I do it and I love it and I’ve never had any complaints from any women I’ve ever been with.
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.
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. 
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.
Right. Shaving can lead to a nasty infection, and there’s no reason for it.
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
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.
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.
I’ve never really thought about it. I suppose I’d try it if asked to by an SO.
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.
(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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
This thread reminds me that I need to trim mine down. Electric clippers, no guard.
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.