Arms N Legs - Do You Wax or Shave?? Ingrown Hair Issues :(

Almost 50, I've always shaved & I've never experienced what you're describing.
Maybe you should see a dermatologist?
Good luck!

When I was younger I had lots of problems with ingrown hair and razor burn when I shaved. My dermatologist had M. get "Amlactin" which is an over the counter lotion (you can get it at Wal-Mart). I was probably 16 yrs old at the time, so it has been a while... :)

I did see Amlactin the other day at Wal-Mart while getting eczema lotion for my daughter, so I know it's still there.

I would put the Amlactin on pretty much any time (but usually after shaving). To be quite honest, it would BURN...like sting...when I put it on. It helped with the bumps by dealing with the dry skin build-up. My legs didn't look or feel like they were dry, but the little bumps all over were basically a build-up of skin. You might try this lotion and see if it helps.

Since then, I had laser hair removal. My doctor's office does it for pretty cheap in my opinion.... it cost M. $500 to do my lower legs (knee down). This one price covered 5 treatments, and while I do still have a few stray hairs and the blonde hairs will never zap away, I am very happy to say that I can easily go 1-2 weeks without shaving my legs and no one even notices the strays. I know a lot of places charge a ton for laser hair removal (most dermatologist offices offer it). I am SO glad I did this, though. It saves M. time and money (I maybe go through a pack of razor blades every 2 years). Aside from LASIK, this was the best money I ever spent on myself! (I did armpits, too, for $125 total. LOVE this!).

I'd highly recommend going the laser route.
I'm doing it on my bikini line right now, and I barely have to touch it with a razor after 3 treatments. Looks beautifully clean, and no razor burn to deal with!

You can find places with a Groupon for doing it cheaply everywhere. I paid $200 for 6 treatments, and then I never have to deal with the hair again. That's a pretty good ROI in my book!

I can honestly say I shave and have never had an issue. I soap up my legs and shave. No ingrown hairs... No issues. My daughter does hers with shaving cream. Again - no issues.
Ditto for the under arm area.

It could be caused by the pregnancy hormones

Make sure you are exfoliating and then using a shaving cream for sensitive skin.

There is also a product (can't recall the name of it right now) that helps to reduce ingrown hairs after shaving or waxing.

I'll try to find the name of it and get back to you.

I get ingrown hairs from both shaving and waxing. I prefer waxing, but also do not have the time or money for regular waxing so I bought and epilator (like an epilady). I exfoliate with a shower glove and use Nair Hair Minimizing Cream, which both seem to help but it is still a problem.

If they are not red or painful it is possible they are not ingrown hairs. Have you looked into the possibility that it is keratosis pilaris? I have it a little on my arms and quite a bit on my legs, it was definitely worse when I was pregnant/postpartum and worse in the winter. It may be worth seeing a dermatologist to make sure you have the right diagnosis, that will determine the best course for treatment.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/keratosis-pilaris/DS00769

I have shaved my whole life- never waxed- and I haven't had many problems like you describe. I have always used the Schick ST2 Sensitive (for Men). I like the 2 blade razors, as the more blades they have, the more they eat up my skin and cause problems. I've always had a nice, close shave for my legs and underarms. Two blades to the trick for M., and my hairy husband-lol.
One thing about shaving- I am a blondie, so I don't have very course body hair. But if you do, you will want to use one razor per shave. After that one shave, the blades will get dull and cause ingrown hairs if used again.
Also, I have found that shave gels work better than foams.
Hope this helps!

I shave and have never waxed before. I have never had a problem with bumps or ingrown hairs. I have the shaver that has the built in shaving cream on it. Takes M. 2 minutes and I'm done :)

I do not wax. I shave my legs with my Braun Silk Epil 3 Epilator. It epilates at the root. I love it! I shave once or twice a month. I do not like razors, they cause bumps and infections especially if the skin is sensitive like yours.
A. :)

I shave underarms and Nair legs.
Get some scrubby gloves, soap them up and scrub your legs to exfoliate a few nights per week - you can oil or lotion your legs afterward and your legs will be smooth.
I never really noticed any difference in underarm skin coloration but since you recently had a baby the hormones and milk production mean an increase in the blood flow to your chest and underarm areas.
Since the skin under the arms is fairly thin and translucent, it might look darker to you right now (sort of like dark circles under the eyes) but will go away eventually once you're done breast feeding and milk production dries up.

I use a men's razor called Gilette Mach 3 with replaceable blades. Expensive but the blades last a long time and I never get ingrown hairs or razor burn. The razors for women and disposeables give M. razor burn every time! I was out of town recently and forgot my razor. I bought some expensive disposable ones for women thinking maybe the more exp. ones would be okay. Wrong! They were awful!!!
I also use Skintimate shaving gel for women. It is in a light pink can. Love it!! I tried the Equate and it wasn't as good, imo.

For the hair, grow it out a bit and then use a cream hair remover. It takes about 15 minutes to do both legs (add another 5 to 10 if you are doing underarm and bikini area) and there are no ingrown hair issues.

Not sure on the discoloration, but maybe changing to the cream would help that as well.

Good luck!