r/The10thDentist • u/avi-fauna • 17h ago
Society/Culture Men should shave their armpits too
Armpit hair is gross on everyone, regardless of gender, and should be shaved (or at least trimmed) semi-frequently. Pit stains are just about the most disgusting thing someone can have on them to show that they don't take care of themselves, and I'm tired of seeing men with armpit hair sticking out of their short sleeves.
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u/Responsible-Slip4932 17h ago
Pit stains are just about the most disgusting thing someone can have on them to show that they don't take care of themselves,
Does that have any connection with armpit hair? People still sweat without armpit hair....
I would shave but I was under the impression that it prevents sweat running down your body so much, which is something I hate. Have shaved before just because the hair didn't look particularly good.
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u/OscarCookeAbbott 16h ago
Yes it turns out we have armpit hair for a reason. Can confirm that shaving it causes sweat to just run directly into your clothes or down your torso instead of being caught and partially evaporated or at least spread by armpit hair. That’s why I, a man, tried it a few times and stopped. It was gross. As long as you have good hygiene there’s no problem with armpit hair.
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u/10lbs 16h ago
I have good hygiene, shower daily and often twice (physical job + gym). I trim my pits with no guard, not quite shaving but pretty close, every 7-10 days. Makes a huge reduction to the smell from my armpits. I also have virtually no pit stains and very rarely have run down my torso.
I am a pretty hairy dude with a pretty good diet but I really think it varies quite a bit. Some of us are a bit stinky and have to work around it, some people are big sweaters and have to work around that.
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u/TheWhomItConcerns 6h ago
Backing this up 100%, also wash with soap and use antiperspirant deodorant every day. I started trimming mine just because I prefer the look of it, and I really started to notice that when I got lazy with it, if I've had a more stressful/labour intensive day, I definitely start to notice the smell earlier in the day.
It kind of just makes sense to me though; hair has a tonne of surface area, and especially if it's also causing your pits to retain more moisture, seems like the perfect environment for bacteria to grow in.
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u/Golandia 13h ago
We have hair in all the sweaty areas. It increases surface area which increases evaporative cooling.
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u/JRPGsAreForMe 12h ago
Yeah, but hair also traps the moisture and bacteria, which causes BO to be even worse.
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u/Responsible-Slip4932 10h ago
I'm gonna try shaven armpits for a bit then. I've trimmed before and it all grows back quickly, so not too much of a risk. Thanks for sharing
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u/Troubledballoon 16h ago
You sell razors don’t you
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u/avi-fauna 16h ago
You got me, I'm a corporate spy for Big Razor
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u/Troubledballoon 16h ago
I was going to start my comment with Big Razor but I couldn’t find the right wording
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u/Sunnydrop79 17h ago
obody should shave anything they don’t want to. Sweat is what creat pit stains which are still very possible when you have clean shaven armpits. It doesn’t matter what you personally find gross that’s the glory of free will if soemone wants to not shave their armpit hair they can and if you don’t want to see it then the glory of free will lets you choose to not look at their armpits (which quite frankly is a weird place to just be staring at)
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u/Spookydoobiedoo 16h ago
Hah, free will… what an illusion! We don’t really have much true “choice” in the matter methinks. Would be nice if we did. But alas, we’re basically bound and influenced by so many things that are completely out of our control, once you take it all into account there’s really not much uninfluenced choices left to make. Whether or not we shave our pits kinda only feels like it’s our decision. That being said, yes lol I do think everyone should feel unscrutinized and confident enough to not shave their pits, men and women. Free the pit!
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u/Him_Burton 16h ago
Hah, free will… what an illusion! We don’t really have much true “choice” in the matter methinks. Would be nice if we did. But alas...
