Have you heard of the show Love Island?

The reality TV show features singles coming together at a tropical location. What we find interesting about Love Island is that all of the guys take manscaping to an entirely new level, including hairless armpits.

If you've been thinking about improving your manscaping routine, this article is for you. We’ll show you the pros and cons of shaving your arms, so you can decide if it's the right move for your body. We'll even give you the best tips to have soft, smooth arms every day.

Should men shave their arms? Absolutely, read on to find out why.

Shave for Aesthetic Results

Similar to how we style our hair or grow a mustache, shaving arm hair is all about personal preference. There isn't any medical reason or athletic reason to shave your arm hair. Instead, it's purely an aesthetic preference.

Since hair holds on to moisture, having less hair could help with sweating problems. You might have fewer sweat rings on your t-shirts, for instance.

It's possible that shaving can also help eliminate some of the odor associated with sweat. Your hair is porous, so it's easy to soak up the odor and hold on to the smell. By shaving off the arm hair, you'll have fewer odor trapping particles on your body.

Should Men Shave Their Arms Completely?

Should men shave their arms completely? Shaving the hair on top of your arm is perfectly safe, but what about your armpit hair? A lot of experts suggest trimming armpit hair instead of shaving it.

Shaving armpit hair could lead to razor burn or general irritation on your skin. Since you sweat a lot in your armpits, the irritation will be extra noticeable.

Another thing to consider is that you'll have to keep up with your armpit hair if you shave it all off. You'll have to continue shaving the armpit hair as it grows back, or it'll be itchy and weird-looking.

Like shaving your arms' tops, keeping your armpits hair-free means less odor. The sweat that comes out of your body won't be able to cling to the armpit hair, so it'll be easier for you to stay fresh longer.

Harrier pits also tend to sweat more since they're hotter. After manscaping armpit hair, you’ll probably feel clean and fresh, instead of musky and sweaty. Take things one step further by learning how to shave your back too!

Downsides of Shaving Your Armpits

If you're not using the correct type of shaving gel and the right tools, you could wind up with ingrown hairs. It can be pretty painful if you've never had an ingrown hair before.

If you wind up with ingrown hair, treat the ingrown hair fast. The sooner you take care of the problem, the less likely it’ll become infected.

Avoiding Armpit Cuts

Unlike the top of your arms, your armpit doesn't have an even surface for you to shave. You'll find that it's pretty tricky to get your razor in the perfect position without winding up with a couple of cuts.

Another thing to consider is that when you completely shave your armpit, the hair will grow back thicker. Since armpit hair is so sensitive and soft, we suggest sticking to using a trimmer.

You'll be able to avoid boils, pimples, and other types of frustrating skin issues. You'll still have a nice clean manscape look, and you can go entirely hairless for the top of your arms.

How To Shave Arm Hair 

Once you decide whether or not you want to go completely hairless on your armpits and the top of your arms; it's time to get started. You'll find that it's easy to learn how to shave arm hair, as long as you don't rush things.

You should never try to shave any part of your body without thoroughly washing it first. Prep your body with a nice shower, that way you can shave using a clean canvas. We suggest taking things a step further and doing a bit of gentle exfoliating.

The Power of Exfoliating

Did you know that you carry around a bunch of dead skin cells? The razor can catch on the skin cells instead of cutting the hair.

Your body sheds around 40,000 dead skin cells each day. When you exfoliate before shaving, you'll be able to get rid of all of those dead skin cells so that the razor only shaves hair. It's also good to moisturize right after exfoliating to avoid dry skin.

By exfoliating the skin, you'll be putting it in the best position possible for a healthy shave. You'll be cutting down on the risk of razor cuts, nicks, and infections.

How to Exfoliate

While you're exfoliating your arms, do yourself a favor and tackle the rest of your body too. Exfoliating your face, legs, and torso will help you feel completely refreshed.

We suggest purchasing brand-name exfoliating products that use glycolic acid. Why? Glycolic acid does wonders when it comes to eliminating the bond between cells.

You'll be able to gently scrub away the dead skin cells and other built-up debris on your skin. Another reason to use glycolic acid exfoliating products is that it helps promote the growth of new skin cells. You'll be able to look healthier and younger and feel great too.

You should also look into getting a few different exfoliating tools. For instance, you could get a men's body brush to thoroughly scrub down your arms.

The body brushes are gentle, so they're safe for even the most sensitive skin. You'll find that when you do a thorough exfoliation session before shaving, there's less irritation or redness.

Whatever you do, don't exfoliate more than 3 times a week. Exfoliation is a type of deep cleaning, and doing it too much will make your skin look red and irritated.

