I have’nt posted in a while .
I notice there is a lady here as well . Just a few comments to make .
It’s been about a few months since I began shaving off some of this growth . I have to admit it is very time consuming and I have no idea what works best as far a razors are concerned . What I do notice is that a few hours later the stubble is back , if I get the goose bumps I instantly become a itching mess . At times I gice the shaved hair a few days to grow back and most of the bristle effect is gone .
When others mention issues of whether women prefer hairy fellows or not , I can only say , it depends most I would imagine like some body hair on a man , but there is not really an inbetween choice , it is more troubel than it’s worth to attempt to shape a saved patch of hair I tried that on the chest .
It’s true , it is an issue at least of the mind when thoughts of whether someone is doing a gay thing by shaving , you start out with small amounts of body hair when young and as time goes by at least in my case the hair took over and became more of the populated body area than skin . I lived with this for many many years . The sweat , the jokes from other men because on average most men don’t have a forest croping out of their shirt collar . There is the pain of back hair being pulled out while sitting on certain types of material especially car seats with air vented cushions and the dark hair I have poking through dress shirts so white shirts are out . There is also the look of an ape and the hairs jutting out wildly fron shoulders and the back which is pretty gross .
All of this comes into play , I can’t say if I will stick to the shaving routine because of the time involved and the pain of rashed skin or nicks . I do prefer the fell of no hair and the cooler feeling in the heat , no doubt about that . I wonder if many men I see in the movies are as hairess as they appear of do they remove most or all of it , something I never gave a thought to before . This is part of the security that you are not alone I suppose . I have to face the fact that it does appear odd at times because it’s so different because of the amount of time I have had this hair and I do envy guys that don’t have so much body hair or at least shorter lighter hair but I have no control over the way I turned out .
I did try a few times in the past because of some of the joking names such as wolfman or are you afraid of matches to trim the growth back and cut it shorter , this however resulted in a brush of squared off hair tips that turned on me and became quite uncomfortable and resulted in a red rash .
I guess my skin is sensitive , I know when I was young and did not have this growth wool suits I was forced to wear did act as a abrasive entrapment and in the summer heat of chicago this was multiplied 100 times over .
So I am at the point of decision , I am not certain if I will just let it take over again or not . I have toyed with the idea of purchasing a new wet dry electric razor but I have put it off , I don’t like them for face shaving so I don’t know how this would work out . I haver never tried an electric that worked wet but I do have a three rotatiog blade norelco and tried this and it is not as good as a blade but not as time consuming and it does not so far irritate to bad .
I just don’t know , most of the time I just want to give up and forget the entire thing and live with the hair , after all I am 55 , how much longer will I care . I don’t look 55 but I am mentally tired from years of anxiety and panic attacks and 6 manths ago I was fired from a job I had for 12 years and this is the first time I was fired in my life and I don’t even know why , it was a cleaning house sort of thing by new upper big shots and a few job heal nippers . So this is hard to get past and I have not had much luck finding a job in my field and don’t know if I even want another like it anylonger . So it’s start all over at 55 I suppose .
All this said you people are great from what I have read , I will come back again after I figure out just where I fit in again , maybe I should go back to playing blues guitar in dumps and be happy with that , there is always that .
Hi Wills
As far as hair goes you should do what makes you feel good. For me I have found that a quick daily shave of my legs produces a result that does not itch at all (this is thanks to RJC’s advice on the matter).
As for panic attacks I can also relate to that. They happen without warning and you can’t help it. I have also suffered from this since 1993 and only now am I getting a grip on this. You must see your doctor and be open about every aspect to get well. It is something that can be healed.
Good luck with your shaving ritual, I am sure that regular shaving will help.
Regards
Stuart
Hi FerrarriMan
How have things been since you tried shaving? I think you may have seen the benefit by now. As I said before you will probably not cycle again with hairy legs (particully if you are unfortunate to fall off and hurt yourself). Hair does no good to your recovery in this case.
Regards
Stuart
Hi All
There is another benefit to smooth legs which I don’t think has been mentioned yet. One of the other members in a seperate thread mentioned tick bites and how he benefited from this with shaved legs. There is another which is mosquitoe bites.
