hairfreeincali, you may think a shaved pit won’t look good;but the smooth feel will make you forget how it looks. Anyways the look is the coming thing;but if your ashamed of smooth pit,don,t raise your arms overhead. I’ve had smooth pits for years and noone has noticed them unless I raise my arms. Those that do notice them find them attractive.
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…
It’s not that much work if you don’t let it grow too long. I used to do all the way to my hips, but my last Harmony AFT (like IPL) treatment was surprisingly successful. I have almost no leg hair above my tan line, so that makes shaving easier and less time consuming. If you’re going to shave your legs, I would definitely go at least an inch or two higher than the length of your shorts. You don’t want any visible hair lines on the legs.
When I first had laser hair removal done on my upper body, I didn’t have my armpits done in order to save money. So I continued to shave them. I finished up my chest with electrolysis and when I finished a full clearance, I had some time left, and my electrologist asked me if I wanted to get my armpits done. It looked and felt so great having my chest hair permanently removed that I decided to have my pits done too. She said a lot of guys are having them done and they are very happy with the look and comfort. I would definitely have to agree 100%. I would never have believed how great it felt until I tried it.
When you lose the pit hair you’ll feel a lot more comfortable in the summer, and perspiration stains on your shirts, and the body odor will be a thing of the past. You’ll need much less deodorant. I like the look too, but for me that was not the primary consideration.
And Barrester is correct. The armpits aren’t that visible anyway. I raise mine all the time and don’t mind showing them off. After all, my arms, legs, and chest are hairless, so most people would expect my armpits to be hairless too.
Try shaving your armpits, you’ll like it. If you don’t it will grow back soon enough. If you like it you may want to consider permanent removal, it feels even better.
RJC2001
As RJC says don’t let it get too long. Any more than 3 days and it takes a lot longer to get rid of it by blade or electric methods irrespective. I shave well above the line of my shorts as it looks very bad to see hairlines. Some guys only do the lower legs, but that only works if one sticks to 3/4 shorts and the like. I also wear Bermudas and athletic shorts so I shave the thighs as well
Regards
Stuart
Hairfree, I don’t quite see where you think pit hair is so attractive. If it were, women wouldn’t shave it off. Look at all the adds for women’s fashion, and note that in about 80% of them women are showing their smooth pits. The fact is, shaved, it is a very sensual part of the body. This applies to men as well, many male models shave their pits also, as of course do bodybuilders, who are showing off their physiques. Smooth pits allow the viewer to focus on the lats, bis and overall shape and development of the upper body, as opposed to having your attention focus on a bit patch of wet, dark hair. If your chest and arms are smooth, I think it makes much MORE sense to have smooth pits as well. I know guys are attached to their pit hair, for some reason they think it is “manly”, but it is not–it is one of the two body parts where women have just as much hair as men. When I workout in my gym, many of the men who wear sleveless shirts do shave their underarms–but those that don’t are very unattractive when they are doing exercises requiring their pits to be exposed. They look smelly. Of course in normal life, you rarely need to lift your arms, as others have said.
In addition, I concurr with the superior feel of shaved or otherwise cleared pits. You will definitely ruin far less shirts with sweat stains, I basically don’t need deodorant, and just feel cleaner. Everyone who has shaved there agrees.
By no means am I saying is it attractive. And I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I got into this whole thing because I disliked my chest hair and a friend turned me on to a company that did laser. My original intention was to do only my chest and leave the rest of my body hair alone.
At the same time that I was having the treatments done on my chest, a friend of mine was told that if he had his back and chest waxed, they recommended waxing the arms - saying that having a smooth chest and hair on the arms made it look uneven. I don’t know whether that was a sales pitch or if it’s true (although I tend to agree).
Nevertheless, I asked the nurse doing my chest about what she thought of having the arms done. My concern, was what other people would think and how it would look. She said that the hair wasn’t that noticeable and that it wouldn’t look bad if I kept it, and wouldn’t be noticeable if I removed it.
I opted against doing the arms via laser but decided to try waxing - and I admit that I liked the way they look and feel. I am still undecided on how to proceed on a more permanent basis.
However, I will admit during the first waxing, the estetician noticed the underarm hair and suggested I wax them as well and one of the nurses at a laser treatment also made mention of it. However, I have issues with skin rashes there and she said she’d probably not do it until they cleared up.
When I went to the next laser treatment, they had some scheduling conflicts and asked if I wanted one free treatment on another area. We decided on the underarms for one treatment - just to lessen the thickness of the hair.
But because they hadn’t been shaved, they wanted me to remove the hair and come back in a few days. I did so, but the way it looked freaked me out - and I cancelled the appt.
I guess my fear is that I’ve gone from just want to do my chest to doing my arms as well and considering underarms and now I read about legs too. I feel like I’m headed toward the deep end on this. It’s almost to the point where these treatments can become addicting.
I do think that some of the points about hair are very true. A lot of women have as much hair as men - but they shave or wax. The argument that men are “naturally” meant to be hairy is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Most people have hair - although obviously it depends on their genes.
