Should you shave your armpits?

 

You’re a modern guy. You know that you have to put more effort into how you look than men of past generations. You’ve accepted it, and you’re looking to advance your game. Your balls are appropriately groomed, you smell nice, and you work out regularly. You’re off to a good start, but what comes next? Should guys shave their armpits? Do you need to shave your armpits? That’s a fair question, and the answer is a little more involved than you might assume.

Yes, You Should Shave Your Armpits, and Here’s Why

There are plenty of great reasons to shave your armpits. If you’ve been told by your significant other that they would appreciate it, that’s a powerful motivation. If you think people in your dating scene prefer armpits shaved, that’s also a great reason. Aside from the obvious, there are a few rationales for shaving armpits that feel extra compelling.

Sports

If you participate in a sport where body hair is an issue, then go ahead and shave. No one is going to give you a hard time for it, especially if you’re winning. Swimming and martial arts are two sports that come to mind, but plenty of others benefit from shaved armpits and possibly a shaved body in general. If you’re into your sport enough that you’re considering shaving your armpits, get after it! You can always grow that hair back later if you feel the need.

Medical Issues

There are also compelling medical issues that require shaved armpits. You might be thinking of scary stuff like skin cancer, but it doesn’t have to be so extreme. Simply having dry skin can merit a shave to apply better moisturizers to overcome the problem. Here’s the bottom line. If your doctor recommends shaving for treatment, take their word for it. You aren’t ever going to win points for refusing sound medical advice.

You Just Like It

The number one reason to shave your armpits is that you like it. Many guys do it for the first time to impress people, but they find they enjoy having hairless pits. It’s easier to stay cool. You don’t collect as much body odor when you sweat. You never have tangled or tugging pit hairs. Also, if you’re in decent shape, shaving your pits will make your jacked chest and torso pop. You’ll get a lot more compliments on your body, and who doesn’t like that?

If you feel like you have a reason to shave your armpits, you should shave your armpits. This isn’t taboo. It isn’t scary, and you can always stop shaving if you find you don’t like it.

With all of that said, there are also good reasons not to shave.

Stick to a Trim

You don’t have to shave your armpits to groom them. Generally speaking, guys look more attractive when they tame body hair, and the armpits are part of that equation. Wild pit hair is wiry and looks gross — especially if it ever peaks out under a shirt. So, our general advice is to groom the pits, but there are reasons to stick to a trim and avoid a total shave. If you prefer to keep some hair, a good approach is to trim armpit hair to a neat length so the underarm hair doesn’t peek out.

Flab

We just mentioned that shaving the armpits will make your muscles pop. It can have the opposite effect if you’re a little behind on your workout schedule. Every guy lets himself go a little at some point. Something you can do to make your slacking less obvious is to grow the body hair a little. It obscures the lines and makes it a little less noticeable that you’re less cut than you used to be. It’s a great way to avoid mirror sorrow while you get back on the wagon.

Sex

Not everyone prefers a shaved body. If you have a partner who isn’t into smooth armpits, the easiest compromise in the world is for you to spend less time shaving your pits. You get a happier partner, and it takes less effort on your part. It’s a huge win.

This also applies if you aren’t in a relationship. If you’re finding that your dating pool is more into traditional burliness and less into shaved pits, why not conform? It’s an easy way to improve your game and have more success with your sex life. We’re in full support of you doing these kinds of little things.

You Don’t Like It

The number one reason to shave your pits is that you like it. The number one reason to stop shaving is that you don’t like it. It really is that simple. We do want to remind you of one central piece of advice. If you’re not into shaving, some light trimming can still do you a world of good.

How to Shave Your Pits

Let’s all be honest. You made up your mind about shaving your pits before you started reading any of this. You were just looking for affirmation, and now you have it. Let’s discuss the more important topic: how to shave.

>>Check Out Our Full Guide On Shaving Your Armpits<<

Use The Lawn Mower® 5.0 Trimmer

The Lawn Mower trimmer is designed specifically for trimming body hair. You can trim or shave with it to great success. We’ll discuss trimming first, and then we’ll tell you how to shave with this same device.

For trimming, you want to start by thinking about the mess. You don’t want armpit hair all over the place, so lay down a newspaper or Magic Mat before you begin. You can do your trimming dry with no problems, but you can also trim in the shower. It’s about what works best for you.

The Lawn Mower trimmer is cordless and has trimming guards. You’re going to take advantage of both of these features. For a basic trim, you want to use the longest cutting guard, and you want to be able to see yourself in your mirror while you work. The idea is to use a flicking stroke motion to trim and shape your armpit hair as you go. It doesn’t need to be super short; you’re just trying to even up the look and prevent it from being long enough to tuft out of your shirt. Keeping a natural look is still a good idea.