I sometimes have to go to locations in hot malaria areas where it is not reccomended you wear shorts due to bites. This is not easy in blazing sun where heat exhaustion is also a problem. Since shaving my legs I can easily wear shorts under these circumstances. Firstly I can use insect repellant frequently on my legs without irritation, much like a rub down in cycling. Hair made that impossible in the past.
Also importantly I can see immediatly if I have been bitten and be alert for symptoms. Ever since having smooth legs I can sleep comfortably in shorts and work in shorts during the day. That makes the work much more pleasent. I have noticed a few co-workers have picked up on this and also shave now.
Regards
Stuart
Hi All
I have said this before, but it never fails to amaze me at how much cooler one feels with shaved legs. I was playing golf yesterday and it was very hot (+30 degrees celsius in the shade). There were several guys who had sever heat exhaustion, but I was fine in shorts and a light shirt. It just seems that heat transfer is so much better without a sticky mat of leg hair.
Interestingly I got several compliments on the course yesterday about shaved legs from the other guys. It is summer here now and I have got a decent tan on my legs as well as a reasonable muscle tone from cycling being back in. Most of the remarks were around strong muscle definition. There were no negative things said. Shaved legs for guys are definitly in!
Regards
Stuart
Hi Stuart,
Male hair removal is definitely becoming popular. In the U.K, there has been a real revolution over the last few years and most high street retailers now stock a range of hair removal products for men.
Hi hairyguy
I think it is the thing of the future for men. We only have to understand that society is a bit slower in accepting this than we are in understanding this in general. I was glad to see the other guys on the course having no issue whatsoever with shaved legs. As I have said before it is common here because of lots of cycling and outdoor sports, but it is good to see more general acceptance without any question. I think men are also starting to understand practibility and comfort take precident over social norms - which is good as women realised this a long time ago I think.
Regards
Stuart
Hi All
As a follow up on my last post regarding Malaria, insect bites and the benefit of shaving legs etc. I can now report the following.
I have just got back from a month in equatorial East Africa which is very rife in tropical diseases. I shaved my legs, arms and chest while there and was able to wear shorts and tee-shirts easily. It was far easier to apply sunscreen to my legs and arms and I used much less than other people with the same effect. It was over 40 degrees celsius in the shade and many guys passed out from the heat wearing long pants etc.
In the evenings I felt much more comfortable with smooth skin than the other guys, and applying insect repellent was just as easy as sunscreen. I have seen proof now that in hot and dangerous environments hair on your legs and arms has no benefit at all. It is very clear when you have been stung by a mosquito with smooth skin, and this helps to be aware of Malaria and other problems quickly.
Hairy legs are definitly out of the question in these cases, not only for appearance and comfort, but also good common sense.
Regards
Stuart
Hi Stuart and everyone! I’ve been following this forum for some time now and would like to finally contribute and make a few comments. I’m a 35 year straight male and went through a series of stages in body shaving. I have
no back hair and not that much chest hair but fairly heavy leg hair which is dark. Over the years, I really started to dislike the thickness and sweatiness of all that hair on my legs but never really considered doing anything about it.
Last year, after taking medicine to treat mono, I got a severe skin outbreak and rash all over my body. I got a special ointment to soothe the rash and stop the itching but have you ever tried applying lotion to hairy legs (think of the summer and suntan lotion and sand). Well, getting rid of the chest hair was easy but it took me sometime to get up the courage to shave those hairy legs. I should mention the fact that although I’m from the States, I now live in Poland. The country is known for its beautiful women who really go to great lengths to take care of their appearance, whereas the men, have a reputation for being tough and macho. Poland is also in many ways conservative and very intolerant of gays, so I was worried about being labeled “gay” and more specifically, possibly getting bashed by a group of hoodlums for “looking gay”.
Sometime during last spring, I read an article in a health/style magazine that more and more men are shaving their legs and I became a lot more aware of men with smooth legs. Well, surprisingly, during the summer and while at the seaside, I saw a number of men (mostly in their 20s-30s) with shaved legs. I don’t know if it’s a kind of trend but I’d say, maybe 10% of them had shaved legs.
