# What do you think about men shaving their armpits? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2013, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426 "2013-09-22T08:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/21 "2013-09-22T18:05:44Z")
I do it and I love it and I’ve never had any complaints from any women I’ve ever been with. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/22 "2013-09-22T18:10:45Z")
I had a rash in one pit and shaved it to get the unguent to work better. I hated it. I suppose it is something one could get used to but I’ll stick with my hair thanks very much. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/23 "2013-09-22T18:18:48Z")
I don’t care for guys who shave anywhere but their face (and I don’t mind a tidy beard, either), but it’s moot since I’m an old married woman. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/24 "2013-09-22T19:18:04Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Right, but this thread was about armpits. My armpits get pretty big bushes if I don’t trim them. I know “bush” often refers to something else, but I can’t think of any better time for excessive armpit hair. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/25 "2013-09-22T19:24:56Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’m totally opposed to any “manscaping” . . . especially when it comes to dainty, pencil-thin eyebrows. Armpit hair? Keep it, along with everything else. Someday this hairless fad will be over, and once again men will look like men. Right. Shaving can lead to a nasty infection, and there’s no reason for it. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/26 "2013-09-22T19:45:16Z")
I shave mine every month or so. I like it. If a potential boyfriend told me to keep it (and the rest of my body hair for that matter), I’d happily comply. Personally, I like being smooth all over. But I’m not opposed to letting myself go natural for the sake of a boyfriend, if it made him happy. 😃 -Drew ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/27 "2013-09-22T20:04:58Z")
Muslims—men and women alike—get rid of their armpit hair and pubic hair, as part of the _sunnah_ (the Prophet’s example to be emulated). Or anyway the devout ones do, and for them this question wouldn’t even arise. ---
**Author:** ![2L82Pray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/ee7513/32.png) [@2L82Pray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2L82Pray)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/28 "2013-09-22T20:08:03Z")
Whooohooo!! First post here and it’s about pit hair! Score! 😃 About 6 years ago I tried to start a campaign to get men to shave the pits. I polled all my male coworkers, friends, family…it wouldn’t take off no matter how many petitions I started. What we need is the shaving industry to market male shaving of pits, ect as more aesthetically pleasing…that’s how they got women to start shaving. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/29 "2013-09-22T20:20:11Z")
I’ve never really thought about it. I suppose I’d try it if asked to by an SO. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/30 "2013-09-22T22:12:32Z")
I scoff when I see men on TV talking about manscaping or demonstrating their _No! No!_ hair removal device, but I really don’t care what people do with their body hair. Shave it, braid it, name it: it’s all the same to me. However, it _would_ make a difference to me if I were in the market for a mate, because I associate it with an excessive concern about his appearance, and that isn’t appealing to me. Note that I said “I associate it with,” not “it indicates.” I grew up during the '60s and '70s, when everybody was supposed to be “natural,” and my impression of hairless man-bodies reflects that environment. I don’t understand why men choose to take on the task of depilating their pits/chests/legs, but whatever floats their boats is fine with me, as long as I’m not expected to have sex with them. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/31 "2013-09-22T23:31:19Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I’m a woman. I don’t mean to insult men when I say this, but maybe if more of them _ **shaved their armpits, they’d stink less** _. (I’m not saying all men stink or anything, but in my experience, it seems that more men than women smell of BO, and I’m wondering if armpit shaving or not shaving has something to do with it.) (bolding mine) Sorry, I don’t have a cite, but IMO, I don’t think that having (or not having) ‘pit’ hair would make much of a difference in whether or not a person has body odor. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/32 "2013-09-23T00:17:19Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > (bolding mine) > > Sorry, I don’t have a cite, but IMO, I don’t think that having (or not having) ‘pit’ hair would make much of a difference in whether or not a person has body odor. :dubious: I wasn’t absolutely sure. I was just suggesting that maybe it was the case. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/33 "2013-09-23T02:38:43Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > (bolding mine) > > Sorry, I don’t have a cite, but IMO, I don’t think that having (or not having) ‘pit’ hair would make much of a difference in whether or not a person has body odor. :dubious: You’re wrong. Having hair under your arms slows down the evaporation of sweat & oil which in turn makes gives the bacteria that lives there longer to break the sweat down into acids, and that process is what causes B.O. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/34 "2013-09-23T02:50:00Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > You’re wrong. Having hair under your arms slows down the evaporation of sweat & oil which in turn makes gives the bacteria that lives there longer to break the sweat down into acids, and that process is what causes B.O. Not saying that you’re wrong, but do you have any cites for that, or is that just your logically intelligent guess? (I hope that doesn’t sound snarky, I don’t mean for it to.) ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/35 "2013-09-23T04:00:14Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > Not saying that you’re wrong, but do you have any cites for that, or is that just your logically intelligent guess? > > (I hope that doesn’t sound snarky, I don’t mean for it to.) I heard the same thing, but my only cite is Coach Meighan in HS health class, explaining that your pits and crotch are the areas that generate sweat-stink because of the hair there. He was explaining that it’s why little kids don’t start to stink as quickly as adults, and you don’t need deodorant until after puberty. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/36 "2013-09-23T04:27:48Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > I heard the same thing, but my only cite is Coach Meighan in HS health class, explaining that your pits and crotch are the areas that generate sweat-stink because of the hair there. He was explaining that it’s why little kids don’t start to stink as quickly as adults, and you don’t need deodorant until after puberty. It’s not because of the hair, it’s because it’s a different type of sweat gland in the armpits and crotch. The sweat secreted from these sweat glands contains some fat which contributes to its odor. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/37 "2013-09-23T05:54:00Z")
I will preface this with my opinion that I think men and women should be able to shave or not shave regardless of anyone else’s preferences. However, if you have to ask what I would prefer personally…I have a slight preference for shaved armpits. When my husband decides to shave them on the rare occassion, I am pleased. Also, I feel like it makes it easier to get deodorant on the skin, and not in the hair. I’m not sure if that makes any damn difference as to effectiveness though, but it does mean that balled-up deodorant captured in armpit hair can never happen. I will note that my husband has…ah…the body type that hairlessness matches to a T. Maybe I would have a different preference if he was more of a burly man. ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/38 "2013-09-23T13:33:23Z")
Everyone should do whatever they want with their various hairy spots. That being said, my personal preference would be for everyone to shave their armpits or at least kept the hair short and tidy. This is why I shave my armpits–because I don’t like armpit hair. I have never asked anyone to shave their pits for me, though my ex-husband did trim his short once and I thought that was much nicer, cementing my preference for less armpit hair. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/39 "2013-09-23T14:36:24Z")
This thread reminds me that I need to trim mine down. Electric clippers, no guard. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426/40 "2013-09-23T14:47:13Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > You’re wrong. Having hair under your arms slows down the evaporation of sweat & oil which in turn makes gives the bacteria that lives there longer to break the sweat down into acids, and that process is what causes B.O. Not sure how hair would _slow_ evaporation. Quite the contrary, hair provides more surface area, which enhances evaporation and also creates real estate to support a larger population of the odor-inducing bacteria. Me? I’ve never shaved my armpits, but once in a while I’ll rip the hair out by hand. Takes about five minutes per pit, standing in the shower. The advantage (over shaving) is that I don’t end up with sharp stubble, and the new growth takes at least a week to show up. Removal of pit hair makes showering easier and generally feels nicer when wearing a shirt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-men-shaving-their-armpits/669426.md?page=3)