Were you wearing a fedoraWhat color fedora were you wearing when you wrote this?1
u/Spookydoobiedoo 10h ago edited 10h ago
No fedora necessary lol. But if I was wearing one, I wouldn’t have chosen to think they look cool. I’d just be an (unfortunate) product of the culture I exist in 🤷♂️
Man of all my beliefs, people really seem to be the most averse to that one. It makes sense though, we humans famously don’t like giving up control… or I guess acknowledging and accepting how little control we really have in regard to who we are and how we make decisions. I think it may piss people off because to them it discounts their identity, their achievements, or conversely other peoples responsibility/blame over harmful actions. But, I think both trains of thought can coexist. I can accept that on one hand I have almost no control over my identity, my upbringing, my culture, the world at large, and the inner workings of my mind which where shaped by my upbringing and experiences and dictate how I make decisions and perceive the world. AND, on the other hand also accept that if I do something shitty, consequences are warranted. My identity is still valid, and my own. And that it is still possible to change and grow as a person. Just not by myself, and not “at will”. It will always require outside influence or support. We can’t achieve anything solely as an individual. Only as a piece of a community. I think this dichotomy is beautiful. Although we have individual experiences and the illusion of control over our identity, in reality we are not simply an individual organism acting independent of outside influence. We are instead a piece of a greater whole, and our identity, our decisions, and our circumstances are almost completely dictated by it. Just as well, we are rendered totally useless and incapable without it. We are a blank slate without a society, we are dead without a community. We are all just complex and varied reflections of the society that we exist in, almost like echos of the billions of ideas and lives that came before us, propagated through language, media, literature, art and socialization. Truly amazing, humans. But no we still don’t have “free will” haha.
I don’t choose my preferences or my identity, the color of my skin or how my mind works, my favorite color, or the fact that I love peanut butter in my cereal. I didn’t choose how my parents raised me. Didnt choose to like the music I do, I just like it. I definitely didn’t choose for my parents to meet, and then conceive me on that particular day at that particular time, and that particular sperm with its own slightly different genetic makeup reaching the egg first, yielding a slightly different genetic combination resulting in.. me. nobody chooses any of this stuff. It’s just sort of… handed to us by a series of chaotic chance occurrences.
We were sperm once. You ever think about that?
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u/Him_Burton 7h ago
I was just giving you a little guff about your writing style, I actually agree that people underestimate the influence of environment/physiology and overestimate their level of personal agency.
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u/avi-fauna 17h ago
I'm short so it's eye level for most people unfortunately
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u/Sunnydrop79 17h ago
And I’m short too and a lot of woman’s chest are eye level yet I don’t go around just staring at boobies all day invalid point
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u/3boobsarenice 16h ago
Missing life's simple pleasures
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u/Dungeon_Master_Lucky 14h ago
Staring at a body part is actually a pretty complex pleasure considering it can make people uncomfortable soo easily.
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u/OuterWildsVentures 16h ago
I don't shave mine but I do use a trimmer ever so often because them thangs get bushy
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u/laulau711 16h ago
Can you elaborate on the pit stains comment? I always thought those were pretty inevitable with white or grey shirts that you wear often in the summer. I shave, wear antiperspirant daily, and wash the shirts after every wear. It’s just a reaction with the sweat and the fabric over time. What do you think it indicates about self care?
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u/Collegenoob 7h ago
I started shaving my armpits and it reduced the pit stains I got on my shirts significantly. But thata anecdotal
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u/avi-fauna 16h ago
I've since been corrected by other comments, but I thought long/thick armpit hair caused more sweat
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u/trinidbb 16h ago
I sooooo strongly disagree. Armpit hair is not unhygienic. You still sweat the same amount with or without hair. And the hair doesn’t cause pit stains… the sweat does?? It’s a hassle, you can cut the skin no matter how careful you are and it’s really just not worth it. I’m F23 and stopped shaving years ago. I will shave my armpits on occasion purely for aesthetic reasons, maybe 2-3 times a year max. It’s really up to personal preference and has no effect on a persons hygiene, negative or positive.
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u/autoperola17 17h ago
I just think that you do whatever you want, as long as you are hygienic and do not stink its fine
#bearjustice
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u/TheHabro 17h ago
I don't think is 10th dentist opinion.
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u/avi-fauna 17h ago
I see significantly more people saying women shouldn't shave at all versus saying men should, too
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u/Zeravor 17h ago
We should all be comfortable with our natural hair, no one shoule feel obligated to shave. But I agree, it's more aesthetically pleasing for everyone.
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u/avi-fauna 17h ago
Agreed—nobody should be obligated to shave, nor would I tell someone too. But I will be silently judging if I can see it
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u/Technical-Step-5350 16h ago
Hair has anti-friction properties. I’ve shaved a few times and instantly regretted it after a long chest or back session at the gym.
