If your leg hair seems to magically reappear after you shave it, you’re one of many. Hairy leg woes strike countless women, leaving them at a loss as to what to do.
They wonder, “why does my leg hair grow so fast?” Luckily, there are some logical reasons behind fast-growing leg hair, and this article will shed light on them. Let’s get right into it!
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Why Does My Leg Hair Grow So Fast?
It’s all about genetics. This is why your leg hair grows so fast (or appears to be growing fast). If your genetic makeup indicates that your leg hair will grow in dark, that’s what will happen.
And if that’s the case for you, your dark leg hair may appear to be growing faster than someone with lighter leg hair. The truth is that darker hair stands out more than lighter hair as it grows back.
Textured, coarse leg hair will also be more noticeable than fine hairs. These factors do not indicate that your leg hair is growing faster than it should.
But if you measure your leg hair and find that it’s growing faster than ½ an inch per month, thank genetics. Your genes directly affect your hair’s length, thickness, and appearance.
How Fast Does Leg Hair Grow?
Research is a bit limited on the subject of leg hair growth. However, the general consensus via internet sources is that your leg hair grows about 1/2 inch per month, just like the hair on your head.
It is believed that the reason why your leg hair doesn’t grow as long as scalp hair is that it has a much shorter growth cycle: 1-1.5 months for leg hair vs. several years for scalp hair.
How Often to Shave Leg Hair
Regardless of how fast your leg hair grows, shaving is a quick and effective way to keep unwanted hair away. But how often should you do it? That’s what we’ll look at in this section.
Every One to Three Days
Although there are no hard and fast rules for shaving your legs, many women do so every one to three days. The specific frequency you choose will depend on how thick and dark your leg hair is.
Note: Daily leg shaving might cause ingrown hairs and skin irritation. It can also increase the likelihood of nicks and cuts.
So, we recommend spacing out your shaving sessions as much as you can and giving your skin a rest if it feels irritated after too much shaving.
3 Easy At-Home Ways to Get Rid of Leg Hair
There are several ways to get rid of leg hair at home, and they’re super popular. Continue reading to find out which method may be best for you.
1. Shaving
Shaving is the most common way to remove leg hair, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. How you shave ultimately determines whether this method is best.
Below are a few tips for how to get the smoothest shave possible.
- Shave in the shower. Try shaving in the shower if you haven’t already. The humidity will prep your hair follicles for the shaving process and make cleanup a breeze.
- Wait 15 minutes. Don’t start shaving the minute you get into the shower. Instead, wait 15 minutes for the dampness to penetrate your skin and soften your leg hair. Your shave will be smoother this way.
- Use warm water and shaving cream. The warm water will prep and hydrate your skin further, and the shaving cream will ensure the razor slides smoothly across your legs.
Tip: You can use conditioner as a substitute for shaving cream to remove unwanted hair.
Many people reach for the soap if they are out of shaving cream. However, soap can strip your skin of moisture and make shaving more difficult.
When shaving cream isn’t available, try using a hair conditioner instead. Just make sure it doesn’t contain minty ingredients that could aggravate nicks or cuts.
2. Waxing
If shaving isn’t your thing, waxing is an effective alternative. It requires you to apply hot wax to your legs and then forcibly pull the hair out at the root.
Most people say that the process is painful but that it’s also worth it. That’s because when you wax, you’ll have smoother legs for weeks versus days.
And as an added bonus, waxing regularly also results in softer leg hair.
Waxing your legs yourself can be intimidating, though. So, we suggest booking a waxing appointment the first time to observe how an expert does it before attempting to wax yourself.
Ready to wax your legs at home? Follow the tips below to make the process as smooth as your legs will be after your session.
- Ensure your hair is at the right length. To wax your legs properly, the hairs need to be about one-fourth of an inch long. If they are longer than this, the experience might be more painful. Any shorter, and you might not be able to rip the roots of the hairs out.
- Read the instructions on the wax kit. The instructions will vary depending on which wax treatment you’ve chosen. Take your time and read through them all for the best results.
- Don’t forget about aftercare. Caring for your legs after waxing them is just as important as waxing them carefully.
- Avoid anything that could irritate your skin, such as direct sunlight or piping hot showers.
- To avoid ingrown hairs and keep your legs smooth, exfoliate your legs 48 hours after waxing. After that, you can exfoliate two times a week.
- Give your legs plenty of TLC by moisturizing them after exfoliation – and don’t forget the sunscreen!
3. Hair Removal Creams
Not a fan of shaving or waxing? There is another option to consider. Hair removal creams work by dissolving hair proteins, leaving your legs hairless and smooth.
Veet, which is packed with vitamin E and aloe vera, is a tried-and-tested hair removal cream for sensitive skin. It has undergone extensive dermatological testing and is safe to use on your legs in addition to your underarms, bikini line, and arms.
Can You Stop Your Leg Hair from Growing?
There are a few procedures that can stop your leg hairs from growing (more on this below). However, such treatments can be pricey and require multiple sessions.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that they will permanently halt leg hair growth.
Two Professional Procedures to Get Rid of Leg Hair
Professional procedures give clients smoother legs that stay hairless for longer. Let’s explore two of the best below.
Laser Treatments
Laser hair removal treatments use a specialized laser to remove hair and discourage it from growing back. This procedure requires multiple sessions to treat as many hair follicles as possible. Many end up spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a complete treatment.
Good candidates for this treatment have dark, coarse leg hair that can easily absorb laser light.
Note: Laser treatments can cause hyperpigmentation in those with darker skin. So, a test spot treatment is highly recommended before going through with the procedure.
Electrolysis
With electrolysis, shortwave radio frequencies are delivered to your leg hair follicles via needles, destroying each hair follicle and preventing the hair from growing again.
Therefore, this is a permanent leg hair removal solution. It usually requires multiple sessions, each lasting between fifteen minutes to an hour.
While the treatment usually isn’t painful, anesthetic cream is sometimes applied to make the experience more comfortable.
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There you have it – a clear explanation of why your leg hair may be growing fast (or appears to be growing fast). We hope you’ve found this article informative and that you now have the knowledge you need to take charge of your leg hair struggles.
Kenneth Byrd holds a BS in Accounting and Management Information Systems and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. With over 15 years of experience, Kenneth has been dedicated to hair care since 2008, when he co-founded Curl Centric® and Natural Hair Box alongside his wife. As a team, they promote healthy hair care practices through their comprehensive platform, Curl Centric. Curl Centric is a website operated by a husband and wife team that encourages healthy hair care. At Curl Centric, we aim to help our readers take control of their hair care journey and make good decisions about products, hairstyles, and maintenance techniques. We also have strict editorial integrity; here’s an explanation of our editorial guidelines and how we make money.