This is the 21st century and there is still a debate going on about shaving the arm hair or not. This debate is not limited to women only but also causes a stir in men. Some women and men prefer having hair-free arms while others think that having arm hair is better, especially men who think of them as a sign of masculinity.
So, what do you think? Is it bad to shave your arms? Shaving or not depends upon various factors like your hair density and thickness, your skin sensitivity, your regional or cultural norms, and above all your preferences.
If you are also stuck on whether should I shave my arms or not, then keep reading and you will find the answer.
Table of Contents:
- Part 1: Pros and Cons of Shaving Arms
- Part 2: Should I Shave My Arms as a Guy or a Girl?
- Part 3: How to Shave Arms?
- Part 4: If You Shave Arms, Does the Hair Grow Back Thicker?
- Part 5: How Often Should I Shave My Arms?
- Part 6: Alternatives to Shaving Arms
Part 1: Pros and Cons of Shaving Arms
Should I shave my arms as a guy? Should I shave my arms (girl)? Well, irrespective of your gender, take into account these pros and cons and you will know the answer.
Pros of Shaving Arms
Aesthetics and personal preference
Your body hair can interfere with your aesthetics. For instance, you are wearing some sophisticated bracelet on your wrist but the hair will shadow its beauty. As for men, they want their veins to be more visible but those hairs won’t let you do that.
So, shaving can help your skin look clear enough to define your aesthetics and personal preferences better.
Smooth and hair-free appearance
The biggest pro of shaving is that shaving your arm hair gives your skin a smooth, tidy, and neat look. When you shave your hair, the shaving not only removes the unwanted hair but also makes your skin free of dead skin cells, dirt, and other impurities.
So, your skin looks cleaner and smoother after shaving.
Enhancing muscle definition and tattoos
Your hair hides your tattoos and all the biceps and triceps you have worked so hard on making. So, when you get rid of your arm hair, you can easily flaunt your cool and meaningful tattoos. Moreover, a hair-free body can enhance your muscle definition as well.
Improved application and appearance of skincare products
As stated earlier, shaving exfoliates your skin along with removing the unwanted hair from your arms. As the dead cells and dirt layer are gone from your body, your body will be able to absorb the skincare products better. Better absorption further leads to better skin appearance.
Cons of Shaving Arms
Increased maintenance and time commitment
Shaving is not limited to sliding a razor on your arms. You need proper pre-care, post-care, and frequent shaving to make your skin always look flawless. The time and effort it takes for skin preparation and shaving each other is quite hectic and tedious.
Potential for skin irritation and razor burns
The ingredients like alcohols or SLS present in shaving creams can irritate your skin easily especially if it is already sensitive. Moreover, be a little careless in shaving and you will have to face razor burn. This leads to stinging, burning, itching, and redness on your skin.
Stubble regrowth and discomfort during regrowth
Shaving is smooth but the regrowth is quite uncomfortable and irritating. Shaving makes a blunt edge of your hair leading to the stubble regrowth of your hair. As the hair is stubbly and prickly, you will continue to feel discomfort until it completely grows out to its full length.
Societal expectations and gender norms
Sometimes, shaving or not shaving will make society judge you. For men, if they shave hair, people will start comparing them to women and for women who don’t shave, people will taunt you about how untidy you look.
This is not a con of shaving itself but your decision can make people judge you and that can be quite hurting.
Part 2: Should I Shave My Arms as a Guy or a Girl?
It depends upon various factors. Even after considering these factors, the decision will still be up to you. You can choose whatever you feel confident in.
Hair texture and density
When hair is thin and less in frequency, they are less visible and your skin does not look much different than others even if you have hair on your arms.
On the other hand, more and thicker hair makes your arms look a bit rough and they can cause more sweating hence bad odor. So, if you have thicker and longer hair on your arms, you can think about shaving them.
Skin sensitivity and potential for irritation
Another factor to consider is your skin sensitivity. Some people have more sensitive skin compared to others. When they shave, their skin can easily be irritated, particularly if you are shaving with a dull razor. Moreover, there are more chances of skin bumps, redness, and irritation on sensitive skin.
