When it comes to body hair, everyone has an opinion. There are quite a few women out there who feel, if he doesn’t shave, then why should I shave? However, in the world that we live in today, the greater segment of the population thinks shaving has to do with hygiene and that if you don’t shave your body hair, you are in one sense dirtier. However, did you know that there are some real benefits of not shaving?
With body hair and body image correlated to each other, there are various opinions on body hair by various segments of the population. Beauticians feel that all unnecessary body hair should be shaved or removed. This includes armpit hair, leg hair, arm hair, pubic hair and not to mention the eyebrow which has to be shaped and hand touched every so often.
With models and celebrities creating a particular image of perfection in the minds of women and men, it isn’t surprising that a greater segment of the population chooses to remove their body hair. It is only a small segment of the female population that looks to allow their hair to grow naturally.
If you’ve come across this article, it is because you have had your doubts about shaving, or may have been irritated by the razor burns. You may also be wondering if waxing is a better option than shaving. Don’t worry, we are here to answer all these questions.
Before we go to consider the benefits of not shaving or the disadvantages of shaving leg hair, we first need to understand what happens to your body when you stop shaving your body hair. Surely, your body hair will grow, but what will this lead to?
What Happens When You Stop Shaving Body Hair?
Obvious to state, when you stop shaving your body hair, your body hair will grow. This means untamed armpits, rough arms and legs and a naturally hairy pubic region. Despite the fact that you would be saving a whole lot of time, there are some real perks that you would enjoy including being less prone to skin infections.
That is right, when you stop shaving, you are less prone to skin infections. Body hair in general is a normal part of the body, which has a specific role to play. The body hair works to protect your skin from infections, which means you are less likely to catch an infection.
If you’ve ever considered taking a break from shaving or body hair removal but were worried about what it could cause, don’t be. Not shaving will not cause your hair to grow back thicker or in another texture. You would see absolutely no change. In fact, it is understood that the more you shave, the thicker your hair gets. Hence if you are a young adult who hasn’t made the decision to start shaving yet, you may want to consider otherwise before you start.
However, not shaving will not cause your body hair to grow back thicker. This is just a myth. Another myth that should be busted is the notion of body odour. Everyone is under the presumption that the more hair you have, the more body odour you would produce. This simply isn’t true. Your decision to shave your underarms or allow them to grow into an untamed forest has nothing to do with the impact it may have on whether you smell or not. However, the degree to which you may smell may be affected.
Sweat is produced by sweat glands and is not affected by the hair or the lack of hair on your skin. Sweat is generally odourless and only produces a foul smell when it comes in contact with bacteria. Allowing your underarms to grow could increase the amount of bacteria on your skin. That being the case, the bacteria in your skin is more associated with your hygiene routine. Do you bathe enough? Do you use good soap? Things as such. Hence though you may be inclined to think that body hair produces odour, this isn’t entirely true. There are other factors that play a part in body odour. Is body hair one such factor? Yes, however, it depends on how good of a hygiene routine you have.
What Happens When You Shave Body Hair?
Shaving is a form of exfoliation. When you shave, the razor glides across the surface of your skin and removes the dead cells in the process.
However shaving any part of your body, including your arms and armpits comes with a whole lot of razor burn and skin irritation. Those who shave their body hair usually use some form of a lotion to ease the burns. Some even use ice to ease the pain.
It is because of the irritation faced, exfoliation and lubrication are considered necessary to treat your skin. To top it off, when you shave your hair, as mentioned prior, it tends to grow back harder, which means thicker strands of hair. If you may remember when you first started shaving, the strands of hair used to be really thin. Now, after many, many, many shaves, it is like a beard growing on your legs.
Though grooming has become a part of our culture, it isn’t entirely true in all parts of the world. In fact, you are sure to find segments of the female population that simply don’t shave their body hair. This is because these people tend to live under the impression that if you shave it, it could get worse.
The thing that you have to remember about what happens when you shave your body hair is dryness and itchiness. You are sure to experience both these elements, hence if you are shaving, make sure to apply some form of lubricant and moisturise your skin after.
