Why Do Bodybuilders Shave Body hair
Bodybuilders across the world come in different shapes and sizes; however, one thing seems to be shared across the board. No, it’s not their dark, orange skin – it’s their smooth, hairless body.
It’s unlikely everyone’s incapable of growing body hair, so what’s the reason behind it?
Body hair creates shadows and dark patches, which can make your muscles look bland and flat. To prevent this, bodybuilders, who aim to have the most athletically pleasing body, shave to make their bodies as toned as possible.
What’s the logic behind this?
Put simply, clean skin reflects light way better than rough, hairy skin. So, when bodybuilders are posing, the stage light hits their bodies nicer and gives the illusion of a more defined body.
Does Shaving Make You Look More Defined
Even if you aren’t a bodybuilder, say you are going on holiday, will shaving help to show-off your beach body?
Yes, removing body hair makes you look defined – veins pop out more, muscle fibers become visible, and each muscle group is visibly segmented. As a result, your gains look extra obvious, and any pump you have makes you look jacked.
Remember it’s a temporary solution and you’ll revert to your original appearance once the hair grows back. When they reach 2-3.5mm, the hair begins interfering with how ripped you look.
Check out this thumbnail – you can see how much more ripped he looks once shaven.
Does Shaving Make Your Chest More Defined
One common question is if shaving your chest makes it more defined. To summarize:
Shaving your chest gives it better definition but won’t change its muscular composition. Someone in good shape will find the two pectorals to be more boxed and the lower chest to appear additionally firm and solid.
As well as the better muscle definition, many women say they prefer their partners to have a smooth chest. They explain it to look more hygienic and less itchy when cuddling.
Nonetheless, there are some risks. For example, ingrowings, cuts, or thicker hair follicles.
You have to ask yourself, is it worth it.
Does Shaving Make Your Legs More Defined
The second frequently asked question is if your legs become better defined. The answer to this is:
Yes, shaving your legs makes them extra defined – especially in the calf muscle. It’s a trick bodybuilders love to use when they skip leg day! While it won’t increase the size, it make them look a lot more toned.
Hairless legs tend to look the most veiny. Even if you’re on a casual walk, you can obviously see them, rich in blood.
So, is it worth shaving your legs?
Well, women say they don’t like shaved legs – something about looking like a chicken! In addition, the time it takes and the risk of thicker, ingrowing hair coming back make it only valuable if you’re competing or it’s causing you health issues.
Do Bodybuilders Shave Their Armpits
What about the armpit section? Do bodybuilders have them smooth?
Some bodybuilders shave their armpits, others don’t – it’s a personal preference. The armpit region doesn’t cover any major muscle groups, so it won’t threaten the bodybuilder’s aesthetics. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t clean shave during his competitions.
Saying this, some bodybuilders prefer to keep it trimmed for hygiene reasons – but it’s unlikely they shave it all off to impress the judges.
Embed from Getty ImagesDoes Bodyhair Make You Look Less Muscular
What if you were to leave your body hair and let it grow entirely? No trimming or shaving. Would you look like you’ve never seen a gym? Not quite…
Body hair covers the muscle lines showing different muscle groups. However, it can’t hide your muscle mass or your body’s structure. So, even if you did shave your body hair you will still be able to tell you workout.
To help picture it, imagine an athlete with a long-sleeved muscle-fit t-shirt. While you can’t see the definition, their frame and curves still show their physical fitness.
The variables determining the aesthetics difference between shaving and not shaving are:
- Thick hair versus thin hair. – thick hair hides muscle better than thinner hair.
- Hair density – the greater hair follicles you have per inch of skin, the more it hides muscle definition
- Rate of hair growth – the faster your hair grows, the less time you have until it hides your muscle.
At the end of the day, it’s personal preference as to whether or not you should shave. While it’s advantageous for bodybuilders, and trimming is hygienic, not everyone has the desire to display peak muscle definition.
However, if you’re curious, it may be worth trying – as long as you know how to shave and your hair could come back thicker. Even if you don’t like how it looks, it will grow back anyway!
Can Anyone Look More Muscular Without Body hair
Is shaving some sort of magic spell that guarantees you to look extra muscly? Unfortunately not.
For shaving to be effective, you must have muscles to start off with. This exaggerates what you do have, but can’t create what you don’t have. This makes it great for bodybuilders to give them an extra edge when competing.
What if you’re overweight?
Shaving your body won’t trim your waist if you’re overweight; in fact, it makes it look worse. Remember, it shows off what you have. While this benefits athletes and bodybuilders, it makes overweight individuals look bigger and creates the illusion of a further hanging tummy.
How Do Bodybuilders Shave Their Body Hair
Why tell you when we can show you? Here is a great guide for body shaving:
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