I haven't shaved my legs in like four years but it's very obviously not growing like a bio male's. I've been on T for five months and I was wondering if I shaved my legs now, would the hair grow back with a more masculine pattern?
I think leg hair distribution would be a genetic thing, like arm hair or chest/back/belly hair. I'm not sure how shaving could alter the pattern. But if there is data on that it could be interesting to read.
They say that hair growing back thicker is actually a myth. It just looks thicker because it has a blunt tip, supposedly.
Like facial hair growth body hair growth seems to take time. Two years and five months on T and I still have a few thinner areas in my leg hair but they are filling out. I'm nowhere near a hairy guy though because of my Native American heritage so I don't have as much body hair as some guys, but it has taken two years to get to the point I am. Give it time, the shaving thing is a myth. It won't change hair growth patterns and you'd have to go through that annoying "prickly leg" stage.
Quote from: CueParadise on April 12, 2014, 02:16:18 PM
I haven't shaved my legs in like four years but it's very obviously not growing like a bio male's. I've been on T for five months and I was wondering if I shaved my legs now, would the hair grow back with a more masculine pattern?
I don't understand what a "masculine pattern" for leg hair is?
IMHO, shaved legs would look stranger than patchy hair.
Many cis males have patchy hair on their arms or legs. I don't think it is any kind of automatically "read" or give away.
--Jay
Quote from: CueParadise on April 12, 2014, 02:16:18 PM
I haven't shaved my legs in like four years but it's very obviously not growing like a bio male's. I've been on T for five months and I was wondering if I shaved my legs now, would the hair grow back with a more masculine pattern?
I had this same thought/problem. The hair on my legs was alot thicker than a cis male. I didn't like it. But 7 months later, I have noticed it's thinned out somehow. Same with the hair under my arms, it used to be thick but it's also thinned out. I have no idea how this happened, I thought to shave my legs too to get thesame effect but I didn't and now I'm happy I didn't, because man, it took a long time in the first place to grow to normal length. And it looks normal now. I would say don't do it! It will eventually look how you want it to.
Even if genetics and common sense don't back me up, I feel like shaving has some kind of effect. I had surgeries on one foot and not the other, and whenever would I shave that ankle it seemed to take forever for the hair in that area to look like it was normal, and not just around the incision.
I agree that you should just be patient and not expect too much this early in, but if you do try shaving, that isn't going to hurt anything. It would be a very low-risk experiment.
my legs could get pretty hairy even before hrt, i shave mine though just cause the girlfriend likes it better (shes not big into hairy guys), but its personal preference if you want to shave or not, I don't think shaving it would really do much though, I don't really get the masculine pattern?, cis guys have different hair patterns on their legs, some are really hairy, others aren't, some are patchy, some aren't, just depends on the person
Quote from: CueParadise on April 12, 2014, 02:16:18 PM
I haven't shaved my legs in like four years but it's very obviously not growing like a bio male's. I've been on T for five months and I was wondering if I shaved my legs now, would the hair grow back with a more masculine pattern?
No. Shaving doesn't affect hair growth. It's a common myth that I've seen dispelled by reputable sources many times. The hair grows from deep within the follicle and what's outside the follicle is just dead cells. Only things that affect the follicle might have lasting (but not necessarily permanent) effects, e.g. laser treatments, waxing or tweezing (which can traumatize the root), rogaine or other medications that can affect hair growth, etc. If you're REALLY desperate for body hair, you could apply rogaine to the area, but that will go away a short while after you stop treating it twice a day and would get tedious and expensive.
We're all different genetically. I've had people ask me on multiple occasions (a cis male) if I shave my legs just because I have very little body hair genetically. It's not necessarily a T thing.
Quote from: Felix on June 12, 2014, 02:56:31 AMI had surgeries on one foot and not the other, and whenever would I shave that ankle it seemed to take forever for the hair in that area to look like it was normal, and not just around the incision.
That's very likely an effect the surgery had. Trauma can affect the follicles nearby in somewhat random ways. Sometimes it triggers extra hair growth and sometimes it diminishes it. For instance, some blood vessels that fed hair follicles nearby may have been damaged. Similarly, diabetes can affect blood flow to the extremities and so one of the symptoms can be reduced hair growth on or near the hands and feet.
I shaved my legs once since starting T. Never again. My hair has gotten so long I have to take the clippers to them first. Way too much work! I do shave my armpits in the summer though, for body odor control. I sweat a lot here and it gets pretty unpleasant when the hair maintains the smell no matter how much I wash.
I noticed that at 2 years my legs are way hairier than some guys I know. I think it's because the friction from my pants hasn't had years to wear the hair down. Although I do have a few bald patches on my thighs from where my pants rub my legs. It took about a year of T for my hair to grow in though, and it's pretty dark below my knee. I do have a lot of blond hair though, since I'm a blond. I have more blond than dark hair but it's pretty visible. Time will work it's magic. Shaving won't actually make the hair grow faster, it just seems that way.
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That's very likely an effect the surgery had. Trauma can affect the follicles nearby in somewhat random ways. Sometimes it triggers extra hair growth and sometimes it diminishes it. For instance, some blood vessels that fed hair follicles nearby may have been damaged. Similarly, diabetes can affect blood flow to the extremities and so one of the symptoms can be reduced hair growth on or near the hands and feet.
That's probably true. I have some dark hairs on injury sites on my arms and hands. And I think socks rub some hair off. I've seen sock-shaped smoother patches on a lot of people. But I don't know.
I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but a guy asked me early in transition (he knew I was ftm) if my leg hair was real. I can't even imagine how one would create and wear artificial leg hair. It made me laugh. :laugh:
I am 4+ months in and my hair is quite patchy but I'm Asian. I have almost no hair on my arms for example. It has gotten a little longer but is barely noticeable, but I have gotten hair growing on my stomach and chest. Hair on my legs have gotten longer but since I was always thin-haired there before, I wouldn't say there's much of a difference. I am however considering if I should start shaving at some point simply because I am not fond of body hair but right now I don't for passing reasons. I know that guys can shave though, but meh.