So, you can skip shaving in such cases.
Personal style and self-expression
Everything aside, the most important thing is your personal preferences. Some men prefer having arm hair while others go for smooth skin. Additionally, these preferences also vary with gender as women like to have their arm hairs shaved.
So, think about what you want and what style can express you better. Then, make your decision on whether to shave or not.
Cultural and societal influences
Another factor that can affect your decision is the cultural and societal influences. Some cultures encourage shaving arm hair while others don’t. People in the USA prefer to have a completely hair-free body while the Chinese consider hair as a natural part of their body, so hair removal is not very popular among them.
Part 3: How to Shave Arms?
Pre-shaving
The best place for shaving is the shower. It is because you can easily cleanse your arms and exfoliate them in the shower. Cleansing and exfoliating the arms before shaving makes them free of entrapped dirt, oil, and dust so that the razor can smoothly slide across your body.
For cleansing your arms, you can use a mild soap or gentle cleanser and then exfoliate them using a loofah, exfoliating gloves, or scrubs.
Shaving
Following are the steps you can follow to shave your arms smoothly:
- After cleansing and exfoliation, if your hair is long, trim it as shaving on small hair is quicker, smoother, and tidier
- Rinse your arms using warm water to lubricate them and make your hair soft
- Pat them dry and apply shaving cream or gel on your arms to moisturize them and prevent cuts, nicks, and skin irritation
- Now take a sharp shaving razor and start shaving your hair starting from your wrists towards the elbows. While shaving, do it in sections
- Bend your elbows so that your hand touches the shoulder and start shaving your elbows gently
- After elbows, if you want to shave the upper part too, you can shave from your elbow toward the shoulder
Post-shaving
After you are done shaving your arms, pat them dry and moisturize them with a chemical-free and gentle moisturizer. This helps your new hair come out smoothly, decreases the occurrence of ingrown hairs, and retains the protective moisture barrier of the skin.
Part 4: If You Shave Arms, Does the Hair Grow Back Thicker?
It is a common observation that the new hair that comes out after shaving feels thicker. However, this is not true. Neither the shaving itself nor the shaving creams can affect the growth of your hair, its thickness, or even its color.
Shaving cuts hair just above the skin’s surface. This makes the tip of cut hair blunt and when the hair grows out, they feel stubbly and coarse. That’s why they appear thicker and darker.
To know more, click Does Shaving Make Your Hair Thicker and Grow Faster?
Part 5: How Often Should I Shave My Arms?
There is no definite rule that you must shave after this time. You can shave whenever you see new hair disturbing you.
On a rough estimate, you can shave one or two times per week depending upon the speed of your hair growth. As for armpit hair, you can shave them once every seven days.
Part 6: Alternatives to Shaving Arms
Waxing
Waxing is a preferable method for shaving arm hair in both men and women. Men have slightly thicker hair and to wax smoothly, they can trim their hair to a shorter length. The process can be a little painful but waxing will reduce the frequency and thickness of your hair.
Depilatory Creams
Depilatory creams are nearly painless hair removal creams that make your arms smooth in a matter of no time. Three to five minutes of application dissolves the protein structure of your arm hairs making them weak enough to be easily wiped off with a cloth or spatula.
To know more, click Hair Removal Creams At Home.
IPL Hair Removal
Lastly, you can try the IPL hair removal method as it provides you with long-lasting hair removal results. The process is nearly painless and with Ulike Sapphire Air 3, it is also going to be quick and comfortable for you.
You can try all these hair removal methods but arm hair is natural and they do not even impose any health risk on you. When you don’t feel comfortable removing them, you can just embrace them instead of pressuring yourself for hair removal.
To read more, click Ulike IPL Laser Hair Removal.
Conclusion
Shaving can make your body hair-free, smooth, and clear thus defining your tattoos and muscle tone better. It will also reduce the body odor but the process can cause itching, redness, and bumps on the skin. Furthermore, the regrowth process can also cause discomfort.
So, shaving or not depends upon your preferences and comfort. However, if you choose not to shave, do not be worried about that too. It is because body hair is natural and the world won’t judge you as long as you are accepting yourself in your natural skin.
