Seems to be a popular topic in here!

Anyway, the short version is that I think I fucked up. I've been shaving my face/neck for almost twenty years and I arrogantly assumed that any other shaving would be the same. I'm a few weeks out from getting my first tattoo, which is going to take up most of my right leg. So I decided I'd get used to shaving my leg, so that the tattoo artist wouldn't waste our time cutting through the forest of fur to get a clean design, and that I'd do it in advance far enough that if I cut myself or otherwise fucked up I'd have time to heal beforehand. Well - I fucked up, but I don't know how.

I shaved right out of the shower. I washed the area, then exfoliated it with a coffee and coconut scrub that I use regularly. I applied my normal pre-shave oil (badger brand, I think) and lathered it up with shaving cream (I use the Maca and Aloe root cream from the Body Shop) and shaved with the grain, then re-lathered and went across the grain with a fresh Mach 3. Afterward, I rinsed with cold water and applied a neutral lotion (CeraVe). Same as I've been doing with my face for years, never had an issue. Everything looked and felt great, if a bit silly, for a few days.

Now, a week later, the hair is growing back and it looks like I stuck my leg in a god damn beehive. The follicles are red, itchy, and irritated, and many of them are swollen - none of them look ingrown, but it's definitely pissed off.

Any quick tips on how to proceed from here? The appointment is in ten days and if the skin is still this angry, I will have to reschedule, with a cancellation fee, for an artist who is currently booked out six months and change.

Thanks!