Men's Leg and Body Hair Removal

Hair Removal Methods Shaving/Trimming
#21

Hi RJC

It is strange that in SA more men shave their legs than shave chest hair. I know chest shaving in hot climates like Florida, which I know well, is commen amoung men there.

A lot of guys shave their heads here as well, and this is becoming quite popular all over the world from what I have experianced. I think maybe men just find it easier than having to go get increasingly expensive haircuts.

Ironically for me that would be the last part I would shave. I did try it and it just did not suit unfortunatly.

All I can think to explain why so many guys shave their legs is the high popularity of sports such as running and cycling is SA. Very few cyclists opt not to shave. Given that so many of these guys (like me) do shave it must have a knock on effect to friends and family to a degree who try it and like it.

We all know on this forum how good it feels and looks once you shave your legs or other areas and I am sure people just keep on doing it now once they experiance this. Lazor is very popular here as well and I think you are right that this is making shaving quicker and easier.

Regards
Stuart

#22

Hi RJCā€¦I took the Braun back to Wal-Mart (heads up - they will ask you if you used it or not - like a fool I said yes and they almost didnā€™t take it back!) but I did get my money back. I will look into the Gillette tonight when I stop at the store. The Cool Skin isnā€™t bad shave, I am tempted to give it another try on my legs and chest. The Braun just had to go - the noise was too much and for the amount it cost I couldnā€™t justify keeping it.

Youā€™re right - not too many guys shave much of anything here. Even though Minnesota is a progressive state, anything outside of the Twin Cities is still very Puritan. Duluth is a very macho, blue-collar community where people pretty much donā€™t question things and stick to what they know (which is such a shame because weā€™d have some great looking folks here if they would only do a little work on themselves!). But, I like the feeling of a smooth body. Iā€™m a massage therapist and a runner, so it helps in both aspects. I donā€™t have the money to spring for laser treatments, but someday I will be looking into that.

Keep me posted on your travels! Duluth is a great place in the summerā€¦

#23

Hi RJCā€¦I took the Braun back to Wal-Mart (heads up - they will ask you if you used it or not - like a fool I said yes and they almost didnā€™t take it back!) but I did get my money back. I will look into the Gillette tonight when I stop at the store. The Cool Skin isnā€™t bad shave, I am tempted to give it another try on my legs and chest. The Braun just had to go - the noise was too much and for the amount it cost I couldnā€™t justify keeping it.

Youā€™re right - not too many guys shave much of anything here. Even though Minnesota is a progressive state, anything outside of the Twin Cities is still very Puritan. Duluth is a very macho, blue-collar community where people pretty much donā€™t question things and stick to what they know (which is such a shame because weā€™d have some great looking folks here if they would only do a little work on themselves!). But, I like the feeling of a smooth body. Iā€™m a massage therapist and a runner, so it helps in both aspects. I donā€™t have the money to spring for laser treatments, but someday I will be looking into that.

Keep me posted on your travels! Duluth is a great place in the summerā€¦

You will never find me in Duluth in the winter, thatā€™s for sure! Iā€™ve lost my tolerance for winters like that many years ago. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Wal-Mart should not have given you a hard time about returning the shaver. Braun will take those back from them, they are not supposed to resell them! If you ever have trouble you can send it back to Braun directly. Norelco has a similar program, but they have a 60-day return period.

I bought a Coolskin a few days ago. Itā€™s a good shaver, way better than the older rotaries. But the Activator does give a closer shave. You definitely need to use the Coolskin wet and they tell you that in the ownerā€™s manual. It left some rather severe red spots on my neck that persisted all day. I donā€™t remember if I used the lotion when shaving there or not. It left a red spot on my knee but that went away in 3o minutes, I did use the Nivea lotion there. If you stay with the Nivea, it will be an expensive shaver to operate. Do you use some other soap or lotion with the Coolskin?

In summary, the Coolskin is OK, but I think I like the Activator better. I am more used to foil shavers. The main advantage of an electric is convenience. I can shave while watching television. If Iā€™m going to shave wet, I might be better off using the M3 or Venus. Those cannot be beat for a close shave! And they donā€™t leave any irritation either. I will try the Coolskin for a little bit longer. I wonder how the Aveeno shave gel would work with it?

RJC2001

#24

Hi RJC

It is better in my experiance not to use the Coolskin underwater in the bath for example.

