# Armpit shaving, male and female **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476 "2009-06-21T15:30:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/41 "2009-06-23T19:30:55Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m a dude, and I’ve never shaved my pits. I shaved my junk once > 8 (actually, my then-SO did it) and after three days I realized I wouldn’t be able to walk for a while. Not pleasant. I imagine it would be just as bad if I did my pits, no? I have occasionally shaved my pubic area and it does itch as it grows back. This is not the case for me in my armpit area. Is itching what you meant? Or being scratched by your own stubble? ---
**Author:** ![Neverender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Neverender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neverender)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/42 "2009-06-23T19:46:28Z")
> [@Telperien](#): > > I was reading a discussion of these shaving matters elseweb, and some women said they smelled more with hairy pits, while others averred that shaving led to more odor. (No men seemed to be participating in this particular discussion while I was reading it.) I seem to smell about the same, but then soap and deodorant seem to do their jobs well enough. Man, 20 here. I keep my pit hairs trimmed down, and one time I did shave them. I didn’t notice any extra or less _smelliness_ - but the pit stains on my shirt were a lot bigger/wider/longer. (I’m a waiter, and I get VERY sweaty at our place when it’s warm weather, coupled with carrying stuff constantly, and popping in and out of the kitchen (read: furnace) every 5 mins). So it would seem the pit hairs do soak up a little of the sweat, but mine generally doesn’t smell _too_ bad most of the time anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/43 "2009-06-23T20:32:25Z")
> [@Neverender](#): > > Man, 20 here. I keep my pit hairs trimmed down, and one time I did shave them. I didn’t notice any extra or less _smelliness_ - but the pit stains on my shirt were a lot bigger/wider/longer. With me, it’s more like…I don’t know, it just feels grosser. Also if I’m hairless, I can get away with no deodorant but I HAVE to wear it if I’m hairy. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/44 "2009-06-23T21:06:19Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I have occasionally shaved my pubic area and it does itch as it grows back. This is not the case for me in my armpit area. Is itching what you meant? Or being scratched by your own stubble? Both, really. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/45 "2009-06-23T21:13:44Z")
> [@lizardling](#): > > When I raise my arm, the pit goes from innie to outie. What is this ‘Grand Canyon’ that you speak of? I’m also on the low end of normal weight for my height, so… uh, are those models famine victim size? 😕 Yes, this model was skinny even by fashion model standards. But maybe it’s also just one of those individual things. As far as shaving/depilating the undercarriage…I don’t itch. Maybe I’m just used to it by now. But whoever invented the Venus razor deserves a Nobel prize. Have you guys (as in males) tried using a Venus razor for body shaving? The shape of the head is perfect for that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/46 "2009-06-23T21:29:49Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > But whoever invented the Venus razor deserves a Nobel prize. Yes! And they have a five-blader now too. [http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930](http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930) (warning: big bold curse word on page) ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/47 "2009-06-23T21:37:10Z")
I shave both underarms and legs pretty regularly (female). I also shave my pubic area…not completely, that just icks me out, honestly, plus, as I discovered the one time I did, I have some little stretch marks right at the top…ewww, REAL attractive:rolleyes: I just take off everything but the patch up top/in front. I find it much more comfortable and attractive and no worries about flashing pubes in the swimsuit. It doesn’t ITCH growing back if you don’t LET it grow back. 😉 I’ve done both unshaven and shaven pits, and could go either way, honestly. I do find that shaving helps reduce any odor, since the hair is there (imo, though some debate this) to trap and disperse odor/phermones), plus, you can apply deoderant more effectively to shaven skin, PLUS hair provides much more habitat per square inch for organism that cause odor. But I’ve used crystal deoderant for years and that shit works (for me, at least) Zero odor, since it inhibits the growth of the bacteria at fault. ---
