You would be surprised to know the amount of people who are firm believers that your body needs not to be groomed and let nature do its work even when it comes to body hair. Nature may not always be on your side if you are not one to care much for hygiene, unfortunately.
If you cut your hair for maintenance, hygiene, and aesthetics, for the same reason certain areas of your body such as your armpits, need grooming too. If anything you need to be especially critical of your armpit hair. Why? One word; hygiene. At the end of the day, you have the free will to do whatever you wish with your body hair.
However, maintaining good hygiene becomes essential if you want to minimise bacterial growth and keep body odour in check and learning how to trim armpit hair is only a single step closer to hygiene.
Table of Contents:- Part 1: Should You Trim Your Armpit Hair?
- Part 2: How Short Should You Trim Armpit Hair?
- Part 3: How to Trim Armpit Hair with a Trimmer?
- Part 4: How to Trim Armpit Hair with Scissors?
- Part 5: Aftercare: What to Do Post-Trimming
Part 1: Should You Trim Your Armpit Hair?
The question of whether you should trim armpit hair is pretty subjective. What you wish to do is again up to you, but trimming your armpit hair comes with certain perks that make the inconvenience worth it.
- As you trim your armpit hair on a regular basis, you reduce the likelihood of bacteria buildup which is usually the reason for bad body odour.
- Since after trimming your armpit hair, you no longer collect and retain sweat released from the sweat glands of the body, the effectiveness of deodorants and perfumes increases.
- Now, many people decide to trim their armpit hair for aesthetic reasons as well. Longer and more unmaintained armpit hair tends to not only look unattractive at times, it may also give the impression of an unhygienic routine.
Who Should Consider Trimming?
Technically, anybody who is concerned about bacteria buildup should pay attention to armpit hair grooming. But if hygiene and aesthetics were to come out of this equation, athletes or anybody who prefers working out or cardio are usually the best examples of who should regularly consider trimming armpit hair. The reason doesn't solely lie in the fact that they tend to sweat more and thus become more prone to bacteria buildup but also the friction during arm movement reduces, which increases performance and gives a more comforting experience overall.
Part 2: How Short Should You Trim Armpit Hair?
Trimming the hair is slightly different than shaving. Where in shaving, you shave off the hair from the shaft, trimming is usually done by either scissors or electric trimmers, which leave a bit of hair behind and cut the remaining. Usually, trimming is a safe method to go for and you can also learn ways how to trim armpit hair without itching which is quite effective.
Factors to Consider
- When you consider trimming or shaving your armpit hair, think about what you would feel most comfortable in and what style you feel would suit your aesthetics the best.
- If you want to give the signal that shows that testosterone flows through your veins, you may want to leave off a bit of hair behind, but if you prefer a cleaner and smoother look you can cut the hair off from the surface.
- Other than that, be aware of what you are allergic to. If certain metals trigger allergic reactions, consider opting for hypoallergenic grooming tools and techniques. You may also not want to get too close to the skin while cutting the hair.
- Your comfort should be above everything. If you live in a colder climate and you prefer a little fur, you may leave a little hair, since you don't sweat a lot in the first place when it is colder. However, when it is relatively hotter, it is preferred that you trim the hair as short as possible to avoid sweat and bacteria accumulation.
- If you are one that does vigorous exercises often, you might want to consider trimming hair short to reduce any friction as much as possible. Longer hair usually obstructs movement, which may hinder your athletic performance.
Recommended Length
Right, so how short to trim armpit hair? An ideal mens armpit hair length would lie between a range of comfort and hygiene. They both should be balanced in a way that you are not compromising one over the other, where it's long enough that sweat is being retained or short enough that it may cause you irritation. Around 0.5-1 cm of hair is left behind after trimming it down.
Part 3: How to Trim Armpit Hair with a Trimmer?
- Pre-trim care is always recommended. So make sure that you warm water to cleanse the area first and use soap. You might as well use a gentle exfoliant or scrub to get debris and build-up of the skin.
- Hopefully, you would have chosen the right trimmer for trimming your armpit hair. What you should be looking for in a good trimmer is an adjustable length guard to control the length of hair and its quality. Consider reading reviews of the product first before purchase.
- Next, decide the length you want your hair to be and adjust the guard accordingly. If you want longer hair choose the longer guard and for a shorter trim choose a shorter guard.
- You may want to hold the trimmer at a slight angle to your skin and move it in short, controlled strokes both against and along the hair growth so you don't miss out on any hair.
Here are some safety times you should always comply with:
- Use a clean and sharp trimmer to avoid snagging hair or causing irritation.
- Don’t press the trimmer too hard against your skin to prevent nicks.
- Make sure to disinfect the trimmer after use with isopropyl alcohol or any skin-safe disinfectant you may have.
Part 4: How to Trim Armpit Hair with Scissors?
- Get the cleaning part out of the way, where you cleanse your armpits and preferably scrub with a gentle scrub.
- Use a fine-toothed comb and comb your armpit hair against the skin where the maximum hair sticks out of the comb.
- Have your sharp clean and grooming scissors ready and cut slowly along to comb to achieve your preferred length.
- Work in small sections and slowly you will have achieved neatly and evenly trimmed armpit hair.
Consider these pointers as safety cautions that you are mindful of every time you trim your armpit hair:
- Use blunt-tipped grooming scissors to avoid accidental cuts.
- Trim in a well-lit area with a mirror to improve visibility.
- Avoid cutting hair too close to the skin to reduce the risk of irritation or ingrown hairs.
Part 5: Aftercare: What to Do Post-Trimming
Aftercare trim cannot be stressed enough. Hair after the trim is usually left behind which you can effectively remove after having a proper cleansing routine. Therefore cleanse the area thoroughly with warm water and soap.
If you have a gentle, fragrance-free moisturiser, use it under your armpits for adequate hydration and reduce irritation if any. You can also use tea tree oil or jojoba oil in place of it.
Be sure to wear loose clothing if you are prone to irritation because of friction between hair and the skin.
Conclusion
As you learn how to trim armpit hair in trimming hair from any surface of your body, you are essentially cutting the hair just above the surface, leaving very little room for ingrowns to grow. Ingrown hair tends to grow under the skin surface but when you trim the hair is already above the surface putting you in the safe zone.
But aside from that, trimming is one of the safest hair removal methods out there, especially for sensitive areas like the pubic region or armpits. Be mindful of the tools you are using because your skin may react to them harshly if you are not careful enough.
FAQs
1. Is it better to trim or shave armpit hair?
When you shave you put yourself at risk of ingrown hairs, and razor bumps when compared with trimming where the hair is above the surface and you no longer have to worry about ingrowns.
2. Can trimming armpit hair help reduce body odour?
It in fact can. When you remove armpit hair in general the hair can no longer retain sweat which is the root of bad body odour.
3. What’s the best tool for beginners to use for trimming?
A great tool to start with is scissors, if budget is a concern to you. Otherwise, electric trimmers are generally quite safe to consider.
4. How often to trim armpit hair?
It depends on what your desired length of armpit hair is, but anywhere from 2-4 weeks is generally recommended.
