Shaving legs is gradually becoming a popular trend in the world of men's and women's grooming. Gone are the days when only women were associated with hairless and silky legs. Men now show off well-shaven legs without losing a hint of their masculinity.
But there is still this controversy about whether men should shave their legs or not. In many parts of the world, shaving legs is a women-only grooming routine. But since so many men shave their legs too, leg shaving is becoming more and more popular among men.
Even in ancient times, most cultures, such as the Greeks, considered leg hair removal to be a female act to maintain beauty and attractiveness. In countries such as ancient Egypt, nobles were proud to remove all their body hair as a sign of nobility. So it is a little biased to associate leg shaving only with women.
History and modern trends aside, is it necessary for men to shave their legs?
If this sounds like a question you would like to have answered, then read on because in this article you will find the answers to your question.
Table of contents:- Part 1: 6 reasons why most men shave their legs
- Part 2: 6 reasons why most men don’t shave their legs
- Part 3: Conclusion: Should men shave their legs?
6 reasons why most men shave their legs
Most men who prefer to keep their leg hair untouched often wonder why other men shave their legs. There are many reasons why men shave the hair on their legs along with the hair on other parts of their body. These reasons include the following:
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Sporting purpose
Hair removal is associated with high performance in some sports, which is why shaving is very popular among athletes. In sports such as swimming, it is a must for swimmers to remove their body hair before they start swimming. This is because body hair increases the resistance between the swimmer's body and the water, making the athlete have to exert more effort when swimming.
Research has shown that shaving all body hair increases the efficiency of a swimmer's stroke. Removing only the hair on the legs increases the swimmer's speed by 5%, which is why shaving legs is a must when swimming .
Bodybuilders also keep their bodies free of hair because it can make certain muscles less visible. The judges need to see every muscle you have worked to effectively judge your result.
Shaving legs can also have a psychological effect on an athlete 's speed . This could be due to the already known effect of hair in sports. A hairy athlete can feel disadvantaged. So they feel a little slower when their body hair has grown, especially when their opponents have clean-shaven bodies.
Athletes such as triathletes and cyclists who use wraps, bandages and Velcro need a cleanly shaved leg to make removal easier. Imagine trying to pull bandages off the legs of a hairy athlete; it feels painful, unlike the legs of cleanly shaven athletes. Some cyclists also feel very slow if they don't shave because they feel the hair being pulled back by the wind resistance.
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Appearance
Gone are the days when a hairy leg was thought to be proof that testosterone was sprouting from every orifice in a man's body. Many men today want to show off clean-shaven legs on beaches and in beach houses, regardless of their sexual preferences, whether it's to attract potential partners or simply to feel good about themselves.
Some men feel very uncomfortable wearing shorts when they are hairy. Such men never wear anything that shows their hairy legs until they feel well groomed. However, this is a question of personality, as many men are still seen on beaches with legs that look like they are afraid of razor blades.
It has been shown that men in the gym have a strong preference for shaving. After all, what is the use of trying to get those hot, dripping, muscular bodies that drive women crazy if we allow the hair to overshadow it? If we work hard to build muscle, then we will show it off at every opportunity, and no hair can stop us.
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season
One of the functions of hair is to keep us warm. Therefore, the frequency with which men shave their leg hair varies with the seasons. In cold seasons such as winter, men tend to shave less. In hot seasons such as summer, men shave all parts of their bodies. So, in cold seasons, men are more likely to have a hairy body, including hairy legs.
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Tattoo
Just like muscular legs, which most people find attractive on men, tattoos on men's legs are mostly done to be shown off. Most men who get tattoos on their legs do so for aesthetic reasons, so body hair is unlikely to cover them up. They tend to shave their legs to keep the beautiful artwork on their legs visible to all when they want to show them off.
In addition, the leg must be shaved before a new tattoo can be done on the leg. So, leg shaving is also common for men with tattoos on their legs. However, after the tattoo is done, the tattoo must first heal before men can continue to shave their legs.