Rather try it with gel or soap and wet skin then rinse off in the bath or shower afterwards. Your earlier point about electrics is very good. Convieniance. I also find that a quick buzz on the legs and face while still waking up is great by comparison to the ritual of blade shaving.

Regards
Stuart

#25

Hi RJC

It is better in my experiance not to use the Coolskin underwater in the bath for example.

Rather try it with gel or soap and wet skin then rinse off in the bath or shower afterwards. Your earlier point about electrics is very good. Convieniance. I also find that a quick buzz on the legs and face while still waking up is great by comparison to the ritual of blade shaving.

Regards
Stuart

Blade shaving can be extremely dangerous when not fully awake. It is also a good idea not to be in a real big hurry when using a blade.

RJC2001

#26

I am new here , just browsing to see what gives and how many do the body hair removal , men that is .
I am 55 and not heavy or walking around with a pot or spare tire .
I am however hairy , not the normal or average amount but long body hair and plenty of it .
I live in a hot climate in southern calif .
When this thought first entered my head was a few months ago wearing one of the new sleeveless shirts I just got and noticed when I was talking to a female neighbor that her attention was on the long hair jutting out of my shoulders and probably the chest hair as well . I did notice the shoulder hair and thought this stuff IS pretty gross if I really think about it .
Also wearing any dress shirt especially light colors chest hairs poke through as well as with pants .
I was like many , when young and the chest hair began showing up , well this was just great . As time goes on though and it begins to crop up all over and seems to continue to spread much as a weed it then becomes too much , I ignored it all these years .
So to make a long story short i decided to shave off the shoulder and neck hair and trim back the brush pushing out of the collar . This felt better so I decided to see what it felt like long ago without the chest hair that got out of control and shaved that just to leave the middle section and the upper center chest section as it began .
What a difference , how much cooler temp wise I felt and to feel clothes , this was new .
But the center line was long and looked like a horses main I decided to trim this back and screw it all up in the process so I just shaved this off as well .
I donā€™t care what people may imagine , I know who I am , I deal with the gay issue when the 60ā€™s were hear and long hair was my thing , in chicago there were plenty of thugs that felt if the hair was long then you must be gay , well Iā€™m not .
I can tell you this much , I feel human now , I don;t feel like some missing link and the best part of all I donā€™t sweat like I used to and if I do sweat it now drys the same day this is very nice .
To add to this the shower floor is no longer covered in hair nore is the bed sheets or my towel .

I donā€™t see anytime in the near future that I will be able to afford to have it removed for good but shaving is not that time consuming if you plan ahead just a bit for the extra time .
It does grow back with stubble fairly quick but this is not too bad , it does not itch as I thought it would .
Next may be the legs , I am still trying to figure out the back and do not want to make my wife responsible for this , I realize this is time consuming and extra work she does not need .

Part of my decision also came from seeing the over weight open shirt to beat the heat men hanging around this one small shopping center where they seem to gather right in front of an aquarium shop I go to , to see them standing there as apes with pots and sweated matted hair just made me realize I could look like this to some people even without the pot belly bulge .

It is extra time spent and extra blades and I never really enjoyed even shaving my face because of all of this but to me itā€™s well worth the little extra time to feel better most of the rest of the time .
I think the part that amazes me most is how much cooler I feel in the heat , I never considered this , I work out in my closed hot garage working with wood and always sweat and felt horrid , now I donā€™t mind it at all .
I haveā€™nt considered the social issues , I really could care less . If someone wants to poke fun let them walk around in this covering of long fur for 40 odd years then come to me and tell me what they really feel .

