# At what age do you begin manscaping or shescaping? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881 "2011-03-24T19:29:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/1 "2011-03-24T19:29:05Z")
According to the sub line of this forum it’s for “frivolous chatter to deep thoughts” This is about as frivolous as it gets I suppose. The other day on my commute home from work I started thinking about body hair-scaping. Hopefully without sound too pervy; I was wondering at what age do women and men begin doing this? I come from an era when men (or women) didn’t do this. Some years ago Playboy models starting trimming; and now it seems like it’s more than trimming… is cue ball city (something I’m not sure I’m too crazy about; but whatever…) Trimming body hair is the norm now; at least for adults. What social message/alert tells people when to start doing that? Is it magazines? Is it parents? (like when teaching their girls to shave their legs?) Is it peer pressure, like seeing ‘other’ people in the shower at the gym? Do high schools even have communal showers anymore? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/2 "2011-03-24T19:48:49Z")
Just nose and ears, please. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/3 "2011-03-24T19:57:15Z")
> [@](#): > > What social message/alert tells people when to start doing that? My guess would be internet porn. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/4 "2011-03-24T20:13:18Z")
For me, never. Don’t see any need or reason to do so. I keep myself clean; good enough. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/5 "2011-03-24T20:17:00Z")
For me it was about 5 years ago and it wasn’t social pressure, even though I was pretty hairy. I wanted to see if I would chafe less in my chestal area when running. That didn’t work, but I felt about 2-3 degrees cooler (which is good in florida) and noticed I had stopped itching. That’s right, I had itched below the collar my whole adult life and never connected it to my abundant chest hair. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/6 "2011-03-24T20:22:46Z")
never. Women like hairy men. (source: You Only Live Twice) ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/7 "2011-03-24T21:01:55Z")
I started doing it immediately when puberty started. I have always kept it neatly trimmed or completely shorn. My friends were apt to drop their pants at any time and none of them were doing anything in that area, but I’ve always liked to keep it under control. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/8 "2011-03-24T21:04:21Z")
I am a gay male so of course I started young LOL I first really did it when I was about 21. That was the first time in my life I decided to get a suntan. So I shaved everthing to get an all over even tan. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/9 "2011-03-24T21:07:50Z")
You mean…down there? For me, never. Started doing stuff like underarms/legs around age 13 but never saw the need to do the other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/10 "2011-03-24T21:15:33Z")
I started shaving my underarms and legs at 13 or 14. Started tweezing my eyebrows around that time, too. Arms and legs because I noticed the other girls in ballet and gymnastics did it, too. Girlie bits were at age 16. I started with just bikini line trimming but within a year I was getting rid of all of it after reading a few articles in Cosmo/Vogue. Once I tried it I felt cleaner and smoother and just better so I kept doing it for me. ---
**Author:** ![actionreply](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@actionreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actionreply)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/11 "2011-03-24T21:15:42Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > According to the sub line of this forum it’s for “frivolous chatter to deep thoughts” > > This is about as frivolous as it gets I suppose. > > The other day on my commute home from work I started thinking about body hair-scaping. Hopefully without sound too pervy; I was wondering at what age do women and men begin doing this? > > I come from an era when men (or women) didn’t do this. Some years ago Playboy models starting trimming; and now it seems like it’s more than trimming… is cue ball city (something I’m not sure I’m too crazy about; but whatever…) > > Trimming body hair is the norm now; at least for adults. What social message/alert tells people when to start doing that? Is it magazines? Is it parents? (like when teaching their girls to shave their legs?) Is it peer pressure, like seeing ‘other’ people in the shower at the gym? Do high schools even have communal showers anymore? my thoughts exactly ---
**Author:** ![actionreply](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@actionreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actionreply)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/12 "2011-03-24T21:18:39Z")
oops double post love internet ---
**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/13 "2011-03-24T21:36:30Z")
I just started this year, and I’m a 42 year old male. I figured if my wife goes to the trouble of keeping it tidy, least I could do is try as well. Just trimmed and under control. For the record she says it really makes no difference to her ( in a good way). ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/14 "2011-03-24T21:40:45Z")
Who knows what the norm is. I experimented a bit with shaving when I was first going through puberty, age 13-15, but had au natural pubes, and often legs and pits, until I was around 17-18 or so. Then I started shaving… and the more hair I removed, the more I realized I prefer less everywhere for many reasons. I wasn’t sexually active at all until well after my 19th birthday, so sexual partner’s preference wasn’t a consideration then. ---
**Author:** ![Troubles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Troubles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troubles)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/15 "2011-03-24T23:24:32Z")
In my world, the only thing a man is allowed to shave is his facial hair (though there are men who should keep their facial hair, too). All other hair should stay. Men are supposed to be hairy, dammit! [/off-topic] ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/16 "2011-03-24T23:38:54Z")
Started shaving my face at puberty. Started shaving my head when I started going bald. Started pulling out my nose hairs and ear hairs when I noticed them protruding beyond their li’l homes. This is the old school approach. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/17 "2011-03-24T23:52:47Z")
The nose and ear hairs go when they appear. The rest stays. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/18 "2011-03-25T00:49:10Z")
18, for me. Nowadays I just keep it trimmed close with a beard trimmer. I used to do the full bald treatment, but I didn’t particularly like it. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/19 "2011-03-25T01:04:23Z")
Then there is this Bay Area mother: > [@](#): > > Today in beauty fact or fiction, [_The Sun_ sits down with eight-year-old Britney Campbell of San Francisco,](http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/3485305/I-give-my-girl-8-Botox-for-pageant.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=Woman) whose mother Kerry claims she is already injecting the child with Botox so that she’ll “become a star.” The child is eight years old. > [@](#): > > But it doesn’t stop there – Kerry reveals that Britney “also has her virgin wax monthly, which gets rid of her fluffy leg hair and makes sure she wont develop pubic hair in the future.” Now, that’s an all-new, screwed up level, if we do say so ourselves. > **[Mother Claims To Inject 8-Year-Old With Botox, Perform Monthly 'Virgin Waxes'](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/8-year-old-botox_n_839946)** > > Mother Claims To Inject 8-Year-Old With Botox, Perform Monthly 'Virgin Waxes' ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881/20 "2011-03-25T01:07:56Z")
I tried major scaping once. Ingrown hair pain. Now it gets an occasional trim to keep it escaping the swim suit. That’s it. Adults have pubic hair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-do-you-begin-manscaping-or-shescaping/575881.md?page=2)