Hydrate Arms Before Shaving

Since shaving dry skin will cause problems, you'll want to make sure your arm skin is ready to go. How can you make sure your arms are nice and hydrated before you start shaving?

We suggest running a warm bath and soaking your arms in the water for 5 to 10 minutes. You could also run a warm shower and simply let your arms sit under the water for 5 to 10 minutes. By letting your arms soak up the warm water, you'll know they're well hydrated and ready for a shave.

Cartridge Razors or Electric?

What type of razor should you be using to shave your arms? There are a few different razor styles you can choose from.

One option is to go with cartridge razors. Cartridge razors use a disposable cartridge, and they usually have two to six blades placed close together.

Cartridge razors are really great for getting a close shave. You'll find that these razors are more flexible, making it easier for them to bend to the contour of your skin. You'll have to make sure you change the cartridges. Otherwise, you're going to wind up with a dull razor.

You could also look into using an electric razor to shave your arms. Make sure you understand the difference is between electric razors vs shavers. 

Electric razors will use a motor and blade, and some use a foil. Foil electric razors have a small sheet of metal over the blade. When used correctly, electric razors won't irritate your skin. However, your skin may get pulled into the foil, which can hurt.

To avoid any mishaps, we suggest looking into rotary electric blazers that use 3 circular heads, spaced out. Each razor will have its own guard, making it less likely for your skin to get caught up in the blade.

Use a Shaving Gel or Cream

You've exfoliated, hydrated, and you have an excellent razor. What's next? Now you're ready to start shaving the tops of your arms.

Using a shaving cream or gel, work up a rich lather on your arms. If you don't have a cream or gel, you can use a lathering soap. However, using dedicated shaving products will help you get the best results.

Begin to shave starting at your wrist and work your way up towards your elbow. If you only want to shave your forearm, that's perfectly fine. However, for a completely hairless look, you'll want to move up for a full arm shave.

How To Hold Your Arms While Shaving

To get the top of your arm, put your right hand on your right shoulder or your left hand on your left shoulder - - whichever arm you're working with. Using the other hand, you can carefully shave over the sensitive skin on your elbow.

This would also be a good time to tackle the arm pit hair. However, be careful and take your time. Remember, armpits are tricky, and it's easy to nick yourself.

If you decide to shave your armpits with a razor, you'll want to take a multidirectional approach. Armpit hair grows in different ways, so it helps if you shave from side to side, up and down.

Moisturize After Shaving

Moisturizing after shaving will help keep your arms nice and soft. The only problem is, people often use moisturizers in the wrong way. User error can make it difficult for your body to lock in the softening effects, so you'll want to make sure you get it right.

First, make sure you're choosing a quality moisturizer that uses natural ingredients. Stay away from moisturizers that add in perfume or alcohol.

Instead, look for healthy ingredients like glycerin, petroleum, linoleum, ceramides, and urea. It's also good to find moisturizers that use SPF after shaving.

After applying the moisturizer, work it into the skin. Add a second layer of lotion if your skin sucks up the first layer quickly.

How Fast Does Arm Hair Grow Back?

After shaving your arms, you might be wondering how soon it'll be until the hair grows back. The rate hair grows is different in different parts of your body. For instance, the hair on your head grows a lot slower than the hair on your face or arms.

It's common for arm hair to grow as little as 27 mm a day or less. Some people wonder if removing the unwanted hair speeds up or slows down the regrowth rate. But there's really nothing to worry about.

When you shave your arms, it doesn't affect the speed that the hair grows back. The only thing that will affect the rate your hair grows back is if you use a permanent hair removal gel.

Shaving vs Waxing Arm Hair

Waxing rips your hair out of the arm completely. You are getting the tips of the hair; you're also digging down to get the roots. Waxing can be painful, but it does provide longer-lasting results.

Since shaving is simply cutting off the top of the hair, you'll notice the regrowth faster. It's not that the hair grows back more quickly when you shave; it's just easier to see it. Since the hair is right at the skin's surface, it'll be visible the moment it begins to grow.

Have Smooth Sleek Arms

Should men shave their arms? Yes! If it makes you happy, go for it, and now you know how to do it right. Having everything together in one spot will make it easier for you to focus on getting a nice close shave.

Instead of going out and buying all of the materials one by one, make life simple with one of our grooming kits. When you shop with us here at BAKBLADE, you always have a 60-day money-back guarantee, so there's nothing to worry about.

Wondering where else you should and shouldn't shave? Read this blog post all about men's shaving do's and don'ts to find out!