Armpit hair is a natural part of getting older; many people tend to see armpit hair as they go through puberty. However, you may left wondering if you should shave your armpit hair—whether you're comfortable with having it or not.
You can shave the hair in your armpit, which may play a role in decreased body odor, or you can keep it and not have to deal with skin injuries like cuts. Either way, read on to learn more about the benefits and risks of having armpit hair.
Part of the reason people have armpit hair is due to hormone changes—especially surrounding puberty. "One of the first signs of puberty is hair developing in the underarms and groin," American Academy of Dermatology board-certified dermatologist Shani Francis, MD, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and medical director at Ashira Dermatology, told Health.
Hair that grows in those areas will be lighter and less prominent. As puberty progresses, the hair will get thicker and darker. At the same time, people may start to lose armpit hair as they get older. Armpit hair often gets thin and sparse after menopause when an individual no longer ovulates.
Benefits of Armpit Hair
There's not a lot of research about the specific benefits of having armpit hair. However, there are a few benefits to having body hair in general, including:
- Body temperature regulation
- Sensory function improvements
- Skin protection, as removing armpit hair can lead to irritation and skin injuries like cuts or razor burns
One of the biggest benefits of removing armpit hair is decreased armpit odor. One study aimed to find out if armpit hair affects body odor, and if so, to what extent. Before the study began, researchers theorized that removing armpit hair would be the best way to minimize armpit odor.
The researchers put together four groups of men based on what they did with their armpit hair: trimming, shaving, waxing, or leaving it untouched. Researchers concluded that men who removed their armpit hair by waxing it off or shaving it with a razor had the least body odor. Those who simply trimmed their armpit hair had the next smelliest, with the strongest armpit odors coming from those who left their pit hair untamed.
Armpit Hair Removal Options
There's nothing wrong with wanting to get rid of your armpit hair. If that's something you're considering, there are plenty of different options available like:
- Getting treatments using lasers, or microwaves—which entails a method that "kills" the sweat glands and destroys hair follicles at the same time
- Shaving
- Sugaring, in which a sugar water mixture is applied to unwanted hair then all of it is peeled off together
- Threading, which entails removing hair with a piece of thread
- Using hair removal creams
- Waxing
What About Armpit Odor?
Armpit hair and sweat by themselves are not odorous. It's the bacteria in your armpits that cause odor—bacteria that thrive in warm, moist places and get especially "trapped" in the hair that grows there. Hormonal fluctuations largely influence how much you sweat and, therefore, how wet, moist, and optimal your armpits are for odor-causing bacteria to flourish.
"Cutting the hair only removes, let's say, the 'house' for the bacteria," explained Dr. Francis. The bacteria themselves remain, so "if you have no armpit hair but don't wash your armpits, you're still going to have odor," added Dr. Francis.
Whether you have armpit hair or not, the important thing is that you stay on top of your personal hygiene to minimize odor-causing bacteria. That means:
- Cleansing regularly
- Wearing deodorant if you choose to
- Letting a healthcare provider know if your body odor concerns you
While it may be uncomfortable to have, armpit hair happens because of hormone changes. Armpit hair is a collecting site that helps bacteria grow and cause odors, but the hair itself does not cause odors.
You can remove the hair in your armpit using a variety of options, but you can risk skin irritation or injuries like cuts—though you may experience less odor. Overall, ensure you practice good personal hygiene if you decide to keep your armpit hair or not.
FAQs
It's good for pheromones
Does armpit hair help with odor? ›
Armpit hair is a collecting site that helps bacteria grow and cause odors, but the hair itself does not cause odors. You can remove the hair in your armpit using a variety of options, but you can risk skin irritation or injuries like cuts—though you may experience less odor.
Do armpits smell less without hair? ›
In another study, the axillary odor of shaved armpits was rated as significantly less intense and more pleasant than the odor of unshaved armpits. It should be noted that nontrained assessors rated odor samples collected using cotton pads worn in the underarms for 24 h preassessment. 20.
Is it more Hygienic to have armpit hair? ›
It helps to regulate body temperature by trapping heat and sweat, and it also acts as a barrier against bacteria. In terms of hygiene, underarm hair is not necessarily unsanitary. Nevertheless, many people still choose to remove their armpit hair, or underarm hair, for cosmetic or hygienic reasons.