If you’re planning on more than a trim, you still want to start with the guard attached. Go ahead and attack your pit with the trimmer and get everything a lot shorter. It won’t take very long.

Once the hair is trimmed, remove the guard and go over your armpit once more. The Lawn Mower® 5.0 trimmer is designed for optimum safety, so you can trim fairly aggressively and be ok. You can get the blade head right against your skin and even apply light pressure. It will be fine, and you’ll see that you’re getting shave-quality closeness out of the trimmer.

When you’re done, take a shower to remove all of the cut hair, and be sure to wash with Crop Cleanser® hair and body wash for best results. Good care after trimming, washing, and moisturizing reduces irritation and helps prevent ingrown hairs.

Use a Razor

If you’d rather use a razor to shave your armpits, we can still help you with this. The first step is still to trim everything. It makes shaving easier for you, and it takes some wear and tear off the razor blade.

Once you are trimmed, grab some shaving cream or gel and lubricate your armpit. Raise your arm and try to get the skin as straight as possible for each stroke. Speaking of strokes, you want small, controlled strokes. Your armpit is very sensitive, and nicks and cuts will be more annoying here than on your face. Take your time, and you should be ok.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to rinse the blade after every stroke and be liberal with blade replacements. You don’t have to shave your armpits extremely often, and they don’t represent a lot of real estate. It’s fine to always be using a fresh blade for this project.

When you’re done shaving, take a shower. You want to clean the skin to prevent the risk of infection, and body wash will help your skin recover from the ill effects of shaving. To avoid irritation and ingrown hairs, gently exfoliate the underarm area a day or two after shaving and keep the skin moisturized. This is good care practice for any man who shaves.

Alternative Hair Removal

If smooth armpits are the goal, you have a few more options to get there. Namely, people try wax and hair removal cream.

While you can wax your armpits, it’s not going to be the best experience. As we already mentioned, your pits are very sensitive. They’re likely going to bleed quite a bit after being waxed. They’ll also be sore and raw for some time. Some people endure the pain because they like how waxing feels after they recover, but it’s a decent sacrifice to make.

Hair removal cream is another option, and it’s not the worst plan. Your armpits are fairly small, as far as body hair grooming goes, so you’re looking at a minimal investment to use the cream. It still leaves you smooth, and it will be a lot more comfortable than waxing.

There is a huge caveat to this. Not everyone reacts the same way to hair removal creams, so we’re going to give you the most important piece of advice. Always test a new cream on a small area of skin before you do major hair removal. A dab on your wrist, following the instructions on the packaging, will give you an idea of how your skin responds. If you don’t mind, you can move on to the armpits. If you have an unpleasant reaction, then hair removal cream is not for you.

They are fairly small, as far as body hair grooming goes, so you’re looking at a minimal investment to use the cream. It still leaves you smooth, and it will be a lot more comfortable than waxing.

There is a huge caveat to this. Not everyone reacts the same way to hair removal creams, so we’re going to give you the most important piece of advice. Always test a new cream on a small area of skin before you do major hair removal. A dab on your wrist, following the instructions on the packaging, will give you an idea of how your skin responds. If you don’t mind, you can move on to the armpits. If you have an unpleasant reaction, then hair removal cream is not for you.

Common Mistakes Guys Make When Shaving Their Armpits

A lot of guys jump into armpit shaving like it’s the same as shaving their face and that’s where things go sideways. Avoid these common pitfalls:

• Starting too fast: not giving the skin a moment to relax before shaving makes irritation way more likely.

• Not lifting your arm fully: shaving with your arm only halfway raised folds the skin and invites cuts.

• Over-shaving the same spot: going over an area again and again doesn’t make it smoother; it just annoys your skin.

• Skipping basic prep: dry skin, leftover deodorant, or sweat creates drag and makes nicks more common.

Avoid these simple traps, and the whole process becomes a lot easier.

How to Handle Regrowth Without Discomfort

The part no one warns you about is regrowth. When the hair comes back, it can feel sharp, itchy, or awkward for a few days. Here’s how to make it easier:

• Keep the skin soft. Moisturized skin doesn’t fight against new hair as much.

• Exfoliate lightly a couple of times a week lightly to help hair grow out cleanly instead of catching or curling.

• Don’t feel pressured to shave again immediately. Let your hair grow at its own pace.

• Take care of your underarm skin during regrowth to minimize irritation and ingrown hairs.

Following these simple steps makes the whole cycle a lot smoother and keeps your grooming routine low-stress.

Keep It Simple, Keep It You

Shaving your armpits doesn’t need to be complicated. Whether you go full shave or just trim armpit hair, it’s about what fits your routine and comfort. Take care of your underarm skin, exfoliate when needed, and watch out for irritation or ingrown hairs. A little effort goes a long way, and the results are noticeable, not just in looks, but in feeling fresh and confident.