# Do guys trim their leg hairs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173 "2002-08-03T14:03:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/1 "2002-08-03T14:03:08Z")
Having dinner with a friend last night, he started complaining that his legs were itching. He explained that he had recently trimmed his leg hairs and that is why they were itching. I’m like, “Trim your leg hairs? WTF?” He’s like, “Yeah, all the guys do it! Jim told me about it, he said all the guys do it. You buy some electric clippers and use the number 3 attachment. It’s not shaving, just trimming the length.” Now I’m a guy in my 40s (so is my friend) and I’ve never heard of this, ever. He says, “All the guys do it!” I doubt that, so I’m here to ask… Guys, do you trim your leg hairs? ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/2 "2002-08-03T14:10:55Z")
I’m also a guy in my forties, and, well, I don’t. I’ve heard of body builders and swimmers who shave their whole body, but as far as I know it’s not done by “all the guys.” A couple of weeks ago, I noticed some chest hairs that had achieved an unreasonable length, about 5 or 6 inches, and they were sticking out of my shirts if I didn’t wear an undershirt. People mistook them for loose threads and pulled them. So I grabbed a handful and clipped them with scissors, to a length of an inch or so. For the next few days, they were itchy and prickly, so I guess leg hairs could be the same way. Why a guy would trim them, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/3 "2002-08-03T14:15:28Z")
I believe bicyclists shave, too. As to the OP, I’ve never heard of this practice. But number 3 on my adjustable trimmer is the setting I use on my beard, if that’s of any use to you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/4 "2002-08-03T14:21:39Z")
Indeed, I am aware of the practice of athletes shaving their body hairs, but this is being described as normal grooming for the modern man. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/5 "2002-08-03T17:09:39Z")
Your friend is deluding himself (or teasing you). Unless you are a professional or semi-pro athlete, dancer, female impersonater, Chippendale or bodybuilder (or Sasquatch) there is generally no practical reason for the standard issue man to be trimming his leg hair other than personal preference. I can imagine that some men might do it as part of a sexually related fetish of some kind, but most men leave their leg hair alone. Chest hair is another matter as it can get unwieldy over time. ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/6 "2002-08-03T17:33:51Z")
only if I’m planning on wearing nylons… ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/7 "2002-08-03T17:55:02Z")
Rarely do leg hairs get particularly long. I think wearing pants tends to create enough friction to remove any particularly long ones. ---
**Author:** ![Jenner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@Jenner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenner)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/8 "2002-08-03T20:51:59Z")
My leg hair grows in unsightly tufts on my shins. I also have very dark hair which contrasts starkly with my pasty white skin. I trim it every couple of months down to 1/2" with an electric clipper (no. 2 attachment). It makes my legs look much neater without detracting from their masculinity. ---
**Author:** ![taggert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/96bed5/32.png) [@taggert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taggert)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/9 "2002-08-03T21:56:41Z")
No, only athletes do this. ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/10 "2002-08-03T22:11:10Z")
I trim an inch or so off my penis every coupla months when it starts getting too long. Does this help? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/11 "2002-08-03T23:05:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Icarus \* > \*\* > I’m like, “Trim your leg hairs? WTF?” > > He’s like, "Yeah, all the guys do it!\*\* Please. Please. No “I’m like…”/“He’s like…”. Your a man in your 40s, not a mall rat in her teens. ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/12 "2002-08-03T23:12:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jojo \* > **I trim an inch or so off my penis every coupla months when it starts getting too long.** I assume the phrase ‘of hair’ is to be implied somewhere in that sentence? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/13 "2002-08-03T23:36:45Z")
I think the missing word is actually ‘whoosh’, **peasea**. ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/14 "2002-08-03T23:50:23Z")
Thought of that, but I wan’t sure. If so, consider me whooshed. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/15 "2002-08-04T02:10:19Z")
I do it, but only on my ankles. I’m a strength athlete and tape my ankles for additional support. No hairs there makes the tape a lot less uncomfortable to remove. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/16 "2002-08-04T02:16:47Z")
I don’t just trim, I shave my leg hair (not only my legs, but entire body). I’ve never liked hair…it really bothers me. Ironically, the hair on my head is kinda long. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/17 "2002-08-04T15:56:03Z")
I’m a triathlete, and I shave all of my body hair for races. I let my “winter coat” grow back in during the off-season, and during any long breaks between races. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/18 "2002-08-04T16:08:43Z")
Since pubic hair reduces friction in the thigh and groin area, why would an athlete want to shave **all** of the body hair for races? ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/19 "2002-08-04T16:59:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Since pubic hair reduces friction in the thigh and groin area, why would an athlete want to shave **all** of the body hair for races? \*\* If you want to get extremely pedantic about it, I don’t technically shave every single hair, only all of the exposed hair, except for my eyebrows and lashes. I don’t shave the groin area as it’s under a swimsuit, or my head since it’s covered by a swim cap. And eyebrows and eyelashes serve a necessary function by helping to keep sweat from running into your eyes, so I’m willing to live with the immeasurably tiny amount of drag they provide. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173/20 "2002-08-05T12:05:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\* > > Please. Please. No “I’m like…”/“He’s like…”. > > Your a man in your 40s, not a mall rat in her teens. \*\* I can dream, can’t I? …or… To contextualize the conversation for comedic effect (two middle aged gents chatting about grooming of leg hair) I invoked the valley girl within, m’kay? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-guys-trim-their-leg-hairs/122173.md?page=2)