When it comes down to shaving your arms, there’s mostly no right or wrong regarding whether you should go for it or not. Although there are many misconceptions surrounding this matter, in the end it’s mostly preferential for comfort or aesthetics to meet the beauty standards. It’s the gray area in grooming that needs to be understood properly before going through the process.
This matter raises one big flag however that asks: is it bad to shave your arms? To understand the depth of this answer properly, a simple yes or no wouldn’t suffice as there are some factors that need to be considered. This is why we’ve classified both the positive and negative aspects of shaving your arms in this article to help you make a decision whether it’s good or bad for you.
On top of that, we’ve given you some alternate methods for arm-shaving so that you can still achieve that smoothness without rubbing razor blades on your skin. So check out our elaborate sections below to gain knowledge on this subject that’ll hopefully clarify all your confusions about our question in hand!
Contents
Shaving Arms Pros And Cons
Like many other grooming matters placed in the gray area of the gradient, shaving your arms has some pros and cons too. Let’s check them out to see if these are reasons enough to prevent you from getting a finely shaved arm skin.
Pros
First and foremost, shaving is the easiest method of removing the unwanted hair on your arm. It’s safe, it’s swift and it’s by far the most convenient & painless way of getting some smooth skin ready to be gloated in public. It’s cost efficient too, since you’ll only need some shaving foam and a razor to complete the entire process, and a couple of creams to improve your skin’s health.
Some claim that a downside to shaving your arms is the fact that your hair will grow back out to be coarse and shaving increases hair density. It’s completely a myth as shaving has nothing to do with any of these, because coarse or dense hair depends on genetics and to some extent on the diet that you are following on a regular basis.
A cleanly shaved arm is going to be a great boost in confidence and you’ll find yourself to be more assertive than before at any place. You won’t have to be self aware everytime you wear a sleeveless dress or a shirt that exposes your arms. Shaving would provide you with such a degree of comfort with your own body that very few other things potentially can.
During the summer days, your arm hair holds the sweat and dirt anchored to the skin. This not only can create skin problems, but also largely contributes to sweat based odor that can put anyone off. Shaving off the hair will reduce these problems and offer you comfort even in the hottest of days, and don’t forget the good ventilation that comes with it!
Cons
One of the major downsides of shaving your arm is the irritation of your skin. Since the skin on your arm isn’t used to being run over by sharp blades like your face, there’s a good chance that you’ll notice some red patches after the shaving process is done. Applying ice bags or holding your arm under cold running water are usually the ways to get rid of this irritation.
Shaving body hair always comes with the risk of ingrown hair. It’s a painful phenomenon that the body grooming process is tangled up with and for some it’s reason enough to not apply shaving to the arms as they settle for alternate methods. To prevent this from occurring, always shave with sharp blades because the dull ones are usually the main reason for this.
You are always going to experience some degree of cuts and nicks while performing shaving anywhere on your body because that’s the way it is. For your arms, it’s going to become more common because the skin surface has bumps and isn’t remotely as smooth as your facial skin. Also, using non-sanitized blades can cause bacterial infection as well, so clean your blade all the time!
So no matter how fast the process may seem like with razors, to prevent yourself from accidental damages you must slow down your tempo. While it’ll save your skin from unwanted proceedings, it’s going to pile up on your clock as it’s going to become a slower process. So it’s your decision which one you’d want to compromise, our recommendation is that you ensure your safety first and all the time you need!
Arm Shaving Alternatives
From assessing all the pros and cons of shaving your arms, if you feel that you still want to remove your arm hair but not by shaving, then we’ve got some great alternatives for you! These methods have their own downsides as well and some are more severe than shaving, it’s based on your choice which one you should endorse for the best outcome!
Depilatory Creams
These hair removal creams reach the root of your arm’s hair strands and burn them off so that you can have a fine, smooth skin without feeling any of the strand’s head popping out of the follicle. But this isn’t made for all types of skin, can be messy and can have unforeseen consequences than shaving.
Waxing
Waxing your arms is a common practice and it removes your arm hair completely without leaving a trace behind. But as they say, all good things aren’t easy to achieve, such is the case for this method as well. It’s a very painful process and going through this trauma on a regular basis is something we’re sure you won’t be looking forward to. Opting for shaving is by far less painful than this.
Laser Treatment
Getting a laser treatment for hair removal is a permanent process and the models worldwide have gone through with it so that they don’t have to deal with arm hair anymore. While it’s long lasting, it’s going to cost you a lot of money as well as time since it’s not really a straightforward process. And if done incorrectly, it’s going to create health hazards for your skin so you better do it by a certified expert should you prefer to.
Final Verdict: Should You Shave Your Arms?
Now it’s time for our verdict on: is it bad to shave your arms? Based on all the discussions we’ve had earlier, this is something mainly preferential and has no health benefits. While holding on to that thought, if you are certain that dealing with accidental cuts, ingrown hair, shaving burns aren’t that great of a deal for you, then we’d say that – NO, it’s not really bad to shave your arms.
To ensure your arm shaving goes smoothly, just make sure to follow proper shaving procedures, take enough time while running the blades over and use sharp instruments for the process. Apply antiseptic and creams on your arm to ensure the integrity of the skin so that there’s no infection induced by the shaving process and your skin remains hydrated & smooth as silk.
Make sure to apply sunscreen on your arms before going out with a shaved skin as your arm hair isn’t there anymore to protect you from the burn!