Should Men Shave Their Legs’ Hair? (Detailed Analysis) 

Shaving of legs is gradually becoming a popular trend in both men’s and women’s grooming world. Gone are the days of associating only women with hairless and silky legs. Men now show off well-manscaped legs without losing an aorta of their masculinity. 

But there is still this controversy as to whether men should shave their legs or not. In many parts of the world, leg shaving is a grooming routine for females only. However, with so many men taking their manscaping routines down to their legs, leg shaving amongst men is growing in popularity, more than ever.

Going back to ancient times, most cultures, like the Greeks, perceived leg hair removal as a feminine act of maintaining beauty and allure. In places like ancient Egypt, noblemen prided themselves in the removal of all their body hair as a mark of nobility. So, from history, it will be a little bit biased to associate leg shaving with only women.

Putting history and modern trends aside, is it necessary for men to shave their legs? 

Peruse if that sounds like a question that you would love to get an answer to because this article has the answers to your question.    

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: 6 Reasons Most Men Shave Their Legs
• Part 2: 6 Reasons Most Men Don’t Shave Their Legs?
• Part 3: Wrapping Up: Should Men Shave Their Legs?

6 Reasons Most Men Shave Their Legs

Most men who favor keeping their leg hair untouched often wonder why other men shave their legs. There are many reasons why men end up shaving off their legs’ hair alongside the hair from other parts of their bodies. Among these reasons are the following;

1. Athletic purpose 

Hair removal is associated with high performance in some sports, which is why shaving is popular among sportsmen. It is a must in sports like swimming as newbie swimmers are to remove their body hair before they advance. This is because body hair increases the resistance between the swimmer’s body and the water, thereby making the athlete apply more effort to swim. 

Research has shown that shaving all body hair will increase the efficiency of a swimmer’s stroke. Removing only the hair on the legs will increase a swimmer’s speed by 5%, making leg shaving a must in swimming. 

Bodybuilders also maintain hair-free bodies because hair may make some muscles less visible. The judges need to see every muscle you have worked on to judge your result effectively. 

Leg shaving can also affect the speed of an athlete psychologically. This could be because of the already established effect of hair in sports. A hairy athlete may start feeling disadvantaged. So, they begin to feel a little slower when their body hair is grown, especially when their opponents have cleanly shaved bodies. 

Athletes like triathletes and cyclists who use wraps, bandages, and Velcro will need a cleanly shaved leg to make removal easy. Imagine trying to pull bandages off the legs of a hairy athlete; it feels painful in contrast to those of cleanly shaved legs. Some cyclists also feel very slow when they do not shave because they feel dragged back by air drag on their hair. 

2. Appearance 

Gone are the days of thinking that a hairy leg is a testimony of testosterone popping from every orifice in a man. Lots of men now want to showcase cleanly shaved legs on beaches and summer houses, regardless of their sexual preference. This could be to attract potential partners or just to feel good. 

Some men feel very uncomfortable in shorts when they are hairy. You can never catch such men wearing anything that reveals their hairy legs till they feel well-groomed. This is, however, based on personality because lots of men are still seen on beaches showcasing legs that look scared of shaving sticks. 

Men in the gym have been found to favor shaving a lot. After all, what is the essence of trying to get those hot, dripping muscular bodies that drive ladies crazy if we allow hair to shade them? If we can work hard to develop them, then we are going to flash them at any given opportunity, and no hair can stop us.

3. Season

One of the functions of hair is to keep us warm, which is why the rate at which men shave their leg hair tends to fluctuate with seasons. During cold seasons like winters, men tend to shave less. In contrast, hot seasons like summer usually have men keeping less hair on all parts of their bodies. So, during the cold seasons, men tend to have more hairy bodies, including hairier legs. 

4. Tattoo 

Just like muscular legs that most people find appealing in men, tattoos on men’s legs are mostly drawn to be showcased. Most men who draw tattoos on their legs do so for aesthetic purposes, so the choice of allowing body hair to cover it is not likely. They tend to shave their legs to keep the beautiful artwork on their legs visible to all when they want to showcase them. 

Furthermore, leg shaving is required before any new tattoo session can be carried out on the leg. So, leg shaving is also associated with men who have tattoos on their legs. However, after the tattoo, there will be recovery time for it to heal before the men can continue their leg shaving routines. 