Benefits of Not Shaving
When you consider the truth of the matter, though we would all love smooth and hair-free skin, some are just not up to the task of removing body hair. If you are reading this article and have stayed with us thus far, it is probably because you are either tired of shaving, or don’t want to deal with the hassle of shaving. You may also be wondering if waxing is a better alternative. Regardless, what is important is that you understand the various benefits that come with not shaving.
1. A More Regular Body Temperature
Have you ever noticed, big bears usually have furry skin that keeps them warm during the winter months? From that observation alone, it is obvious, the more hair you have, the warmer you would be.
If you ever considered the best time to not shave or stop shaving for some time, do it in the winter. The extra hair on your skin will work to keep you warmer. This is because the hair on your skin wraps or releases heat based on the environment. This is why when you are warm, the hair on your skin lies down, while when you are cold, they stand up.
Body hair allows your body to better regulate your body temperature. Though this may sound like a silly benefit, if you choose to live naturally, your body temperature will be naturally better regulated.
2. Less Chafing Thanks to Armpit Hair
If you are prone to more exercise and sweating, then you should know that the sweat that you produce could lead to increased chafing and thereby lead to unwanted rashes. This is because the sweat in combination with repeated movement as with running causes friction that leads to chafing.
Though you may think that shaving your underarms may decrease the friction, you couldn’t be more wrong. Shaving the underarms could in actuality further increase friction and worsen the problem.
Hence if you find yourself as one of those people who suffer from chafing and unwanted rashes, your best bet would be to keep the hair and make sure the area is well moisturised.
3. Better Sex
When you consider your pubic hair, how many of us know to state that it is important for better sex? It’s true, the more public hair you have, the better sex you would have.
This is because there are tiny nerve endings at the base of each public hair follicle. These tiny nerve endings produce a specific sensation when touched or by friction caused during sex.
Shaving your pubic hair in essence robs you of these sensations that could simply lead to better sex. Not to mention the fact that your added body hair will be producing more pheromones, which increases your chances of luring in a mate.
4. More Pheromones, More Love
One of the main functions of body hair is to release hormones. This was illustrated by a study conducted in 2007 by the Journal of Royal Society of Medicine.
Though pheromones themselves are rather mysterious to us, we do know however that they are responsible for luring and attracting potential mates.
Male pheromones such as androstadienone work to increase female libido. Though you may have dismissed body hair to have caused body odour and may have considered shaving it all off at one point, you may want to think twice. The more body hair you have, the more pheromones you would release and the more chances of love.
5. Less Vulnerable to Skin Infections
We had mentioned this earlier in the article; not shaving means you would be less vulnerable to skin infections. This is because body hair works to protect your skin from infections and act as a natural line of defence.
Further to this, if you have shaved prior, you would know, it is nearly impossible to not have a knick or a cut. These knicks and cuts could drastically increase your chances of catching a skin infection.
These little cuts can have disastrous effects when you consider where the cuts are. For instance, a tiny cut in your pubic region caused by shaving could open the door to various infections such as streptococcus, staphylococcus aureus and MRSA due to the fact the cut is close to the genitals.
Hence by avoiding shaving, you could be looking to save yourself a whole lot of trouble. Imagine catching one of those infections, the trouble you would have to go through to treat it.
Disadvantages of Shaving Legs
When you consider the disadvantages of shaving your legs, the first and foremost thing to consider is the irritation caused by leg shaving.
Shaving can cause the hair follicles in your skin to become inflamed which would result in itching. It can also cause you to develop ingrown hairs. To top it all off, shaving brings with it razor burns, and the older and duller your blades are, the more irritations and cuts it would cause.
When you consider shaving as a means of removing body hair on your legs, one of the key disadvantages is how the results of shaving only last a short period of time. Yes, when you shave, you would start to see hair growing back in as little as 1 to 3 days. This would mean you would have to keep shaving and soon you would find yourself in a cycle of never-ending leg shaves.