**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/48 "2009-06-23T23:52:59Z")
If anyone has hard science on this issue, pop on over to wikipedia and do some good: > **[Underarm hair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underarm_hair)** > > Underarm hair, also known as axillary hair or armpit hair, is the hair in the underarm area (axilla). > Underarm or axillary hair goes through four stages of development, driven by weak androgens produced by the adrenal in males and females during adrenarche, and testosterone from the testicle in males during puberty. > The importance of human underarm hair is unclear. It may naturally wick sweat or other moisture away from the skin, aiding ventilation. Colonization by odor-producing bacteria is ... One of the least helpful entries i’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/49 "2009-06-24T01:13:45Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > **MissMossie** –if it takes you a full minute to shave your pits, then you’re doing something really wrong. Or you have giant armpits. And underarm shaving puts very little wear and tear on a blade, especially compared to leg shaving. You can’t lump the two together if you’re calculating estimated blades used. Honestly, it’s been about five years since I’ve done it. A minute seemed like an okay estimate. The OP used 40 seconds as the estimate, so cut my water calculation by 1/3 and you still have 15,600 gallons of water over fifty years of shaving three times a week. In reality, even if it was only five gallons of water the results still aren’t worth it to me. I just don’t give a damn about my armpit hair. ---
**Author:** ![Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eugene_of_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/50 "2009-06-24T02:07:04Z")
So I guess this is a poll? Hello, I am MALE, a little nervous. I do shave my armpits. With an electric razor thing. I tried to shave my knutts with the same device and it was HELL. You don’t want to do that. Knutts have to be shaved by hand! ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/51 "2009-06-25T18:27:43Z")
[Relevant post](http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/06/25/hair-mammals-have-it) by Lindy West, one of the silliest (and most enjoyable) regular posters on [Slog](http://slog.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/), the blog of [the Stranger](http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Home), which is Seattle’s Only Newspaper™. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/52 "2009-06-26T06:02:13Z")
Yes I do, because i don’t like my armpit hair. My leg hair only needs to be maintained once a month. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/53 "2009-06-26T22:04:38Z")
Female, 46, and I shave, cut or pluck just about everything. I feel cleaner and get a lot more attention from my SO when I do. He recently, to my chagrin, shaved his pits, chest and belly. :eek: I loved his belly hair! I loved his chest hair! Now I’m impatiently waiting for it to grow back. The 'nads, meh, shaved or not, it’s all good. He said he did it on a whim and I say he can no longer shower without supervision. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/54 "2009-06-26T22:28:50Z")
> [@Jettboy](#): > > Oh, man! No shit!? I’d never shave my pits! That fluffy man-fur is part of what defines me as the male of the species. What sort of sissy, girly man would even consider such a spiritual neutering?! Never; no way, no how. > > I DO shave my 'nads, though. Do you ever [use this](http://www.ulta.com/images/products/detail/2145323.jpg)? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/55 "2009-06-27T19:56:50Z")
> [@Jettboy](#): > > Oh, man! No shit!? I’d never shave my pits! That fluffy man-fur is part of what defines me as the male of the species. What sort of sissy, girly man would even consider such a spiritual neutering?! Never; no way, no how. > > I DO shave my 'nads, though. OK, I just have to say it; so shaving your PITS somehow emasculates you but shaving your “'nads” DOESN’T? 😃 Last time I checked (yes it’s been a while, but still…) both sexes had pits…'nads are by far the more exclusive feature denoting masculinity. Just saying… And as for using Nads ON the 'nads…makes even me, nad-less female, cringe! ---
**Author:** ![Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kneepants_Erasmus_the_Humanist)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476/56 "2009-06-27T20:53:39Z")
I am a woman and I refuse to shave anything. I decided a few years ago that it was yet another double standard that women are subjected to … why is hair on a man fine, while hair on a woman is disgusting? That makes absolutely no sense. It’s just hair, and despite what the kind folks at Gillette tell us, there is nothing wrong with it. So, I refuse to do it out of principle. I also don’t pluck my eyebrows, and I will not wear makeup or high heels. Guess what? I still look like a girl! Imagine that. _not responding to anyone in this thread…I am responding to STUPID ASS SOCIETY_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-shaving-male-and-female/500476.md?page=2)