5. Injuries 

During wound dressing, shaving is necessary. When a man sustains an injury on the leg, and a bandage is applied without shaving around it, removing it will be very painful. Also, shaving enhances healing because ointment applied directly to the wound will work faster than the one applied to the hair.

Furthermore, shaving around an injury on the leg or other parts of the body will help to protect the injury from getting infected. Because the hair on the legs can trap germs and dust, leg shaving is necessary after an injury. Shaving only around the injury may cause your leg to look weird, so you might as well just shave your entire legs. 

6. Hygienic Purpose 

We must admit that there is something neat and smart about cleanly shaved legs in both men and women. Imagine how people usually look at men with a clear resemblance to cavemen. If you are doing anything that requires you to appear neat and you have to showcase your legs, a cleanly shaved leg is an added advantage. 

6 Reasons Most Men Don’t Shave Their Legs?

Even with all these reasons to shave your legs as a man, there are still good reasons not to shave your legs’ hair. These reasons include;

• It Can Get Expensive 

Buying a razor doesn’t look much like an expense, but with time, you will discover that you have spent more than you could have ever imagined on the razor. Even if you decide to go for other hair removal methods like waxing, get ready to use lots of wax because the leg has a large surface area. 

The more you change your razor, the more you will have to spend. The other option is to keep shaving without changing your razor, which is not a good option unless you have a thing for ingrown hair. 

Going to a salon to have your legs groomed is also not cheap because each grooming session might cost you over $60. The more affordable alternatives to constant shaving are more lasting methods like IPL or a long-lasting one like electrolysis. 

• It Is Time-Consuming 

If you think you can handle leg shaving just because you can shave your face within a few minutes, then get ready for a little shock. This is because the leg is much larger than the face, so you would have to spend more than two times the time you spend shaving your face. Only men who have spent time shaving their legs know the time and effort people put into grooming their legs. 

Although, it gets better with time as practice makes your shaving faster than when you started. It’s still one heck of an uphill battle for busy men. 

• It’s a Continuous Exercise 

When you join the club of men with cleanly shaved legs, get ready for the price of renewing your membership card. Start shaving, and the hair will keep coming back for you to shave it over again. Assuming one shave is enough to keep you in the club forever, trust us, lots of us would have been members.  

• Unnecessary Pain

Shaving and other hair removal methods may just be another effortless routine for some men, especially those with a high tolerance to pain. But no man likes the sight or the inconvenience that comes with ingrown hair. Imagine putting all the effort into having a well-groomed leg only for ingrown hair to take over your legs.

Razor rashes and other skin problems associated with shaving may be easier to explain on the face but not on the legs. It may look like a serious skin infection, especially to people who disapprove of men shaving their legs.

Have we told you the risk of getting cut by the blade? There, don’t forget that possibility. 

• It’s Weird in Some Culture

Some cultures do not encourage leg shaving in men. So they would rather have a man with legs like Chewbacca’s than a man with silky and hairless legs. If you live among such people, would you want to stand out and be identified as the weirdo in their midst? 

• It Grows Itchy 

After shaving off that fine hair on your leg for the first time, don’t expect fine hair to grow back. Although some people end up getting fine hair again, for most people, the hair grows back rough and coarser. In the process of getting this coarse hair, your leg may feel itchy. 

Even after growing out, the hair may bend slightly towards your skin, poking your skin with its sharp and pointed tip. For some men, this seems like much of a price to pay to have cleanly shaved legs. 

Wrapping Up: Should Men Shave Their Legs?

Should men shave their legs’ hair? That depends mainly on the man and what he wants to do with his legs. Shaving your legs because of your profession, beliefs, or just to feel good about it is a noble thing to do for yourself. However, medically speaking, there is nothing wrong with keeping a hairy leg. 

If keeping your legs hairy makes you feel more masculine or good about yourself, then by all means, keep them hairy. Go as hairy as Chewbacca and have people remember the cavemen of blessed memory when they see you. And if you are averse to this beauty trend, it’s not a big deal either. The most important thing is to keep your skin intact and shun side effects like ingrown hairs and skin rashes that may come with unwholesome hair removal procedures.

If you want silky-smooth legs with no cuts, burns, or rashes, an effective method to achieve this at home is by using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) devices. And as a recommendation, you can never go wrong with the Ulike Sapphire Air 3 IPL Hair Removal Handset.