Some choose to shave against the grain for a closer shave in hopes that it won’t grow back for a little longer. This runs the risk of causing regrowth to curl back, which would lead to skin breakage and hair on your legs becoming ingrown. It can also cause infections in your hair follicles and can lead to redness and inflammation.
Another familiar disadvantage of shaving your legs is the knicks and cuts that usually accompany shaving. Hence if you do shave, you should be sure to apply light pressure and use long gentle strokes while patiently partaking in the activity thereby preventing any cuts and scrapes.
Should I Shave My Legs?
The answer to the question as to whether you should shave your legs solely depends on you. You could be more inclined to a perfectionistic body image, leading you to shave. Or, you could take a more naturalistic approach and let that hair be. Remember, once you start shaving, the hair will most certainly start growing back thicker.
Hence though the decision is up to you, you do have to remember and take into consideration that this would be a long term investment. You cannot simply shave your legs one day and expect them to look that way forever. You would have to maintain it week after week. Sure you can take a break from shaving or stop shaving altogether, however by then, the hair on your legs would be thicker and you would just have to deal with that.
Hence though the answer to the question may feel straightforward, you may benefit from doing some thinking and considering whether shaving body hair is for you. You can always put the decision off for later and consider other alternatives to body hair removal such a waxing.
Should I Shave My Body Hair?
The popular opinion would lead you to state that you should shave your body hair. Primarily because body hair is and has been associated with body odour. Though we spoke of how body hair isn’t the sole factor behind body odour, people tend to be under the impression that the more body hair you have, the more body odour you would produce.
That being the case, throughout this article we have established some key drawbacks of shaving your body hair and have even highlighted some noteworthy benefits. Hence, the decision is in actuality up to you.
Despite the fact that it could lead to less body odour and bring you closer to the perfectionistic image that you see in magazines, shaving your body hair has very little to actually offer you.
Shaving or Waxing? Which is Better?
Shaving only produces results for 1 to 3 days, while waxing removes the hair at the root resulting in no regrowth for 3 to 4 weeks. Though waxing is sure to cause redness, the irritation doesn’t last as long as razor burns. Further to this, you are less likely to see stubble when you wax.
Waxing takes away the cuts and scrapes that usually accompanies shaving. As a result, you are less likely to develop a skin infection if you choose to wax. Waxing can also work as a form of exfoliation, leaving your skin feeling smoother. It can also cause your hair to start thinning again. Hence if you have shaved for some time and have developed thicker strands of hair, waxing would work to decrease the thickness.
That being the case, though there are some key advantages of waxing over shaving, your pain tolerance would have to be really high with waxing. Further to this, if you are using hot wax and are not careful, you could end up with some serious burns. Further to this, in order to wax, your hair has to be at least a quarter of an inch to half-inch in length.
The only thing that shaving has against waxing is, firstly it is less painful and secondly it is quicker and easier to shave than to wax. Both techniques work to remove what is considered unnecessary hair, however, the point of this article is to ask yourself the question, is there any point to shaving or even waxing ‘unnecessary hair.’
That being the case, we do think waxing is a better option if you do decide to rid yourself of body hair. However, we do hope that you do your reading beforehand and not play with hot wax. Regardless, with either shaving or waxing, you should wait until you are an appropriate age to decide for yourself.
Are There Any Real Benefits of Not Shaving?
Yes, there are plenty of real benefits of not shaving. Firstly, you save a whole lot of time and more importantly you choose to live a more natural mode of life. This just means you are unwilling to give in to perfectionistic models of society and choose to live the way you would, naturally.
Coupled with the fact that you would be releasing more pheromones, you would be saving yourself the trouble of cuts and knicks. If you prefer waxing, think about the pain involved. Either way, if you must, we aren’t going to stop you from attaining the body image that you crave. However, if you have read this article from the top to bottom, this truly means you are uncertain with regards to whether you should care to remove your body hair. Hence we do hope that you take the time out to think for yourself and decide.
We have done our task in providing you with some real benefits of not shaving or bothering about body hair removal, it is up to you to decide for yourself, whether you prefer a magazine look or consider a more down to Earth, natural feel about yourself.
Happy Living!
