I mentioned in my last post that I had started using an electric razor to shave my legs. I wanted to touch on that a bit more. I’m thinking that some gals might not realize how much damage it could be doing to their histamine levels. It took me quite a while to realize what it was doing to mine, because it was so normal to have razor burn and hives due to showering and shaving.
When I was first starting to shave my legs, my Mom gave me an electric razor. I guess she figured I could do less damage to myself with it. After I got older and started using blades, I never thought about using an electric shaver again. I always thought of it as a “starter” device, or something other people used for whatever reason.
I gave up on the hot showers a month or so ago realizing that the hot water was causing hives on my legs, but even while bathing, I was still using a razor to shave. It didn’t matter if the blades were sharp or dull or expensive or cheap, I’d inflict myself with a healthy dose of razor burn and then break out into such as itch I’d tear at my legs for a half hour. And nothing I used on them could stop the maniacal itch! Everything made it worse. Even my beloved olive oil. So it was during a bout of horrible self mutilation that I determined I should try an electric razor.
I bought a twenty dollar wet/dry version at Target and tried it that same day. What a difference. Absolutely no problem. No itching and no hives. I’ve learned not to apply olive oil (as a moisturizer) until about a half hour to an hour later though. My legs are still a bit sensitive and will react mildly unless I leave some time between shaving and “oiling.”
But I’m here to tell you that my legs have never looked or felt better. As long as I maintain my low histamine diet, take baths instead of showers, and use the electric razor, my legs no longer torture me with constant itching. My skin has totally healed and cleared. I no longer have rough dry patches, and I no longer have red itchy bumps. I don’t think they’ve looked this good in years!
It’s funny, even this far into my understanding of histamine intolerance, I still thought of my itching legs as a separate issue. Ever since I can remember, I have always had itching legs. I always got hives after showers and shaving always made me burn and itch. These were just facts of life. Little did I know, or have any understanding, that there was a bigger picture. It wasn’t just the weather changing or my pants rubbing. It was probably histamine intolerance on a milder level. Once menopause struck and pushed my levels up, my entire body started to react and call attention to the problem. But before that, it was just a skin thing.
So ladies, if you see yourself in this post, go out and buy that electric razor and a big bottle of olive oil. You too can have silky, hive free legs again!
The menopause histamine connection 
One of the many benefits of post menopause is very little hair growth. I occasionally pluck a couple of hairs from my legs and that’s about it. Have you tried the razor on your underarms? I still have to shave those occasionally.
Yes I use it on my underarms too. Works great. I’m not sure I’ll ever be to the point where I’m just plucking a few hairs, I’m a hairy little beast!
I used to get horribly itchy legs after shaving – especially if I went to the beach that day! The salt water was torturous to my freshly shaven legs!
I’ve been using an epilator for years and years and never have itchy legs – and, I only need to use it every few weeks. 🙂
Is that the thing that pulls your hair out?! I’ve been afraid to try that. I still use an electric razor.
I mentioned in my last post that I had started using an electric razor to shave my legs. I wanted to … fwomeno.wordpress.com
I don’t especially like smelling like olive oil….would almond oil do the same thing?
No it’s the specific properties of olive oil that help heal.
I’ll definitely buy me an electric razor now. Usually the only lotion I could use to calm my itchy legs was Vaseline Intensive Care with Calming and hypoallergenic in it. Or the Dial Intensive Care moisturizer 7 days healing for intense itching. Both seemed to work well, but I was not shaving my legs often. (Hey it’s winter, my hair keeps my legs warm, lol.) But I did notice, I did not have to shave my under arms often. I did also wonder about an epilator, but thought that would hurt, so I did use an electric razor. I need to get a new one.