What are the benefits of armpit hair? ›
Armpit hair prevents skin-to-skin contact when doing certain activities, such as running and walking. The same thing happens with pubic hair, as it reduces friction during sex and other activities.
How to stop smelly armpits naturally? ›
Baking soda and cornstarch: Cornstarch and baking soda are naturally water-absorbing agents. Mix two parts cornstarch and three parts baking soda to create a natural antiperspirant deodorant powder. Lemon juice: Rub half a lemon directly on your armpits daily to reduce skin pH and make it uninhabitable for bacteria.
Does not shaving down there make you smell? ›
Long pubic hair
Hair increases the surface area for bacteria and bodily fluids to linger and lead to odor. Think of it as a dance floor. The smaller the dance floor, the smaller the area the bacteria and bodily fluids have to hang out and interact with each other.
Does having less body hair make you smell better? ›
The bacteria on your skin breaks down the sweat, which creates the unpleasant smell. The bottom line is this: shaving armpits and body hair leads to fewer bacteria and less smell.
Do armpits sweat less with no hair? ›
While shaving the armpits won't make you sweat less, it can help reduce the appearance of sweat stains and body odor. It can also improve the effectiveness of antiperspirants. Having hairy armpits plugs up sweat glands, making them less effective.
Is it better to keep armpit hair or not? ›
Societally speaking, it's less common for men to shave their arm or armpit hair, but the benefits and side effects of shaving are the same for both genders. Men with shaved armpits may notice a reduction in body odor caused by armpit sweat. Some men find that having less armpit hair feels airier and less itchy.
Count yourself among the lucky few who aren't hairy! This is fine. Some ethnic groups aren't hairy at all and never get much in the way of body or pubic hair. Even if the rest of your family is laden with armpit hair, having none is not abnormal or a problem.
Is it better to wax or shave your armpits? ›
Is waxing better than shaving? Waxing helps to reduce hair growth in the long run, while shaving does not. Shaving is not a long-term solution and can have negative consequences. Cuts, pimples, ingrown hair, bleeding, and infections are among them.
What happens if you never shave your pubic hair? ›
The benefits of not shaving pubic hair are avoiding irritation, cuts, and ingrowns—when you don't shave, you won't get irritated. If you don't shave your pubic hair, nothing happens, but it's important to keep it clean with a daily genital-friendly wash and exfoliant to keep odor at bay.
Will shaving my armpits reduce smell? ›
Shaving/trimming your armpits can reduce your body odour.
Our underarm hair traps the moisture on our skin, giving bacteria more time to produce the bad smells that you want to avoid. Shaving your armpit hair can help maximise the effectiveness of the antiperspirants that you use.
Why shouldn't you shave your arms? ›
Shaving leaves the thicker blunt end behind, compared with the fully grown tapered unshaved hair. Before shaving your arms you should consider, regrowth (stubble), possibility of ingrown hairs , dry skin or even shaving rash.
Does armpit hair help with sweat? ›
The amount you sweat depends on the eccrine and apocrine sweat glands in your armpits. These two types of glands produce sweat depending on your exertion and stress levels, so the amount of hair has no effect on the production of sweat. Armpit hair can make the sweat stains on your clothes worse.
Can waxing armpits help body odor? ›
Yes, waxing your underarms can indeed help in reducing body odor. The underarm hair can trap sweat and bacteria, which are the primary causes of body odor. When you wax, you remove the hair at the root, eliminating this trap for sweat and bacteria, which can, in turn, reduce the amount of body odor.
Does armpit hair stop deodorant from working? ›
If you do happen to have hair under your arms, this can prevent deodorant products from reaching your skin, making it harder for your deodorant to do its job. So, if hairy armpits are your thing, you might need a little extra product. You might also want to choose a Woohoo deodorant paste (rather than a stick).
Why don't my armpits smell anymore? ›
Smell under the arm comes from sweat glands, which produce sweat, which combine with bacteria. The production of smell relies on whether an active ABCC11 gene exists. Scientists have known, however, that the ABCC11 gene is inactive in some individuals.
