Shaving?

[Kenzi]

This might be a bit of an awkward question but I'm curious to know if a lot of FTMs shave or not? Meaning armpits, legs, etc not so much face. Does it make someone any less of a man if they do shave? I can't deny that I don't really like having a lot of hair on my armpits or my legs simply because I get distracted by it and try to pull it out, so I shave it. Does anybody else still shave even after they've transitioned? Trim?

[Jeatyn]

I shave my downstairs, I just prefer it that way. I occasionally shave my armpits..especially during the summer...it feels cleaner

If I end up getting hair on my chest or back that will be shaved/waxed too

[Kenzi]

Ah yeah, I tend to shave my armpits and...whatnot once a week along with my downstairs. It just smells if you don't but the majority of guys I know seem to think that stinking is badass.

[AdamMLP]

I shave downstairs regularly out of habit and because I don't fancy going through the prickly stage... Other than that armpits sometimes if I can be bothered, and legs only if I'm in a situation where someone is going to see them because I'm not out and I used to get a lot of teasing because I didn't shave.  Sometimes I might get bored and shave some random part of me, started shaving my head once before I realised that was a bad idea :p

[Nygeel]

I trim my armpit hair...or rather, a few weeks ago I trimmed it for the first time. I hadn't shaved my armpits since I was 16 or so. For me, shaving would be too time consuming, itchy, and would likely end with lots of cuts so I'd rather just be hairy. Oh, I have buzzed the hair on my shoulders before too. Trimmed my stomach/chest hair but it ended up super uneven and lots of cuts.

[Cyndigurl45]

You know even while I was in my super denial matcho guy mode, body building and tri atahalon training,  doing everything manly just to prove I wasn't a woman I still shaved, back then it was head to toe now it's just nose to toes LOL I guess it was just a manly thing to do. ......

[John Smith]

I stopped shaving bodyhair a few years ago when I decided to  when I decided to transition. The exception was down below, I shave or trim, although mainly the latter.

I trim the armpits sometimes on occasion.

As for it being manly or not, naw, makes no difference, just personal preference is all.

[AlexanderReese]

I shave my face, and below the belt. That's it. I have a lot of leg hair but a couple bald leg spots too hahaha.

[Kenzi]

I've tried letting my armpit hair and the like grow out but I just end up shaving it off because I tend to wear shorts or boxers around the house and it's just...there and annoying.

Though, for those who shave their faces, does it really do anything? I've read that it just gets rid of peach fuzz and the like but is the whole thing really worth it if you aren't on T and can't even get a beard like myself?

[DanicaCarin]

OK.. Just deleted my post, so here it goes again.....

As a MTF who did 41 years of boy mode, here is my observations on shaving/trimming.

1. Lots of guys shave their back. Most people don't "dig" back hair!
2. Some guys shave their chest/stomach. Its kinda out of style to have a hairy chest like Tom Shellac(SP).
3. Most guys will trim nose hairs, "uni brow's", and facial hair like beards/mustaches. Looking like "snaggle puss" isn't cool!
4. Some guys will trim their privates..... It helps in the "BJ" department, since almost nobody likes playing "kissy face" with parts surrounded with too much hair.
5. Most guys don't shave their armpits, unless they fall into one of the below mentioned groups.

Guys that shave/trim in odd places:
Hard core cyclists, swimmers, body builders, porn stars, "wanna be porn stars", and male models.

If you want to groom yourself in a "typical" male sense(IE to pass more) then keep it to the list above. I'm not saying you can't trim down below or your arm pits, but its kinda like a MTF deciding that having hair legs is gonna make them "pass" better than shaved legs. Now if your not worried about passing/blending in, then disregard everything I just wrote. But I suspect you will find shaving odd locations will "clock" you like a five o'clock shadow clocks a MTF.

Hope that helps! I have this really strong urge to help you guys in any way I can. I guess its kinda like..... I'm a failure at being who I am(Female), so I suppose I feel kinda "less worthless" helping you guys. If I am?

Dani 

[Darrin Scott]

I tried to shave my downstairs, but its itchy and a PIA. I just don't shave anything now other than my face on occasion.

[mm]

Once I decided I was going to live as a guy I stopped all shaving; I don't have enough facial hair to need to shave every day yet.  I certainly don't want to trim or shave below as the hair help hide what I don't have down there.  I use tampon so don't have a problem with pads in the hair when I get my shark attack.

