Hairy armpits improve your sex life? You may be surprised what other benefits come
from leaving your razor behind. Shaving body hair is an extremely personal choice. Throughout history
hairlessness has been considered a sign of cleanliness, purity, and fertility. While people
have been removing body hair since the Stone Age, it didn't become a social norm for women in the
U.S. until the 20th century, according to CNN. These days, shaving is typically viewed as an
aesthetic choice, one that many still feel pressured into by society. This is especially
true for women, who are often encouraged to remove their underarm hair. In fact, it's still
considered so taboo that the majority of shaving commercials targeted toward women feature a model
sliding a razor across already hairless skin. I haven't been shaving my pits, eh
Oh my god. Despite any social norms that still exist, it's entirely up to the individual to decide whether
or not they want to keep their body hair But a factor that often overlooked is the benefits of choosing not to shave Sure it much more convenient to not have to worry about pesky underarm hair but it also may help you in other more significant ways
As dermatologist Rachel Nazarian pointed out to Well and Good, body hair serves an evolutionary purpose, saying
"...hair prevents skin from irritation when it rubs against itself, protecting from chafing in many areas of our body, especially in the underarm area
While chafing under the arms can occur during activities like running or walking
underarm hair can help reduce friction, protecting the skin from things like rashes and ingrown hairs
This lack of irritation is one of the primary benefits of not shaving your underarms
Not only will you be able to avoid annoyances like razor burn, but you'll also decrease your risk of certain infections
The micro tears caused by shaving leave you susceptible to infections like
Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, An MRSA per Cosmopolitan your love life might also benefit from not shaving your underarms A 2013 study claimed that one of body hair major functions is to release pheromones which play a role in our attraction to others
The study also showed that males secrete a pheromone called androstenedone from their underarm sweat, which increases sexual desire
The pheromones emitted by women have yet to be studied in depth, but as Bertie points out, that doesn't mean they behave differently
As explained by The Cut, there are scent glands in your armpits
and growing the hair out actually helps spread that scent. While this might sound gross
the outlet cited a 2001 study that found that how someone smells is one of the most important
features people look for in a partner. Today, more and more people are embracing their armpit
hair, including a lot of celebs. The wave of celebrities who are showing off their unshaved
underarms goes back decades. Vogue noted that Sophia Loren flaunted hairy armpits in the 1950s
while Julia Roberts rocked underarm hair on the red carpet in 1999
As actress Bella Thorne wrote in a piece for InStyle body hair is totally normal and no one should be ashamed of it She explained Guys feel more manly when they have body hair right So what the problem with a woman
wanting to feel more manly? Whether I'm a tomboy or a rebel, I'm comfortable with it
So why shouldn't you be? If you really want my legs and armpits shaved so badly, you can
do it yourself. If nothing else, you'll save time and money if you stop shaving under your arms. Just
think of the money spent on razors and shaving cream, not to mention all the time spent shaving
your armpits and nursing razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and cuts. A 2009 survey from American Laser Centers found that, on average, women will shave nearly
8,000 times in their lives. That's a huge chunk of time dedicated to removing body hair, but it also comes with quite the
bill — $10,000 on various shaving items, to be exact. Not shaving under your arms could make your to-do list a bit more manageable
Ultimately, the decision is yours alone, but the benefits of having body hair are certainly
worth taking into consideration