Personally, I can’t stand hair on women anywhere. I think it’s disgusting … and I would never want to be with a woman who doesn’t take care of herself.
So, that’s my long story and two cents and where I’m at and still not sure what to do.
Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Regarding your dilema, I think you should take it one step at a time, you can always shave or wax areas to see how you like them without hair. And, you may have to get used to it, before you make a decision one way or the other. I certainly wouldnt get stressed out over it. As long as you shave or wax, hair will grow back, all too quickly. And, I can see where after shaving your pits you might freak out as you put it, the look is quite different. But, you also may come to love it. And, I’ve never met a woman who thought men’s hairy pits were attractive, so see how the women in your life react as well, though they, too may need to get used to it.
Take care.
I think all of your points are valid. A lot of things are a matter of getting used to. I think things would be a lot easier if we didn’t have a society that makes judgments about people’s appearance. Although, the winter seems like the best time to experiment as you can cover most of your body up with clothes.
I think for years, a shaved chest was considered feminine or only something gay men did. But it seems almost accepted with the younger generation now and no one questions it.
Personally, I agree with you about cleanliness. And, honestly, I don’t understand how any woman could like a man with too much hair on his arms. It doesn’t show definition and it almost looks like someone is not well groomed.
Hi hairfree
A hairless musclular chest is well associated with movie stars. For many years this is all I can remember amoung male stars on TV. I think “Magnum PI” is one of the last hairy chest series that comes to mind, and that is a long time ago.
I think the notion of feminine being associated with hair removal is long gone now. With leg hair, if I see a young guy with heavy leg hair I can almost sense his socks to his shirt smelling bad, however untrue that may be (I used to look like that as well).
Shaving your legs is an option only for most guys, but a rarely appreciated comfort once you try it. I think the same goes for any body area really - you don’t know until you try.
Regards
Stuart
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Hi Hairfree!
I can relate to what you say about hair removal becoming addictive–once you start doing some body hair removal, you keep “discovering” more areas to get rid of hair. Just wait till you start obsessing about feet hair, finger hair and peach fuzz on your ears–LOL!!! Seriously, I do think that smooth armpits feel great and I really do like the look of them now and it really cuts down on odor. It may sound weird but shaving the pits is pretty sensual to me and one place that I really “enjoy” shaving. For this reason, I don’t think that I’d want the hair permanently cleared because it can be a very sensual experience to shave your girlfriend’s pits and have her do the same–well, that’s just my opinion!
Regarding the legs, I really think that you need to do the whole leg or wear long shorts that won’t show the hairline. I remember just doing the the upper legs for awhile and having furry legs from the knees on down because I didn’t want others to notice that I shaved–it looked truly ridiculous and makes me laugh just thinking about it now!
Hi everyone!
It’s unfortunate that the media and society set these so-called norms but from what most of the members write, it seems that men’s body hair removal is becoming more accepted and mainstream. Another double standard is that a lot of women go for men who remind them of their favorite actors, or they howl over Chippendale models but then they think it’s weird if their partners take care of their appearance or body shave–that’s incompreshensible to me! I really think that men should decide for themselves how much or little hair they want and then go for the appearance they desire–it really shouldn’t be dictated by society or girlfriends. I don’t think many women would seek “approval” from their partners if they want to change their hairstyle or get waxed–they just do it to please themselves and the same should hold true for men.
What are the attitudes in CA like? I’ve always thought that CA is one of the most progressive states and a trendsetter. Do people there really pay attention to whether a man shaves his legs or arms? Do you really think that most women think that it’s weird for men to body shave? Maybe, most people wouldn’t even notice but we just THINK they would because of old social norms.
The “share your feelings” forum on the emotional support board is worth checking out for some great threads which deal with a lot of these issues in-depth.
Because California has beaches - and you also have the movie and television industry - I would say California - as with most things is a little more liberal about it.
Although you would think Florida would be more of a place because less hair would be more comfortable in warm climates.
It may wind up becoming a generational thing. I would assume the younger generation (18-24) is probably more accepting.
Yes, I would think that the combination of beaches and hot weather in southern California as well as the movie industry would be a boon to body shaving. I’m actually surprised that Hollywood hasn’t done more to do it’s part to “promote” the smooth look, although there have been a few films which feature some kind of men’s body hair removal (often in comedies)! Out of curiosity, are you surprised when you see men with smooth legs or arms–I’ve become more conscious of other men shaving since I began body shaving and do a kind of a mental tally to see how many of them have smooth legs, etc. Maybe, there’s safety in numbers!
As you mentioned, I’m surprised that more men in Florida as well as other coastal states in the South don’t shave their legs–the combination of a hot and very humid climate throughout the deep South would be a natural place to get rid of those furry legs.
Hi smoothlover
I think that mens perception that women must “accept” the smooth look before it is O.K. to do is the main downfall of why a lot of guys who want to shave don’t do so. In SA there are so many other pressing issues that a man who shaves is not one of them. I must add that this is true of many other African countries as well.