[AlexanderReese]

When I shave my upper lip yes the hairs grow back so I find shaving helps. But my cheeks /chin don't get more than a few random hairs that grow in.

[Chamillion]

Does it make someone any less of a man if they do shave?

No definitely not, some just prefer it. I continued to shave my armpits for the first year or so on T cos I thought it felt more hygienic. Only stopped cos these 2 kids were having an argument over who had longer armpit hair and both of them had way less than I knew I could grow so I stopped shaving it haha, and then realized it doesn't bother me to have it so I stopped completely.

Only shave my face & downstairs now. I love having hairy legs and chest, but people have different preferences.

[Ayden]

Just the crotch area for hygiene reasons. What with the T, the hair has gotten a lot thicker and it can lead to some itching and stronger smell. I quit shaving when I decided to transition. However, I will add that I sucked at shaving to begin with. I would always shave my armpits but I would go for anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months in between shaving my legs. My hair never grew that fast, I lived in Alaska so I wore jeans most of the year, and the husband didn't care so I let myself be lazy about it.

That being said, I have thought about shaving everything. The only thing stopping me is the prickly stage, and the fact that I'm kinda lazy about it. I think shaving is a personal preference. I would see plenty of guys at the gym back home shaved head to toe.

[Make_It_Good]

I dont shave anything (except my face, but I know that wasnt part of the main question).
I prefer to be hairy, to me it does feel more masculine. I wouldnt want to be a guy who shaves or waxes.
Ive come to love my body hair. However, I do not grow hair on my back or shoulders, and this is the only type of body hair that I think could potentially bother me abit, but Id still leave it there even if I did.
I know of guys at uni that wax their eyebrows and their chests etc. Alot of these guys are very masculine, but metrosexual I guess. I dont think theres enough guys that just leave the hair and not worry about how it looks! :p (Im discounting hygiene reasons here).

[dalebert]

Disclaimer: not an FTM

Just scrotum normally, and trim around. However, I actually shaved my legs to wear tights for my latest Halloween costume and found I kinda like it. 

[Arch]

I haven't shaved pits since I was a teenager (it was better than listening to my mother tell me over and over that I was in for a rude awakening if I didn't).

When I was in my early twenties and away from the evil influence of my maternal parent, I did sometimes shave my legs halfway, but not very often.

If you're less of a man for shaving after transition, then I was less of a woman for not shaving way back then.

Or, wait...that's not what I meant. Not. At. All. I'm tired.

Some men don't like their body hair. No big deal. Me, I hang onto every scrap of it, even the back hair. But when that starts getting really bushy, I might just do something about it.

[Ayden]

Disclaimer: not an FTM

Just scrotum normally, and trim around. However, I actually shaved my legs to wear tights for my latest Halloween costume and found I kinda like it. 

Awww don't be embarrassed! Husband liked having smooth legs. His body hair is just so thick that he would have had to shave every day. He can't even keep his fave hairless for less than 12 hours. Shave at 6am, beard by 3pm.

I haven't shaved pits since I was a teenager (it was better than listening to my mother tell me over and over that I was in for a rude awakening if I didn't).

When I was in my early twenties and away from the evil influence of my maternal parent, I did sometimes shave my legs halfway, but not very often.

If you're less of a man for shaving after transition, then I was less of a woman for not shaving way back then.

Or, wait...that's not what I meant. Not. At. All. I'm tired.

Some men don't like their body hair. No big deal. Me, I hang onto every scrap of it, even the back hair. But when that starts getting really bushy, I might just do something about it.

Bold because I about pee'd myself giggling at this earlier. It came out wrong, but I totally understand what you meant. 

My mother bullied me into shaving when I was about... 9 I think. It was right after the captain sailed in for the first time. I was pretty terrible at it though - I only shaved up to my knees and I would do it so fast that I still have scars on my shins from just trying to get it over with. I got bullied into shaving my armpits for the same reason, which was awful because I was always sweating up a storm since I was always outside playing. So the hair was no longer absorbing sweat, and went it would grow back it was so itchy so I kept it up for a long time.

[Darth_Taco]

I shave or trim pretty much everything :'P. I just like being smooth :'D.