dualman7

Yes. I'm that weird guy who shaves/waxes his body. I started shaving my body about two years ago. I posted my training progress pictures on a health site. Someone commented on my hairy forearms hiding any progress I was making, and suggested I shave them. Being a naive teen-ager, I ran off to the bathroom and did just that. I was very happy with what I saw.

Not too long after, I decided that my hairy legs were hiding my calves, so i shaved them as well. My calves never looked better.

About a year later, I switched from using a hair clipper, to shaving my forearms and legs with a mach 3 razor (every two days). That was great until a buddy of mine approached me and asked if 'I was shaving my legs and arms?' I felt really awkward, so I started to shave every day hoping there would be no sign of re-growing hair.

Since I was shaving so frequently, I started getting a five o’clock shadow on my forearms and legs, an hour after shaving. I was so disgusted by what I was doing and how it looked that I began to workout in long sleeves, even in 100 degree weather. I was so self-conscious that my workouts really suffered, and worse; I was starting to go nuts. I was always thinking about my excess body hair, and the fact that someone may notice that I shave my legs and forearms if they looked close enough.

I tried withdrawing from shaving, and simply letting the hair grow back and accepting it like a normal person. Believe it or not, it's a lot easier to say that when you don't have excess hair, and don't look like a hairy gorilla beneath your clothes. I couldn't do it.

Fast-forward to today.

I'm still a very young man, and I would just like to be able to wear a t shirt and shorts, and not have to think twice about it.

I am more disgusted and ashamed by what I have been doing than anyone could possibly be. On one hand, I'd feel accepted if I knew it was OK. On the other hand...well I just don't know anymore.

Sage

Step back for a second. If you were a girl, no one would think twice about you shaving your arms and legs. You being a man, no one thinks twice about you having body hair. It being the 21st century and all, no one cares if you get rid of your body hair or not. If you don't like having lots of body hair, there's TEN ZILLION ways to get rid of it- shaving, waxing, depeletories, all that kinda thing. If you get tired of waxing all the time, there is bleaching- it makes the hair lighter so it doesn't stand out as much. Also, realize that we are often our own worst critics- the hair that you have on your body isn't nearly as bad as you think it is.

Relax. That's the first thing to do. Remind yourself that the reason you started working out in the first place was to sculpt your body into something you liked when you saw your reflection. Now, make a decision- do you want to keep your body hair or not? I would suggest letting it all grow out, seeing how that looks, and deciding from there. Perhaps growing it out and then bleaching it- that way you can see if it looks better bleached or if you want to get rid of all of it. If you decide that the best way to show your body off is with no hair, figure out the easiest way for you to do that. Personally I like the Veet system of deplatory cream (it comes with a squeegie to get all the hair off).

As for being concerned about you wanting to get rid of your body hair making you wierd or not- YOU'RE NOT WIERD. How many male models have you seen with body hair? Fabio doesn't have any chest hair- do you think he was just born that way? It's TOTALLY and COMPLETELY normal and OK for you to want to get rid of your body hair. It doesn't make you any less masculine or make you "gay" or any of that other crap insecure men would lead you to think. I know LOTS of girls who would absloutely go nuts over a man who works out and doesn't have body hair. On the other side, I know LOTS of girls who would go nuts over a man who works out and who does have body hair! Isn't that why you work out- to increase your level of attractiveness?

Bottom line is- it sounds like you don't have the self confidence to stand up and say "Yeah, I shave my body hair." You're shying away from admitting that to your friends because you think it'll make you seem wierd. You're so wrapped up in not seeming wierd that you work out in long sleeves (in 100 degree heat) which makes you even more self concious. Take a deep breath, and realize that you're just fine how you are. Whatever you wanna do with your body, you do it and be happy with it. If someone doesn't like it, well, screw them for being so insecure they can't handle the sight of a ripped man who happens to not have any body hair.

I shall send a massive HUG your way and encourage you to post some pix of your hot self in Tilted Exhibition

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ryfo

Hey who knows, your buddy might have wanted to know the best way to go about it so he could do it. Its up to you if you do/dont.I cant really see it being a problem for anyone else. As Sage said you are totally normal and if you dont want body hair then dont have body hair!

Daoust

I am in my 28th year on planet earth, and it seems that this is the year that I have decided to become self conscious about my body hair. I have a good amount of it, mainly on my upper chest, where a thick mat has been growing since my mid teen years. Lately I've noticed it's growing on my shoulders and mid back, which I HATE, and also on my belly around my navel, which also is starting to bug me.

I've had two opinions on the subject - shave/wax/pull it off or just get used to it... But I've decided to follow bits of advice from both categories. I've decided I am going to wax my shoulders and back, and leave the rest. Hell, chest hair is normal, and I think even a little sexy, in moderation. Back hair, not so much, unless your whole back is hairy. If you've just got whisps, as I have, on your back, I think that's ugly. So I'm gonna get rid of it. I am only going to wax my back in the summer months and leave it in the winter...

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I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace
But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys

*Nikki*

I dated a guy before I got married who was a fitness nut and he shaved legs/arms/chest....I could have cared less. It looked better to me. I have no idea why you should be so self concious about this...do you realize how many men shave those areas??? A TON!!

Be proud of your body and if it means being hairless then go for it!

Gilda

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a man not wanting a lot of body hair. If you dislike body hair as much as you say shave or wax. If you're shaving it everyday, it would probably be a little more practical to wax, as that lasts several weeks at a time, and leaves you skin feeling a bit softer in between. On a guy who works out especially, very few people are going to notice, among those who do notice, very few will care, and that tiny minority who gets bent out of shape over something so incosequential as somebody else's body hair doesn't have an opinion worth worrying about.

