Can someone please help me - I'm not unrealistic I don't expect to go swimming and have the bikini line of models because most of them have their pictures air brushed.

However when I shave or use hair removing cream I nearly always get a rash. I was told that with shaving if you have one spot it can end up meaning that all the open hair folicules can also get infected but this doesn't explain using cream. I want it to be smooth down there and white, not red!

any ideas would be appreciated!

Try sugaring! It's like wax, but more gentle on your skin. It's a solution of sugar and lemon juice I believe. I have it done at the spa, but I've heard of people making their own and doing it at home. It hurts a little, but the results are great and last up to 3 weeks

Sounds like you have really sensitive skin! The chemicals in the cream remover must be burning you.

Do you use shaving cream when you shave that area? If you do, maybe that's what is irritating you, and if you don't, maybe you need to.

I say just get it waxed. There are waxes for sensitive skin, spas have different kinds for different types of skin. Then you'll be irritated for a day but have almost a month of smooth skin with no irritation. And if you use something like Tend Skin, it stops razor burn and ingrowns and things like that. A dentist invented it by accident. I love it, but it smells something fierce.

I never heard about the open-follicle thing. I've had infected ingrowns and razor burn or whatever, but its never spread. I'm not sure that that's true.

Thanks both of you I think I'll go somewhere professional like a spa and see what they say as you have suggested. I once got it waxes but it bled badly so that wasn't ideal either!

Actually you don't have to worry about ingrown hair with shaving if you use the right products and shave the right way. You might want to try products made for pubic hair like those from Hair Care Down There - Welcome to the sexy new way to shave.. They have some information on their site on how to avoid ingrown hair when you shave "down there".

I have extremely sensitive skin to shaving creams, on my legs and the bikini area. From the day I started shaving my legs up until about THREE years later, it never stopped, calmed or anything. I thought it was apart of being a woman, haha. And now? I use Men's Barbasol shaving cream. No fragrances or extras, just cream. Also check the razor you use. My boyfriend shaves down there and can only use one specific kind of razor, or he has severe irritation for a week.

This may sound weird but it works for me. I read this only, apparantly advice given by a stripper...

Use deodorant instead of shaving cream. I use the cheapest stick deodorant I can find. I have had no bumps since doing this.

oops... i see there is no edit feature here... I meant to say that I read this 'online' not 'only'.