Tradition is also a major role player on our continent, which may explain why male shaving is easier accepted in society here than in other countries. Nonetheless there should be no further social stigma in the 21st century about such issues. We have more than 5000 years of history describing male hair removal on all body parts as normal so lets go ahead and remove it if that is what we want!
Regards
Stuart
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Hi Hairfree…
The springing up of hair removal clinics and salons in SA is quite astounding and seems linked to only one thing being male hair removal. If this were not the case population demograpics would dictate that these institutions would spring up in trendy and very affuent areas, yet they don’t. Male / female ratios from what I can see look to be well in favour of women, but if one goes to a salon or clinic for hair removal, say by lasor, there is a large male queue as well.
Many adverts are openly targeting men as well. Removal of back and upper arm hair being popular. Not much on legs, chest and pits so far, but I can’t see why not soon. Florida surprises me regarding leg hair, as beach sports and the humidity would seem to push for shaved legs as the norm. Maybe the guys there will suddenly see the benefits and it will take the state by storm (pardon the pun).
Regards
Stuart
Hi Smoothlover
Shaving amoungst men is now almost as normal as amounst women. Today I went to a major mall and nobody even looked twice at my shaved legs. I noticed many youths had shaved legs and cycled. This is becoming the norm and should not be seen as abnormal.
Regards
Stuart
Hi Smoothlover
Once again I see the benefit of leg shaving. I got a good few scrapes on my shins working at my home 2 days ago. Together with a wipe, some antibaterial cream and 3 days and they are almost gone. I find it hard to believe how quickly wounds dissappear on smooth skin. Cyclists should be put on trial for not letting the world know sooner! There is no beating shaved legs for anybody at any age!
Regards
Stuart
Hi Smoothlover
Once again I am surprised how few men discover the benefits of smooth legs. Everyday when I shave I feel that wonderfull sensation of smoothness and clean feel. My skin feels sensual as you have pointed out and there is that great feeling of a cool breeze blowing over your legs that nothing can beat. Men in general need to wake up to these sensations and appreciate them more. Most of my experiance has been based on shaved legs, but our legs represent a lot of skin area and are often exposed so this is not a bad base to start from. Chest, pits and so forth are worth a lot of merit as well. It’s what makes us comfortable thats most important.
Regards
Stuart
Hi Smoothlover
Me again. I just recently had a cardiac checkup and I can say those ECG conductors hurt a lot of the guys with a lot of chest hair pulling them off. I can now reccomend chest shaving as a viable option before you do this sort of thing.
Regards
Stuart
Hi Stuart!
Just “rediscovered” this thread and your latest posts! You’re absolutely right about the ease and relatively pain free expereince of having bandages on the legs and chest–without the hair, there is very little pain involved. One of the new members in the “men shaving legs” thread mentioned that his grandfather shaved his legs to play football way back in the 1940s–I wonder if other guys did this for sports or was he simply way ahead of his time? It just makes so much sense in terms of treating injuries, comfort and hygiene. I’m really surprised that it’s not the standard amongst athletes.
Another thing which you mentioned is the comfort and sensation while taking a bath or shower. It just feels so much better to be smooth, or at least trimmed! This may sound kinda funny but I think that even a week or two of shaved hair growing back looks much better than the full blown “ape look” of hairs popping out everywhere on the chest and legs. Maybe, such short hairs growing back attract more attention but I really think it looks better than the furry animal look. It’s nice to be able to see your skin and bath time is so much more enjoyable. Most men go fairly regularly to get a haircut or shave their beards, so it’s strange that they could go through their entire lives with never shaving their legs or chest.
Being smooth on the beach is another huge advantage with sand and suntan lotion not sticking everywhere and being a hassle to clean off. One shouldn’t forget massages either–I think you really need to be smooth or at least, closely trimmed to get the most out of a massage and the oils used.
It just ocurred to me that some people might think it’s “weird” for a guy to enjoy the comfort or sensation of being smooth, or going to get a massage, or a trip to a health spa for general well-being. This is a shame but it’s probably because of some stupid and outdated stereotypes that men are supposed to be “tough” and not enjoy any creature comforts. I really think it’s very flawed thinking that only women are supposed to enjoy such pleasures and that men don’t have the right to enjoy such things. As has been said elsewhere before, I’m sure that a lot of men would like to shave their legs or take better care of themselves but they somehow feel that it’s wrong or not masculine. This is really sad but unfortunately, it is sometimes reinforced by salons which refuse to wax men or don’t offer other services that women take for granted. This is simply discrimination against men and really stupid because they lose both potential customers and money–one would think that they are in business to make money and would see this as a huge opportunity to tap into a new market of men clients.
Regards,
smoothlover
Hi Smoothlover
Good to see you on this thread again! You are correct in what you say and have my personal endorsement on your opions mentioed above. The smooth appeal is rarely appreciated amoungst men, but can be more so done if more men actually tried this. We need to grow up as a sex class and I think many or most women are far ahead of us in this respect. Most men squeal like girls as the cardiac squegies are pulled off, but are too scared to shave their chests or legs. This is a bit ridiculus as both tend to be generally in the public eye, if you go to a hospital for example.
Regards
Stuart