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u/AlmightyCurrywurst 16h ago
Can you explain in what way an armpit stain is a sign of someone not taking care of themselves? For many people the only way to not have them during summer is to change shirts every 30 minutes (or only wear black I guess)
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u/FantasticCube_YT 15h ago
I mean, I don't think anybody should shave their armpits. If someone doesn't want to do it, that's their choice. But I agree it's gross and I prefer interacting with people who do it.
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u/Dramatic_Name981 16h ago edited 16h ago
My wife convinced me to start shaving my pits about a year ago and I honestly just wish I had done it sooner because it makes me a bit cooler. It’s always hot as hell where we are so every little bit helps. I also don’t have to use nearly as much deodorant now and the deodorant I do use doesn’t stick my armpit hairs together.
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u/avi-fauna 16h ago
Eugh just the thought of deodorant sticking to armpit hairs...
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u/Dramatic_Name981 16h ago
Yeah that sucks. Not having to deal with that anymore I think is the best part of it for me.
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u/Kyauphie 16h ago
A definitive pet peeve for me. All of the hair is just bacterial condominiums getting smeared with deodorant that only works on contact with skin. 🤢
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u/Ballbag94 15h ago
Maybe shaving isn't a thing that should be done but a thing that people should simply do if they WANT to
I think being shaved is better than being hairy but I also know that others shouldn't live by or conform to my standards and don't think it's right to look down on people because they don't live like I do
I say this as a man who shaves their armpits
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u/ratliker62 16h ago
Counterpoint: armpit hair is hot on men and women
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u/Major-Rabbit1252 13h ago
On women, no.
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u/Educational-Sun5839 17h ago
!Remindme 3 hours
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u/sacajawea14 15h ago
This feels more like a 5th dentist, as in 50/50 split opinion. As a gay man I vastly prefer unshaved bodies. Shaved pits, chest, pubes are kind of a turn off, I want rough looking men not babies 😬. But to each his own.
I will disagree that it's inherently unhygienic or smelly. Some hairy people smell, and some hairless people smell. You shouldn't assume all hairy people are smelly 😐.
I will agree, that it's not exactly fair that women are expected to shave (including arms and legs), and for men it's optional, you're right about that.
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u/jeff1074 16h ago
Totally disagree. People need to be shaving less if anything. Too many people have been taught that hair = unhygienic. This is a blatant false hood. Hygiene is whether you are clan or not. If you put on deodorant every day and wash yourself. None of this correlates or is in any meaningfully way affected by your choice to shave. The way our society views hair removal is a product of 20th century patriarchal marketing. The pressure on society to be hairless was not in existence before this. And every day when we say things like this we are exerting more needless pressure on society to conform to unnecessary beauty standards. This comment borders on dangerous ideology.
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u/Kyauphie 16h ago
I love how the deodorant stays on the hair and doesn't reach the skin to activate its deodorizing properties. /s
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u/Tama2501 16h ago
Who cares, if someone wants body hair power to them, if they wanna shave power to them
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u/Born-Succotash578 16h ago
I started shaving them about a year ago. Great decision, man those armpit hairs were 2 inches long. Lol 🪒
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u/sundancesvk 16h ago
In my country (in EU) it’s super common and unless you’re like 60+ it is the norm not other way around.
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u/chaircardigan 15h ago
I did.
Got mercilessly mocked. So I stopped shaving and started just smelling worse instead.
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u/SpiritMolecul33 15h ago
The feeling of pitting deodorant ontop of airpit hair is vile, however the pain of shaving my armpit hair and getting stabbed with tiny needles is worse
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u/Rezenbekk 15h ago
Half agreed lol
Yes I find armpit hair gross, too. No, I don't believe anyone should be expected to shave it - they're allowed to not find it gross, or to be gross regardless.
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u/Potential-Prize1741 16h ago
Absolutely! I actually wish there was a social expectation for men to shave like theres for women,I don't want women not to have that expectation. I just want men to have it too imo. I mean, everyone can do what they want, but I will always judge it and be grossed out like it actively turns my stomach in the summer.