I eventually shaved my legs and really like the feeling of smooth legs but I never could get a really clean shave–it seems that there were always some "black points"or stubble left after shaving. I felt rather self-conscious
walking around with shorts but sometimes did this while in the city and at the seaside. I also got a nasty
shock and discovered some bruised black and blue areas and a few blotches or “spider veins” on my legs. The bruised areas on my legs and stubble really don’t look that great but I love the feeling of smooth legs. I also loved the feeling of not having sweaty legs in the summer, especially when wearing long pants.
I guess I’m in a bit of a dilemma as whether to continue shaving or not–I’m also a bit worried whether a woman would be turned off by my smooth legs. Would an epilator get the whole hair out, so at least get rid of those
black points? Does epilating cause a lot of ingrown hairs? I always got a lot of red bumps after shaving on my upper thighs which lasted for about two weeks.
Trimming might be a better solution in my case which let me have less hairy legs and also hide those nasty bruises and other marks. Could anyone maybe recommend a pair of clippers that would be available in Europe? This might be a stupid question but when talking about “clippers” do you mean the trimmers that are used for men’s hair or something else entirely? What about just using a electric razor designed for the face? Again, any brands and model numbers would be greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone!
Since shaving different parts of my body–chest, pits and legs, I’ve become more conscious of societal expectations, as well as going against the so-called norms of society. With all due respect to the recent trend of metrosexuality and more attention that men devote to their appearance and
health, I still think that a lot of men feel inhibited or embarassed to get waxed, have a facial or shave their legs. I think that it’s a shame that men are chastized or laughed at for taking care of themselves. We get so many
conflicting messages from the media and society–women supposedly want men that look like Brad Pitt or Mel Gibson but then they seem to ridicule men who do things like body shaving or go to a salon to improve their appearance. I think most people want to look good and achieving an image
that one is happy with takes work which is something that women do all the time but when men do the same, they are often ridiculed.
It seems to be a common theme throughout this forum and others, that a lot of men are worried how others will perceive them–I recall some posts by Josh and Wolfie and it’s really sad that we worry so much about what others
think. I can really relate to their concerns and also share some of their anxieties. It seems like a lot of men are seeking “approval” from others or girlfriends/spouses to make decisions about their own bodies and appearance.
I think this is sad because it should be up to the individual to decide and not depend on society or peers. It’s not like we are doing something harmful to others and it’s really a shame that so many guys are unable to
have the image they want because they are worried about friends, colleagues and family. It would be great if society as a whole would respect individuals and let them decide to want extent they wish to be hairy or hairless and not lay out rules of what men and women should do or not do.
Hi smoothlover
There is definitly a trend today towards men shaving their legs and other body hair. Where I stay as I have mentioned before it’s not at all unusual to see plenty guys who shave their legs. Around here I would say the percentage is more like 20 to 30 in the age group ranging from 15 to 35. it seems to drop off in the over 40’s probably from old fashioned perceptions that still linger (not that over 40’s are old fashioned necessarily!).
I think you will feel much more comfortable with shaved smooth legs if you just take the approach that this is your normal and natural appeareance and there is no other. It takes some mental practice at first but soon becomes habit and then disappears from your mind and you no longer even think about your legs being smooth.
I don’t think you will find women turned off by smooth legs at all. I have found that most women approve of mine and compliment me on my athletic look. It seems that is an automatic association for men here who shave their legs. On more than a few occasions I have heard women comment that they find it “very sexy”.
Regarding those bruises and veins there are many ointments to help with both and they are much easier to apply to smooth skin than hairy skin. You will find bruises heal faster using these medicines on smooth skin.
Regards
Stuart
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for your reply and “reviving” this thread! The page seems to load faster on my lowly modem than the other longer “men shaving legs” thread. Maybe, we should have a vote to see which thread members want to post to?
