To shave or Not to Shave? (Page 2)

Please tell me they are in the same shower!

Reasons I shave everything.

I like it.

Women like it. 

It is cooler.

I can see all my hard earned scars better.

I found a birthmark I didn't know about.

It feels good on the swim.

Nothing for people to pull while I am doing MMA  

And my favorite rason of all.  Nude oil wrestling is so much fun when slicked down with no hair.

I did it for several months and had all kind of issues.  Itchy, razor burn, red bumps, no matter WHAT I tried.  I followed all the suggestions on technique on BT and other sources.  Cold water, cream, no cream, warm water, new razor, one blade, two blades, three blades, lotion, no lotion, luffa before, luffa after - no joy.  I gave it months to work itself out, but no luck.

So, I just gave up.  It does NOT make you faster (even mentions this on the BT leg shaving "shootout".)  But I would like to do it just to show off the legs that I have worked hard on.  But there is no point to showing off the legs if they have little red bumps and sores from shaving.

To OP: do what you want to do. I personally started shaving when I swam in highschool and it helped doing my PRs on the pool, although looking at it at macrolevel, it's not a huge gain if you're taking shaving as more of a competitive advantage. I don't mind a little hair really - that's what makes us human species.

 I wax, and as painful as it sounds, it definitely pays off. Since I'm disrupting the follicles once in a while by waxing, my hair grew thinner and finer and not as coarse as it used to be (read: I was really hairy as a teenager - bad choice of shaving as an adolescent). Besides, it takes about 6 months (and it definitely depends on each person) for me to grow the hair to be so noticeable. I kinda like waxing my legs, since well it reflects lights off and makes my calves look better. Either way, it's one of those self maintaining things that you can live without, but it doesn't hurt if you do (well waxing might). Like the general idiom says, no pain, no gain.

m2c

newleaf - 2008-09-06 9:13 PM

gopennstate - 2008-09-06 4:12 PM No shaving, go for wax instead!

Too expensive, doesn't last long enough.   

That's why I epilate.

I'm only a year and a half into triathlon (45-49) and I shaved this year, just armpits, chest, stomach and legs.  My wife didn't like it at all.  Consider we are in Tennessee...  Our 11 year old said, "Dad!  Dude!  What up?"  I told him it was a triathlon thing, speed, etc.  He looked at me with the wrinkled look on his face (now he does tri though!). 

Someone said above,  pick your battles.  I'm a MOP AG, pushing the upper 1/3rd.  If I start pushing podiums, I'll shave again.  I didn't like shaving every other day though to stay smooth.

Oh, www.ShaveSecret.com rocks!  (when I did shave earlier this year)  They are given in our swag bags locally and I pass them onto my wife.

I started shaving again for IMAZ Nov.

I had let them grow out after IMAZ Apr, and my wife came home last week with some Vens razors saying "Got these because the ritual will probvably be starting again," so I guess she doesn't mind.  I like the look and the feel.  Doesn't make me any faster.  Also helps if I need deep tissue/ART work, like I have before most big races.

Funniest story - last Spring standing in line at Jamba Juice after a long trail run, I hear behind me, "shaved legs, how gay."  One teen talking to a friend.  Had jeans hanging down his a$$ and these big white "fashion model" sunglasses on.  Yeh, right, and those glasses are so manly, LOL.

ETA - first time takes about 15-20 minutes including pre shower shave with clippers.  Now takes about 5 minutes once a week in the shoer with soap and a razor.  No big deal at all

Shave your face.