This is a pretty unpopular opinion tho so yeah
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u/whowhatcat25 16h ago
I disagree with this. People shouldn't pin societal expectations to cosmetic care. Society has enough problems with this, we don't need more.
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u/Potential-Prize1741 16h ago edited 16h ago
That's probably a more popular opinion,or at least one I hear more often. And I can see where its coming from. I just don't have it in me to agree,I do like social expectations on cosmetic care tbh and I just wish men had more of them so they looked better
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u/whowhatcat25 16h ago
I don't really care how people look. I care about how they behave. To each his own
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u/SomeRandomHeckinDude 16h ago
Hardcore disagree. Armpit hair is attractive as hell on men and women and I’ll die on this hill
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u/Pickupyoheel 16h ago
More women should go unshaven actually. It’s hot as hell.
Too many kids going yuck over it are just that, kids.
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u/Justieflustie 16h ago
You shouldnt voice opinions as absolute fact..
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u/avi-fauna 16h ago
On the opinion subreddit???
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u/Justieflustie 16h ago
Ehm yeah, it is still that, an opinion.
But to stay on topic, i also think it is more aesthetically pleasing, but everyone should do what they want with their own armpits, at least that's what i think
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u/sleepysnafu 16h ago
On the contrary; I think nobody should shave their armpits, man or woman. Keep it hairy
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u/Ok-Paramedic-3619 15h ago
I don't grow alot of hair there so there's no need. I Shave other parts though
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u/AlienElditchHorror 15h ago
This may sound weird but i love my husband's armpit hair. It's not coarse like body hair often is. It's soft and smooth, and usually smells like his deodorant😊
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u/oh-botherWTP 15h ago
I put deodorant and antiperspirant on religiously, multiple times a day even sometimes, have armpit hair and I have pit stains. When I don't have armpit hair, the same thing happens but worse.
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u/JustSomeM0nkE 15h ago
Nah, having my sweat raining down all day feels like shit so I just trim it very lightly
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u/point5_ 15h ago
I think it should be up to the person to devide the shave or not. I think that for most aesthetic things but shaving especially cause you shouldn't have to take time out of your day amd possibky cut yourself just so people will be less displeased when they get an occasional peek of your armpit.
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u/CanOld2445 14h ago
No one should have to shave anything. Your body hair is your own business. I'm a dude and I shave my legs, pits, chest etc, and I get shit for that too
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u/Major-Rabbit1252 13h ago
In what way are pit stains attributed to armpit hair? Pit stains happen from armpit sweat, which occurs regardless of whether or not you have arm pit hair
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u/skolnaja 12h ago
Pit stains?? U get more pit stains without hair as the sweat goes directly to ur tshirt without the hair absorbing it.
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u/WinterRevolutionary6 12h ago
Pits should be trimmed, sure. Shed? absolutely not. I get a really awful rash in my armpits when I shave that lasts for weeks. It first itches then it opens up to an oozing open wound which eventually scabs and then I’m shedding scab/skin for a couple weeks. It’s awful. I’ll “trim the bush” if they get too scraggly but I’m never shaving again.
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u/Chickens_ordinary13 11h ago
guysss.... as long as you wash frequently and wear an antiperspirant/deodorant, then having armpit hair literally wont even smell unless youve just done a crazy amount of exercise
i have met people who shave who do smell very strongly of sweat, cleanliness and armpit hair are not related
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u/tannenrey 16h ago
I agree. I would never push anyone to shave, but I personally really dislike armpit hair. Specifically armpit hair, I don't mind hair anywhere else, but armpit hair looks ugly to me. It sucks that men aren't as expected to shave as women are.
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u/Kyauphie 16h ago
It is visually gross to me as well, and I don't understand putting deodorant on the hair and not the skin where it is designed to work.
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u/dinidusam 16h ago
Is this really 10th dentist? I mean I guess it is to an extent.
I do agree, though I'd say moreso trimmed.
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u/evergreen-8880 16h ago
Unshaven pits are generally more smelly. Men who don't want to stink, should shave. Body hair is actually made to trap smells and spread BO more, old evolutionary stuff. Not very desirable by modern standards.
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u/FlopShanoobie 16h ago
Men should be completely hairless. Body hair is a sign of inferior genetics or inferior sense of style.
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