It’s great that leg shaving is so widely accepted in SA! The smooth feel is great in terms of comfort but I still get those annoying black stubs in some places (must be the hair roots). I don’t like that “five o’clock shadow” on my legs, or my face for the record! I bought some special creams and ointments to diminish the bruising but I think it’s largely genetic–my mother had the same problem and I think it also has something to do with blood circulation. Also, I had a pretty “rough” childhood–falling off my bike and skates all the time seems to have permanently left my ankles bruised. Sooner or later, I’ll probably go see a specialist about this but I’m a little self-conscious about this because it’s typically perceived as a “women’s” problem.
As you and others mentioned so many times here, it’s important that one lives one life to the fullest and does not worry too much about society and the so-called norms!
Cheers!
After watching the film “Baraka” which is like a collage of different people and natural scenes around the globe, I started to think that most people in hot countries either shave or are just naturally smooth. There’s a scene of a large group of men singing (India or Sri Lanka, I think) who all had smooth chests and pits–it’s very clearly shown in the film. Brazilians also seem to be smooth–I wonder if it’s just a fashion in Rio or if they’re just naturally hairless. Whatever the case, it just makes sense to “get rid of the hair” in hot climates for comfort as well as medical reasons.
For sheer practical reasons, I would think that it would be more popular in the “Deep South” in the US and especially, in places like Florida–any observations or comments that anyone has noticed in different regions in the States? I would think that it’s probably the most popular in California due to the climate and the number of people into outdoor sports.
Hi smoothlover
While I spent time in Florida recently (I go there almost every year) I noticed that bodybuilders on the beach tended to shave their legs. Surprisingly not many other guys did - definitly less than in SA. Then again I was in Tampa and surrounding areas where the population is older due to many folks retiring there, so there were not a lot of younger guys to compare with.
I did see some cyclists and joggers who had shaved legs however. I did get a few “double takes” from people who noticed my smooth legs, but very few really seeing as I wore shorts everywhere due to the heat. I still think even though it is less common than in SA for men to shave their legs, most people don’t even notice mine because it looks so normal with my light complexion.
Of course those few who noticed never said anything about my legs. Most likely they were just curious and all it was was a casual glance soon dismissed. I think the trend will increase in Florida and other hot states, because every year I go there more guys have started shaving.
Regards
Stuart
Hi Stuart!
Just did some shaving on my arms last night and woke up with a rash and some red bumps. My arms seem to be the most sensitive area when it comes to shaving. Anyway, I remember that you wrote that you trim them–what kind of trimmer do you use and at what setting? Would a regular “hair trimmer” work? I’ve seen some very basic units from Philips which leave hairs 1 mm-21 mm in length.
The stubble growing back looks kinda weird and my arms itch all the time–I think that trimming would be a better option from me because I can’t shave them too often.
Thanks!
Hi smoothlover
Most any trimmer works well. I use the trimmer on my Phillips Coolskin unit randomly. A regular hair trimmer will do a neater job, but your arms will appear trimmed and quite obviously so. If you go this route use a low trim such as a number 1 or 2 (in my opinion), you may as well approach the smooth look as closely as you can.
Good Luck
Stuart
I just don’t see trimming as an option for arms. I have tried shaving and waxing (and I know others who have) - and the latter seems to be the better option (outside of laser). I think the upper arms are very sensitive - but the lower arms are probably not as sensitive.
On waxing, it should stay smooth for a week or so and then the hair grows back with less stubble and looks a bit more natural.
As a rule, I don’t see the trimming at all - because to me it is almost more noticeable than removing hair completely.
My confusion comes when you do arms, do you do legs? When you do your chest, do you do your arms? I am totally lost on that one. I don’t know that there’s a right or wrong answer.
While many seem to be a proponent of leg shaving, I don’t know that I could do it. Right now, I’ve just done the chest and recently did the arms. That seems to look natural - but I think doing my legs would draw attention.
Doing the chest and arms is fine. I would say doing the legs is optional but I highly recommend it. I prefer to have it all gone!
RJC2001
I think it would make sense to do underarms too. Seems pointless to have smooth chest and arms, with bushy pit hair inbetween.
It seems like legs are time consuming and do you do above the knee or just below?? Seems like a lot of work. Do you do all the way to the hip?
I don’t think underarms would look good shaved…