Should women shave armpits? (2023)

Are women supposed to shave their under arms?

Not every woman does shave her armpits, and no woman has to if she doesn't want to – it's a choice thing. You can either grow your armpit hair, so that it looks like you have a little hamster nestling under there, or you can whip out a razor and shave off the hair in a few seconds.

The survey discovered that 77 percent of women aged 16 to 24 removed their underarm hair in 2016, which is actually down from the 84 percent of women who shaved their pits in 2014. That means nearly one in four women from that sample group are saying "f*ck that" to razors.

By leaving the armpit hair intact, you're helping trap odor, since moisture (sweat) attaches to hair. This makes the pheromones even stronger. A study in 2018 including 96 heterosexual couples found that there were stress-relieving benefits to smelling a person's natural scent.

By having less hair under your armpit (or none at all), there's less room for sweat-based bacteria to multiply. Crucially, this means a fresher post-gym grooming routine and less questionable smells once you're back at your desk.

Not shaving reduces skin-on-skin contact friction, which means when you do activities that involve arm movement, like running or walking, your skin is much less likely to get irritated by the friction. This might lead to fewer skin issues like rashes and ingrown hairs.

The results showed that in 2013, 95 per cent of women aged 16-24 said they removed their underarm hair, but this number had dropped to 77 per cent by 2016. And it's not just with underarms that they are choosing to go 'au naturel'. The number of young women who shave their legs has dropped from 92 to 85 per cent.

Despite dissenters, hairy armpits are undeniably en vogue. Alongside adverts, social media has reignited a trend for unicorn armpit hair – a look popularised by bloggers who have dyed their pits in rainbow colours.

Pubic Hair Trends

Also, 3% of women and 21% of men had never removed their pubic hair.

According to a study published in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, not shaving your armpits has little to no effect on body odor. As long as you're still regularly showering and using deodorant you should expect to smell the same as you always do.

Is it healthier to have armpit hair?

Armpit Hair Protects Your Skin

In the case of your underarms, it helps reduce skin-on-skin friction when you swing your arms as you walk or run. Armpit hair can save you from unnecessary chafing, irritation, or even heat rash, which can happen when sweat and abrasion mix.

In another study, the axillary odor of shaved armpits was rated as significantly less intense and more pleasant than the odor of unshaved armpits. It should be noted that nontrained assessors rated odor samples collected using cotton pads worn in the underarms for 24 h preassessment.

"Armpit hair is a collecting site to help bacteria grow," Dr. Francis told Health. "It's a place that can hold sweat and help give off this odor."

The hair under our arms grows in all directions, so shaving in one direction might not result in a close shave. For best results, lift your arm above your head, press gently down on the razor and shave lightly in short strokes in all directions — downward, sideways and back upward, if needed.

2.2 Helps reduce friction Armpit hair also helps prevent skin-to-skin contact when you do certain activities, such as walking or jogging. The same goes for pubic hair, as they help reduce friction during sex and other activities.

In general, we recommend shaving every two to three days if you want a clean shave; three to five days if you want to simply style or trim; and if you want to just let your hair grow, then simply stop shaving.

Most interesting of all is that females have a slight preference for shaved armpits over hairy ones, despite the evidence that strongly suggests hairy pits specifically evolved to make people smell more attractive. [ Why Do You Stink? ]

In the 1920s, the new fashion for sleeveless tops and short dresses meant that the legs and armpits of American women were now visible in social situations, and advertisers seized the opportunity to encourage women to shave their legs and their armpits.

Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.

Celebrities may have more time and money to devote to their appearance, but ultimately the hair removal treatments available are the same. Traditional techniques like threading, shaving, and waxing are still used; however, innovative techniques like electrolysis and laser hair removal promise more permanent results.

How do celebrities have flawless underarms?

How do celebrities get their underarms so smooth? Waxing, threading, using an Epilator or an IPL machine to remove hair removes it by the root - unlike shaving and creams - so you don't get 'bumps' in the hair follicles.

Most young men either trim (45%) or remove all of their pubic hair (11%). This compares to 37% of men over thirty.

The Longest Pubic Hair In History Was 28 inches

Your pubic hair probably doesn't compare to that of Maoni Vi from Cape Town, South Africa, who has the record for longest pubic hair, coming in at 28 inches.

As you age, your pubic hair will thin naturally. If you're losing large amounts of pubic hair and you don't think it's attributable to aging, it could be the symptom of a serious condition. Make an appointment with your doctor so they can diagnose the underlying condition and recommend treatment.

Shaving is the most preferred way of underarm hair removal. All you need is a razor, and you are good to go. Shaving is easy. Along with removing the underarm hair quickly, it also exfoliates your skin.

China. China isn't fully westernized, so Chinese notions of beauty differ greatly than American ones (which is refreshing). In China, underarm or leg hair is nothing to be worried about; body hair is considered completely natural and acceptable in their culture. As a result, hair removal just isn't very popular there.

Hair removal by shaving with a razor blade followed by soap washing resulted in an immediate reduction of 57.3% from baseline in axillary odor and this reduction was significantly greater than soap washing alone (P < 0.0001).