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What Are the Best Tips for Men Shaving Their Armpits?

Alex Tree
Alex Tree

Some of the best tips for men shaving their armpits are to remove deodorant before shaving, trim the hair if it is long, and consider cultural norms and how people might react to their clean underarms. Antiperspirant and deodorant should be removed from the underarm before shaving because they can coat a razor, making it less effective. While not a problem for men and women who shave on a regular basis, people who have never shaved or shave infrequently might have to trim their hair first. In addition, sometimes it is best to stop and consider cultural norms before possibly breaking them.

All deodorant or antiperspirant should be removed before shaving the armpits. If not, the substance coats the razor and makes it give a poorer shave. It can also be difficult to get off a razor because these beauty products are made to withstand moisture, and modern razors often do not leave the entire blade in sight. To remove deodorant or antiperspirant from themselves, men need only scrub gently with a soapy pouf or washcloth in the shower. If the armpit hair is especially long, it might be necessary to put a small amount of soap on the fingers and work it into the hair and then rinse well.

It's best to remove all deodorants before shaving and to not apply more immediately after shaving.
It's best to remove all deodorants before shaving and to not apply more immediately after shaving.

Some men shaving their armpits have never done so before and therefore have long armpit hair. To get a good shave without dulling a few razors beforehand, the armpit hair should be trimmed shorter with scissors. This can usually be done without ever coming close to the skin so there is little risk of cutting oneself. Still, it is a good idea to take it slowly and be careful whenever using any sharp instrument on the body.

Armpits with long hair should be trimmed first with scissors and then shaven.
Armpits with long hair should be trimmed first with scissors and then shaven.

The cultural norms differ when it comes to men shaving their armpits. Many people are indifferent to the practice, while others believe that only women should remove their body hair; some people even find men shaving their armpits attractive because they enjoy the sleek look. If it is likely that other people will see a man’s shaved underarm hair, he should consider these the cultural norms in his area and how people are likely to react. It should also be kept in mind that there is no health benefit of shaving an armpit, and it is usually done only for aesthetic reasons. In fact, the primary reasons Western women began shaving their armpits were the introduction of short-sleeved dresses and well-placed advertisements for women's shaving products.

Discussion Comments

anon1002161

I had my armpit hair lasered off. It takes about 5 treatments but gets most of the coarse hair. The hair still grows back, but it is fairly fine and easy to shave about once every week or two.

anon338123

I got too often clothing lint tangling in my hair and that was totally unacceptable! I shave regularly and also have no worries about excessive odor, either!

gravois

I once shaved my armpits just as a joke to show my friends when we went to the beach. But something happened that I would never have expected. It turns out that I really liked it.

I never really noticed my armpit hair until it was gone but all of a sudden I felt like I sweat less, smelled better, itched less and generally had less discomfort and embarrassment from my arm pits. Now I keep them shaved regularly. I have gotten a few funny looks and I usually have to explain the situation to new girlfriends but that doesn't matter because its worth it.

tigers88

I will admit to shaving my armpits regularly and the best tip I can give for guys who want to start is that they should use a women's razor.

I have found that women's razors are better at getting into the contours of the arm pit. Somehow they give you a close and smoother shave and leave less irritation. I know that if you are shaving your armpits maybe you don't want to also use a pink razor but just suck it up and be practical. These razors are made for shaving your pits, guy's razors are not

JessicaLynn

@strawCake - Who cares if men want to shave their armpits? Shaving body hair is a personal choice, and if they want to do it, that's their own business not yours!

One thing that I do want to point out is shaving is kind of addictive. Once you get started shaving one area, you're not going to want to stop. The hair grows back all coarse and stubbly and it's not too comfortable. So you will have to shave it again soon. If you do decide to shave your underarms, be sure you're going to want to keep up with it.

strawCake

I really think the only reason men should shave under their arms is if they are swimmers. I just don't think it's normal for men to shave their arm pits. It just looks a little funny, if you ask me.

Anyway, I'm a woman and I've been shaving my underarms for quite awhile. There's really not that much to it. I just do it in the shower in the morning and forget about it. I use a regular disposable razor and I've never had any problems.

popcorn

It's hard for me to believe that there is no health benefit from having shaved underarms. For someone reason I feel that it is generally more hygienic and that you tend to smell less when there isn't hair under your arms for sweat to cling to.

Does anyone else think that having shave underarms is a way to feel fresher and more clean?

I started shaving my armpits a few years ago because I really hated the body odor, and deodorants only seemed to do so much. Once I got rid of the hair there it was amazing at how much better I smelled. Perhaps it is just because it is now easier for my deodorant to touch my skin.

lonelygod

There is nothing wrong in my opinion with a man who wants to shave their armpits. Swimmers commonly remove all body hair because they feel it makes them more streamlined in the water.

I think that if you are shaving your armpits for the first time you really need to be careful. It is a bit tricky at first and it is pretty easy to nick yourself if you aren't used to doing it.

What you may want to consider is buying one of the triple blade razors because they get a much closer shave. Make sure you trim the hair really short first then shave as you normally would your face. Once you've done it the first time it gets a lot easier, and I think it looks much better.

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    • It's best to remove all deodorants before shaving and to not apply more immediately after shaving.
      By: Dmitry Vereshchagin
      It's best to remove all deodorants before shaving and to not apply more immediately after shaving.
    • Armpits with long hair should be trimmed first with scissors and then shaven.
      By: philipus
      Armpits with long hair should be trimmed first with scissors and then shaven.
    • Disposable shavers don't always provide the flexibility needed for armpits.
      By: Ian 2010
      Disposable shavers don't always provide the flexibility needed for armpits.
    • Men deciding to shave their armpit hair or not may depend on their preference for how it looks.
      By: Franco Tognarini
      Men deciding to shave their armpit hair or not may depend on their preference for how it looks.
    • Men may shave their armpits in an attempt to lessen body odor.
      By: HamsterMan
      Men may shave their armpits in an attempt to lessen body odor.
    • Some men may prefer using a disposable razor for shaving their armpits.
      By: detailblick
      Some men may prefer using a disposable razor for shaving their armpits.