Grooming

Men shaving legs: What's the deal?

The leg-shaving game has changed.

Gone are the days when your mate thought he was doing you a disservice by shaving a chunk out of your thigh on the tour bus (because actually, it feels pretty great so, joke’s on you Dan, joke’s on you). It’s time to have the confidence to decide for ourselves.

Do you want your legs hairier than Jason Momoa on a fur rug or smoother than a jazz band going down a water slide? The choice is yours. And just to help you make an informed decision, have a look at the answers to these commonly asked and completely leg-it questions.

1. Should men shave their legs?'

Should men sing their hearts out to a song they don’t really know the words to? Should men play just one more game? Should men spend hours searching for that mythical t-shirt that doesn’t expose their stomach when they yawn but also makes their arms look good? Should men dance? Should men laugh? Should men cry?

YES. YES. REJOICE. LIVE YOUR LIFE! (The answer’s yes).

2. Can men shave their legs?'

The new decade just called, and yes. Yes, we can.

3. How do men shave their legs?'

It depends on what your goal is. Want leg hair you can plait? Leave it. Fancy the feel of a warm breeze on a summer’s day? Get trimming. Want to understand what girls mean when they talk about that ‘shaved legs and fresh sheets’ combo? Go for it (although, this dream means you also have to wash your sheets).

I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and I had a mate who was a swimmer who loved how it felt – he said men should shave legs to shave time off their PBs. So, I went for it. I loved it too, and to be honest, these calves deserve an Insta account of their own.

Here are some other guy’s stories about them shaving their legs:

Tom, 24: I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and I had a mate who was a swimmer who loved how it felt – he said men should shave legs to shave time off their PBs. So, I went for it. I loved it too, and to be honest, these calves deserve an Insta account of their own.

Aaron, 22: My girlfriend had no problem with men shaving legs – but I didn’t realise the difference between shaving legs and trimming them. I cracked on with the pink razor I found in my girlfriend’s shower and she was so confused when I showed her two legs that looked like varnished hotdogs. After the hair grew back, I trimmed it with an electric razor to make it more comfortable and a little cleaner – we now no longer share leg shavers.

Theo, 17 I’d just come back from a run and I wanted to shave my legs again because I prefer how it feels. I didn’t bother washing my legs before I shaved them, and it was so painful because the sweat matted all my hair together. It felt like I was shaving a yak. Looking back, I should’ve probably jumped in the shower and used a shaving foam… Making sure my legs are fresh is now a part of my self-care routine – so is turning off FIFA when I’m losing and binge-watching Netflix.

Don’t let leg hair stand in the way of you becoming a world-class athlete or just showing off your world-class calves. Try experimenting with different lengths of leg hair; you might just find the perfect style that works for you. If you’re still unsure, check out these shavetorials. Shave it, trim it, grow it, braid it – just do whatever feels right for you.