All About Axillary & The Hair

With the exception of the entertainment industry or an organized combat event,
no man should ever shave armpit hair. To do so is a display of feminism.

Cultural attitudes
in many countries, especially in much of the Western world, it is more common for women than men to shave off their underarm hair regularly for aesthetic reasons, a practice that may be connected to the overall body hair distribution of sexes. Prevalence of this practice varies widely, though.

Religious reasons and personal cleanliness requirements are sometimes cited; in Islamic culture, both men and women practice the removal of underarm hair for reasons of cleanliness. Underarm hair does provide increased surface area on which the bacteria can thrive, although deodorants and antiperspirants have come to counterbalance these issues to a great extent.

Competitive swimmers remove all body hair, including underarms, to make their bodies more streamlined before taking part in races. It is also common amongst bodybuilders and in erotica for aesthetic reasons.

Armpit hair also contributes to intensify the effects of tickling.

History of underarm hair removal
In the West, the practice began around 1915 in the US and UK, when one or more magazines showed a woman in a dress with shaved underarms. Regular shaving became feasible with the introduction of the safety razor at the beginning of the 20th century. While underarm shaving was quickly adopted in English speaking countries, especially in the US and Canada, it did not become widespread on the Continent of Europe until well after WWII.

Myth of armpit hair
Contrary to popular belief, underarm hair does not grow back thicker after it has been removed, since shaving does nothing to change the number of hair follicles in the underarm area. This myth may have begun because new hair creates stubble and can lead to redness, irritation, and ingrown hairs that may make an underarm area seem more inflamed and darker than prior to hair removal.

Another myth about armpit hair is that shaving was initially a sign of loose virtue or prostitution. There is no historical basis for this assumption, and in fact, many cultures have historically encouraged the removal of excess body hair – including armpit, chest, and pubic hair – to promote cleanliness. If hair is removed, it cannot help retain sweat, dirt, or odor-causing bacteria.

Effects of shaving
It is a commonly believed myth that shaving hair will cause it to grow thicker over time. There is nothing about the practice of shaving that produces new follicles for hair to grow out of; this myth most likely persists because stubble does not taper like hair that is allowed to grow long and because short hairs feel coarser than longer hairs of the same thickness. However, shaving does increase the likelihood of developing ingrown hairs. Armpit hair removal must be performed more frequently than leg shaving, as underarm hair grows faster than leg hair. The armpit area can darken over a period of time and even with a close shave, an "evening shadow" may be visible. Because hair under the skin can contribute to a dark appearance of the underarm, waxing, by removing the hair from the root, can effectively reduce this darkness.