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Injuries
Shaving is necessary when dressing wounds. If a man injures his leg and a bandage is applied without shaving, it will be very painful to remove. In addition, shaving promotes healing because an ointment applied directly to the wound works faster than one applied to the hair.
Additionally, shaving around an injury on your leg or other body parts helps protect the injury from infection. Since the hair on your legs can trap germs and dust, shaving your legs after an injury is necessary. If you only shave around the injury, your leg might look funny, so you might as well shave your whole legs.
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Hygienic purposes
We have to admit that there is something neat and chic about clean shaven legs on both men and women. Imagine how people look at men who bear a distinct resemblance to cavemen. If you are doing anything that requires you to look neat and show off your legs, a clean shaven leg is an added advantage.
6 reasons why most men don’t shave their legs
Despite all these reasons for men to shave their legs, there are still good reasons not to shave the hair on their legs. These reasons include:
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It can be expensive
Buying a razor may not seem like a big expense, but over time you will realize that you have spent more on the razor than you ever imagined. Even if you choose other methods of hair removal such as waxing, be prepared to use a lot of wax as the leg has a large surface area.
The more often you change your razor, the more you will have to spend. The other option is to continue shaving without changing your razor, which is not a good option unless you have a penchant for ingrown hairs.
Going to a salon to get your legs trimmed isn't cheap either, as each session can cost you over $60. The more affordable alternative to constant shaving is permanent methods like IPL or a long-lasting method like electrolysis .
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It is time consuming
If you think you can handle shaving your legs just because you can shave your face in a few minutes, prepare for a bit of a shock. The leg is much larger than the face, so you would have to spend more than twice as much time as you would shaving your face. Only men who have shaved their legs know how much time and effort people put into caring for their legs.
However, it gets better with time, because with a little practice you will shave faster than when you started. For busy men, it is still a hell of a battle.
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It is a continuous task
If you join the club of men with clean-shaven legs, be prepared for the price of renewing your membership card. If you start shaving, the hair will always grow back and you will have to shave it again. Assuming one shave is enough to keep you in the club forever, trust us, many of us would have been members.
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Unnecessary pain
Shaving and other methods of hair removal are just another effortless routine for some men, especially those who have a high tolerance for pain. But no man likes the sight or the inconvenience that comes with ingrown hairs. Imagine putting your best effort into having a well-groomed leg, and then ingrown hairs invade your legs.
Razor rashes and other skin problems associated with shaving may be easier to explain on the face, but not on the legs. It can look like a serious skin infection, especially to people who object to men shaving their legs.
Did we tell you that you could cut yourself on the blade? Don't forget that possibility.
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In some cultures it is strange
In some cultures, men shaving their legs is frowned upon. They would rather have a man with legs like Chewbacca than a man with silky and hairless legs. If you live among such people, do you want to stand out and be recognized as the weirdo?
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It always itches
When you first shave the fine hair on your leg, don't expect fine hair to grow back. While some people get fine hair, most people get the hair back rough and coarser. When you get this coarse hair, your leg can be itchy.
Even when the hair has grown out, it can easily bend towards the skin and pierce your skin with its sharp and protruding tip. For some men, this seems to be too high a price to pay for having cleanly shaved legs.
Conclusion: Should men shave their legs?
Should men shave the hair on their legs? This depends mainly on the man and what he wants to do with his legs. Shaving your legs for work, religion, or just to feel good is a noble thing to do for yourself. However, from a medical point of view, there is nothing wrong with keeping a hairy leg.
If hairy legs make you feel more masculine or give you good self-esteem, then by all means keep them hairy. Be as hairy as Chewbacca and make people think of the cavemen when they see you. And if you have an aversion to this beauty trend, that's fine too. The most important thing is to keep your skin intact and avoid side effects like ingrown hairs and rashes that can occur with unhealthy methods of hair removal.
If you want silky smooth legs without cuts, burns or rashes, using IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) devices is an effective way to achieve this at home. You can never go wrong with the Ulike Sapphire Air 3 IPL Hair Removal Handheld Device .