Gilda

ASU2003

I have light hair on my arms, and have never shaved them. I have trimmed the hair on my legs, but it isn't really dark either. And I don't have any hair on my back, yea!

I do have hair on my stomach, and it really bothers me. Eventually, I will probably have laser hair removal. I currently shave it every week. The chest hair I do have isn't much, and it looks good with or without.

I do feel a little weird about shaving stuff 'below the belt', but I do it because I think it looks better, and since I'm the only one who sees it, that's all the matters. I also trim or shave my underarm hair because I don't like it.

Sage

Oh and for the record, Martel gets his "below the belt" waxed. All of it. I think that would qualify as a little more "risque`" in terms of male body hair removal than just arm and leg hair

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Sultana

Don't forget the option of permanent laser hair removal. It's great because you don't get that regrowth, and there's no "shadow" below the skin. It's worked really well for those areas I've chosen (I actually got a compliment for that on my underarms this past weekend. Who would have thought?). I also know there are some firefighters (how manly! And virile!) who go to the same place I do, because their extra hair can be very uncomfortable in the full suits, with 100+ degree heat, etc.

Yeah, it can hurt, but so does waxing and/or accidentally cutting yourself with a razor. It's over fast, and has long-term benefits.

Don't loath yourself, dude.

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"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
At night, the ice weasels come." -

Matt Groening

My goal? To fulfill my potential.

dualman7

Thank you all.

Martian

Dude. Take a look at the magazines. You try to find a model with body hair.

Christ, I always figured I was abnormal for keeping mine. The only reason I do is sheer laziness. I've considered shaving my chest arms and *ahem* other areas, but I don't even like to shave my chin and the idea of doing my entire body seems like way too much work.

Do what makes you happy. It's your body and nobody has a say but you.

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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

Nimetic

If you simply want to thin it, you could try clippers?

macmanmike6100

You're definitely not weird, first of all, and perhaps that's what you need to hear (as several people here have already done). When I first got to college, several of my friends (guys, like me) thought I was weird for shaving my pubic hair...fast-forward a few years and several of them do it too.

I think that you're turned your body hair into this monster embarrassment, and then turned keeping it under control into an embarrassment as well. Don't worry about it -- you've already spent more time thinking about it than anybody else you know, so it's time to just move on and be more comfortable with yourself. No worries, hair isn't a problem and neither is keeping it under control.

snowy

Several friends of mine who were/are in the armed forces remove their body hair. Soccer players regularly shave their legs because, well, athletic tape and leg hair don't mix. Did we make fun of Rick Holland for shaving his legs in 8th grade? No, because he kicked ass at soccer (and he knew it).

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

kev_uk

Well, I've done it all over on more than one occasion - especially in the summer, it's cleaner and is easier to tan when you arn't a huggy bear. I do feel conscious though. It did freak out a girl on more than one occasion when jumping in the sack with her the first time but generally get mixed results.
I'm overly hairy and either trim or you can now buy large tubes of removal cream for men these days and its easier in many ways.

Accepted: Some guys don't want to, but please accept some guys do and shouldn't have to feel any shame.
It's like homosexuality (I make the analogy because it seems from what I've read on the net there is a correleation between this subject and gayness - true or otherwise, it's another subject) at one time it was wrong to be gay, even punishable, but most of us have moved on to accept our gay friends and colleagues so maybe in the future more men and women who think body hair is less pleasant than no body hair then maybe more men will do it, more TV ads for hair removal products will appear and it becomes generally acceptible. Maybe as a result more men will be open to it.
None of my friends go the whole hog but some focus on certain areas with clippers of razors.

I just wonder if some men are hiding in a hairly closet for fear of persecution but I looked at an anonymous survey on the male-hair subject just now and it seems more men see its beneficial sides than take action for reasons mentioned.

krwlz

Hey, as long as you arnt snapping a razor blade in half, cutting your nipples while shaving, and taking your entire eyebrows off like the nut in "The Wall", Id say you're AOK!

Then again, if you do that, you're prolly alright too, that guy was just nuts (... Good Ole Syd Barrett)

highthief

That's what I do - a lot less work than regular shaving and you can still see the definition in my muscles. Once every ten days with the clippers does the trick.

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Si vis pacem parabellum.

Sho Nuff

My body hair isnt teen wolf so I dont have to shave it but my lady has already started watching it closely in case it gets too long. Shes a nurse so shes used to shaving people and just waiting for me to turn her loose.

I do trim my armpits and pubics in the summer for hygene sake, but a trim not a shave.

Ultimately though, if it works for you and your woman then go with it.

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I know Nietzsche doesnt rhyme with peachy, but you sound like a pretentious prick when you correct me.

water_bug

Of course it is okay dualman. No offence but you sound as if you shaved to get other people's approval. That's not good. You should love your body, not feel self concious because of someone else's opinion. Personally I like a man with body hair. It's rough, it's rugged, it's manly, so my opinon is biased when I say it is okay to be hairy and I would accept you. But for every person who would like you to look different there will be a person who would like you to look like you. What is most important is if you are one of those people who want you to look like you.

Samira

As muslims both boys and girls are made to shave everything at the 1st sight of hair, i was made to shave from the age of 10, but when i was 13yo i stopped and haven't shaved since as i like the natural feel, the strange thing is, is that my sisters dont shave nymore but my brothers continue to

Ch'i

Don't worry about it man. As Sage said, its perfectly normal for us guys to be hairy. Not to mention it keeps us warm during the winter.

Edit: I do prevent any backhair, however.