So you’re thinking about shaving your legs ahead of your day on the snow?
The good news is that you’re not being pranked by your friend or whoever told you to try shaving your legs to help with shin pain. There’s no shame in it. After all, the professionals do it. The bad news is that if you’re looking it up then you’re experiencing enough shin pain while skiing to take a razor to them.
As one of Mammoth Lakes’ top ski and snowboard rental shops, we’ve seen plenty of customers complain about shin pain and other aches from a day of skiing or snowboarding here at ASO Mammoth. We’ve also seen and heard of just about every remedy you can imagine, so to help anyone experiencing shin pain that could ruin a day at Mammoth Mountain, we’ve listed our best solutions below. Check it out if you’re experiencing shin pain or share our guide with anyone who is!
Why Shaving Your Legs Helps Shin Pain From Skiing
No matter how perfectly your ski boots fit, there’s going to be friction between your skin and your boot as you move your foot and leg while skiing. As the day goes on, that friction irritates the hairs and their follicles, and, the thinking goes, that irritation reaches the bone underneath the follicles. It may sound like a stretch, but don’t dismiss shaving your shins right away. After all, if you ski enough then the hairs on your shins might fall out on their own because of the friction caused by skiing. In fact, professional skiers may lose their shin hair due to how much skiing they do and have it never grow back!
The Easiest Solution
For most people, simply pulling their socks over their shins will take care of any irritation caused by ski boots. If it doesn’t then you can try a different pair of socks that reduces the friction on your shins.
Whether or not shaving the hair on your shins helps with shin pain depends on how much hair you have on your legs, how much skiing you do, and your boots. If you’re skiing continually during a season, then it’s worth considering shaving as a solution to shin pain when nothing else works. Even if you’re only skiing for a week but haven’t found a solution to your shin pain, you can try shaving your shins to see if you get any relief. If nothing relieves your shin pain, then it may be time to look for a new set of boots.
Make Sure Your Boots Are Right for You
If shaving your legs and changing out your socks doesn’t help your shin pain, then it’s time to take a look at your boots.
There are several things that can go wrong with a boot and cause shin pain, but the easiest fix is that it’s simply not buckled correctly. Not buckling all the buckles on your boots completely can cause your leg to move around in the boot, and that extra friction causes pain. Similarly, if your boots are too big then the extra space and movement will result in pain. Lastly, you may also feel shin pain if your boot’s inner liner is worn down.
There you have it! Don’t forget to clip your toenails, keep moisture out of your boot, and never wear two pairs of socks along with the tips above for a great day of painless skiing!
Do you shave your legs or do anything else to prevent shin pain from skiing? Let us know in the comments below, or stop by our shop.