#27

I am new here , just browsing to see what gives and how many do the body hair removal , men that is .
I am 55 and not heavy or walking around with a pot or spare tire .
I am however hairy , not the normal or average amount but long body hair and plenty of it .
I live in a hot climate in southern calif .
When this thought first entered my head was a few months ago wearing one of the new sleeveless shirts I just got and noticed when I was talking to a female neighbor that her attention was on the long hair jutting out of my shoulders and probably the chest hair as well . I did notice the shoulder hair and thought this stuff IS pretty gross if I really think about it .
Also wearing any dress shirt especially light colors chest hairs poke through as well as with pants .
I was like many , when young and the chest hair began showing up , well this was just great . As time goes on though and it begins to crop up all over and seems to continue to spread much as a weed it then becomes too much , I ignored it all these years .
So to make a long story short i decided to shave off the shoulder and neck hair and trim back the brush pushing out of the collar . This felt better so I decided to see what it felt like long ago without the chest hair that got out of control and shaved that just to leave the middle section and the upper center chest section as it began .
What a difference , how much cooler temp wise I felt and to feel clothes , this was new .
But the center line was long and looked like a horses main I decided to trim this back and screw it all up in the process so I just shaved this off as well .
I donā€™t care what people may imagine , I know who I am , I deal with the gay issue when the 60ā€™s were hear and long hair was my thing , in chicago there were plenty of thugs that felt if the hair was long then you must be gay , well Iā€™m not .
I can tell you this much , I feel human now , I don;t feel like some missing link and the best part of all I donā€™t sweat like I used to and if I do sweat it now drys the same day this is very nice .
To add to this the shower floor is no longer covered in hair nore is the bed sheets or my towel .

I donā€™t see anytime in the near future that I will be able to afford to have it removed for good but shaving is not that time consuming if you plan ahead just a bit for the extra time .
It does grow back with stubble fairly quick but this is not too bad , it does not itch as I thought it would .
Next may be the legs , I am still trying to figure out the back and do not want to make my wife responsible for this , I realize this is time consuming and extra work she does not need .

Part of my decision also came from seeing the over weight open shirt to beat the heat men hanging around this one small shopping center where they seem to gather right in front of an aquarium shop I go to , to see them standing there as apes with pots and sweated matted hair just made me realize I could look like this to some people even without the pot belly bulge .

It is extra time spent and extra blades and I never really enjoyed even shaving my face because of all of this but to me itā€™s well worth the little extra time to feel better most of the rest of the time .
I think the part that amazes me most is how much cooler I feel in the heat , I never considered this , I work out in my closed hot garage working with wood and always sweat and felt horrid , now I donā€™t mind it at all .
I haveā€™nt considered the social issues , I really could care less . If someone wants to poke fun let them walk around in this covering of long fur for 40 odd years then come to me and tell me what they really feel .

Well said! Welcome to Hairtell. Your comments echo what most of us feel. Iā€™ve never had to say it, but if anyone has a negative comment, I would tell them, on a 90 degree day, to put on a wool sweater, then put on a shirt over that, then go outside and go about their business and see how they feel!

RJC2001

#28

Absolutly correct Wills.

I followed much the same progression in my thinking. Excessive hair anywhere is gross and uncomfortable. My full time leg shaving started out of cycling as a sport, but I soon realized how much better it looked and felt as well. I always had excessive hair there since I was 16 and used to trim it regularly. It took me another 16 years before I fully realized what a comfort factor I had missed out on. The same is true of my chest and if I let the hair there go, I feel very sweaty and almost get a feeling of claustrophobia in summer.

Very few of us on this forum have had any social issues. Removal of chest and leg hair I think also shows a bit of pride in oneā€™s appearance. I used to avoid wearing shorts because of the hairiness of my legs, now I virtually live in them. Everyone I know who even notices have said it looks much better than before.

Regards
Stuart

#29

Hello Wills

You made a good point regarding working with wood in a hot environment. I soon discovered a benefit of smooth legs I didnā€™t expect. I often go to quite dirty work sites and end up coved in coal dust and other unpleasent stuff. While I canā€™t wear shorts for safety reasons this dirt gets through any fabric. I used to take ages to get clean in the shower until I got rid of the hair. Washing is much easier and because I value hygiene, this was another plus of smooth skin.

Regards
Stuart

#30

I also think the ease of cleaning up after getting dirty is a huge advantage of smooth skin. Anytime you are outside, gardening, or even running or walking, when it is hot and dusty, the dirt would cling to all the leg hairs, and was hard to get out. Plus, the hair held a lot of dirt. Now, it rinses right off, in a second. And, even if your have dirt on your legs, it isnā€™t the same as a hairy leg full of dirt, that looks even more dirty due to the hair itself. To me, guys with dark hair on their legs never look clean, the hair itself makes them look dirty.

And, in terms of pit hair, the difference in cleanliness is amazing. While it sounds kind of gross, I can go 2 or 3 days easily with out a shower, using no deodorant, and not smell under my arms at all, not even a little. I know part of this is my personal physiology, but part is having no hair.

