hair growth) for the shortest "stubble," go with the grain on areas you want short but don't intend to shave (see #6 below.) Cut long “stragglers” that escape the trimmer with scissors. Again, be careful.

4. Apply baby powder to the area trimmed with the trimmer and rub area by hand (tough duty.) You don’t need too much. It acts as a dry lubricant for the Cleancut Shavers. You’ll know if you need to apply more. We recommend a medical grade corn starch based powder like our Sween Body Powder.

5. Use a Cleancut Shaver to cut the stubble left by the Cleancut Trimmer (or other) trimmer. Start with light pressure and a circular motion. If some hairs aren’t getting cut they may be too long or have a natural growth direction nearly parallel to the skin. Try cutting the offending hairs shorter with the scissors and pulling a Cleancut Shaver “against the grain” or direction of hair growth. Some customers report that they drag their finger tip over the skin ahead of the Cleancut's foil…this gives them an idea of where the rough spots are and briefly "lifts" the hair allowing a Cleancut Shaver to cleanly shave it. You can also “fold” the skin slightly in the area being shaved to straighten up the hairs so a Cleancut Shaver can get them as you pull it against the grain.

6. Using a Cleancut Shaver is kind of like making microwave popcorn. You can actually hear the hairs as they are being cut. As you continue to make passes over the area the sound of cutting hairs becomes less frequent. When you don't hear anymore hairs being cut (or it becomes fairly infrequent) you can be pretty sure you are done…just like microwave popcorn. Remember, the more times you go over an area with the Cleancut Shaver the smoother it gets.

7. The frontal area over the pubic bone can be difficult to trim because the hair there tends to grow nearly parallel to the skin. This also increases the chance of ingrown hairs. Some folks that are particularly susceptible to ingrown hairs may opt to just trim this area short and not shave this area with a Cleancut Shaver. A trim "against the grain" with the Cleancut Trimmer gives a bare look, but leaves enough hair exposed to prevent most ingrown hairs…"stubbly" but looks good and works well for folks plagued by ingrown hairs.

8. Some folks are just prone to razor rash and ingrown hairs - other folks (the lucky ones) never get them. But if you do get them, they are a royal pain. They hurt, itch and look ugly. NOT what we are trying to accomplish here. There are a few things you can do. First, if you know you are prone to them in specific areas don't shave those spots. Trim the problem areas closely with the Cleancut Trimmer (against the grain) but just make sure you leave a LITTLE hair (stubble) in these areas. Second, use one of our ingrown hair treatments. We've had customers test both of our ingrown hair products and we pretty much all agree. PFB Vanish is the favorite for ease of use and feel, and its works great for most folks. But for really tough cases our customers report that Bikini Saver Plus can't be beat. It is much better to use an ingrown hair treatment BEFORE you get them. But they still help a lot even if you wait until AFTER you get them. And yes, the problem will naturally ease up the longer you shave. It can take time for this area to toughen up and get used to shaving, similar to the way a man’s face gets accustomed to repeated shaving.

8. Sometimes you'll get an ingrown hair that you just need to deal with RIGHT NOW. Usually you can see them just under the surface of the skin. In such cases we like to use our needle tip tweezers and use the needle tip to reach under the skin and gently lift the hair above the surface. Don't pluck it; just lift it out from under the skin. Try not to shave that hair until the redness subsides, usually just a day or two. Then shave as normal. If you use an ingrown hair treatment that is usually the last time that particular hair will bug you.

9. If you have a hair that continues to be a problem you can try plucking it. Grab a good set of tweezers and pluck the little rascal out. Works about half the time. The rest of the time it just continues to be a pain until the skin gets used to shaving. But plucking can give a week or so of relief. Just don't get carried after plucking every problem hair.

10. The best tip we can give you to make shaving a pleasant experience is to shave everyday. It is sooo much easier if you do a maintenance shave every day. Really. Make it a daily routine. If you have a significant other, it can be great fun to shave each other daily, say right before bed. Again daily. Not every other day or once a week, but daily. You be much more pleased with the results.

11. Last, there is some debate about if it is better to shave before or after bathing/showering. The conventional wisdom is that it is better to shave before bathing because the skin swells slightly after bathing. But....we have found, that at least with the ol hot tub, you are better to shave after tubbing. Just let things cool down and dry out. Wander around for a while. Then shave. Seems to work better for us.

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