#31

Hi Veinlover

You are right about dark hair on fair skin looking dirty. This may sound unfair to guys who do not shave, but I also see this in the same light. This is because I am blonde haired, but have dark coarse hair on my legs. I have always thought it looked ā€œdirtyā€ even though I was not. Shaving my legs made a big positive difference in my appearence to myself, and once my skin was used to it and a bit off a tan was present, I realised that it was better for me.

Regards
Stuart

#32

Just adding to the discussion about male body hair removal. I have not made the jump to fully shaving my body hair. Truthfully, I donā€™t want to invest that kind of time in such a task. I do however use an electric hair trimmer once a month or so to trim back the amazon jungle of armpit hair and other areas of thick growth. I also trim back leg hair and arm hair on a less frequent basis. Letā€™s face it, Robin Williams is a great comedian, but I do not prefer the gorilla-like arm and leg hair. I most frequently use the electric trimmer to tame the armpits. I feel cleaner, cooler, and less ape-ish with extremly short pit hair. I donā€™t feel less manly or ā€œgayā€ by doing this. I actually feel more human afterwards.

Just my 2 cents ā€¦

#33

Savage: Why donā€™t you try waxing that underarm hair a couple of time and then compare the feeling to just trimming it. Iā€™m sure that you will then decide to remove the hair permanently.

#34

Funny you say that. Rather than wax, I have epilated under my arms, and the difference is wonderful. They are so smooth, and you donā€™t see the hair under the skin like you see after shaving. THere are a couple of bumps, as it is the first time, but only on one. I agree, this is the best. I assume wax would be the same. When I have money, I will get them lasered or do electrolysis.

I used to trim them, but it doesnā€™t look any more natural than shaving, so you may as well shave them, or, better, as the man said, wax. Before waxing or epilating, be sure to trim it about 1/4" long, or it will hurt like hell. However, it didnā€™t hurt nearly as much to epilate my pits as I thought it would, and the results are well worth it.

Try it,it will grow back if you hate it.

#35

Hi savage

Your post was very interesting. Why do you trim back leg hair instead of the entire leg? Also have you ever tried shaving your legs for a short while? Itā€™s quicker than trimming and easier to do. I would reccomend trying a ā€œtest periodā€ - you might be surprised!

Regards
Stuart

#36

And, in terms of pit hair, the difference in cleanliness is amazing. While it sounds kind of gross, I can go 2 or 3 days easily with out a shower, using no deodorant, and not smell under my arms at all, not even a little. I know part of this is my personal physiology, but part is having no hair.

I agree 100%.

I first started trimming, then shaving, my armpits because I was having trouble with perspiration stains on all of my shirts. The stains were so bad I could not remove them and I was constantly throwing away shirts because they looked so disgusting.

A deodorant stick lasts a lot longer than it used to.

It wasnā€™t until I started shaving them that I realized how great it felt to be hairless there. But then electrolysis took that to another level. I had been having electrolysis on my chest to clear some stragglers, and reached a point of clearance. We had some time left and my practitioner aske me if I wanted to have my armpits done. She said quite a few guys were having them done. So I said ā€œsureā€ and Iā€™m glad I did it.

Armpits must play a major part in body temperature regulation. This is my first summer with permanent hair removal on my armpits and I canā€™t believe the difference. I can tolerate hot weather better than I could before. Having laser and then electrolysis on my chest has certainly helped in the hot weather. But having the armpits cleared helped just as much.

RJC2001

#37

I keep trying to tell everyone that removal of hair from the underarms should be a high priorty.I am glad that many of you are confirming my suggestion. There is nothing that compares to the feel let alone less sweat.

#38

Yes this is true. I have trimmed my pits even since I was a teenager for all the reasons mentioned. It does make a huge difference.

Iā€™ve still got to get to electrolosis in this regard, but I am first focusing on complete leg hair removal. Once I am done with that I will look to the other areas.

Regards
Stuart

#39

Yes this is true. I have trimmed my pits even since I was a teenager for all the reasons mentioned. It does make a huge difference.

Iā€™ve still got to get to electrolosis in this regard, but I am first focusing on complete leg hair removal. Once I am done with that I will look to the other areas.

Regards
Stuart

Are you still having laser hair removal?

RJC2001

#40

Hi RJC

I am still going to have 2 more lazor sessions on my legs, focusing on the upper areas. I would prefer electrolosis on the lower legs. I have been told that this will be the best combination.

I will let you all know how it works.

Regards
Stuart