Bye bye Chewbacca!!!

Thank you for sharing that with us, and your point is so well taken.
Amy

Love your article. It is so relatable. I just went through the same thing so it’s good to hear it from another point of view.

I’m always scared when I shave, but you are right that the fears are mostly in our own minds. I shave my legs, torso and nether regions. But I have not yet been able to get the courage to shave my arms. Maybe someday.

Spot on observations! I've only shaved entirely for Halloween, and even then I was always worried about what my wife would say. I typically only remove the parts that cant' be easily covered up, but I fantasize about being hairless on torso and legs regularly. Someday...

Thank you for sharing your story, Daisy. For me, my concern was what my wife and other family members might think about me if they suddenly noticed an abrupt transition from hairy arms and legs to smooth shaven. So I started out by using a hair trimmer to shorten the hairs, just not a totally smooth look. Over several weeks, I went shorter and shorter and the transition was subtle enough that noone really noticed (if anyone did notice, they never said anything to me). Finally, I got to the point of shaving my arms, legs...my body...smooth. After several months of shaving, I tired of the irritation and I am now going through laser treatments. I am so much happier, now that I hardly need to take a razor to my body and look forward to reaching my goal of permanent smoothness. If this approach does not work for you, hopefully someone else might read this and find it useful. Best wishes on your continued pursuit of being smooth. Anne

Daisy, I very much appreciated your article, and helpful suggestions. As one who is trying to keep the hair at bay, I certainly relate to the struggles you describe.
I usually use a combination of shaving and cutting it off with a manscaping hair trimmer.
I also find cutting the hairs short before shaving help reduce the razor clogging. Also have a lot of razors available, shave while you can, clean razors afterward, I think.
Another advice I would have is to continue to shave small areas at a time, with a follow-up the next day for stray hairs. I find if I try and shave too big an area, I get in a hurry and that I end up with a lot more bumps, and irritated skin.
I recently took the step of shaving my untouched arms, I wear some short sleeve shirts to work, and was hesitant to take this step, but I got tired of trying to hide my arms and shoulders in a sweater throw.
I also have been more trying to get out of the house, dressed, but not in my neighborhood.
So far nothing has been said, but maybe after the eyebrow trimming etc, they are not that surprised.
I'm intrigued by the post about the hair laser from wish, so I will check it out.
Lili

Daisy-you are fat from alone! While I was not nearly as hairy as some folks are, it took me until just ten years ago to even dip my toe in the water as far as shaving anything other than my face. It was around winter of 2010 when I first shaved my legs-waiting until December so they wouldn’t show and stopping in January so the hair would grow back before I’d be in shorts again. I did that every other year for a couple times-then I took the next step and shaved the UNDERSIDE only of my forearms (figuring that it was light and sparse and maybe no one could really tell).

Th en after I joined the site here back in August of 2015, some of my fellow members encouraged me to take the plunge and shave all over. I did it and it felt incredible! And then I decided WTF I was gonna keep myself smooth from that point forward. And I have! If anyone noticed they have never said anything to me about it. And really lots of guys keep themselves hair free nowadays -swimmers, cyclists, body builders and metrosexuals. Other than immediate close family members NO ONE really cares! (Or even notices!). Honestly it’s the same with getting your ears pierced too! Our fears and imagination are almost always far worse than the reality!
Thanks again for sharing!!
Cyn

Very interesting to hear all the stories and suggestions about shaving. I started shaving my body smooth about 2 months ago. I started HT 3 months ago. My first try found me lathering up and using a new blade, after an hour or so i completed the task. So I thought. Upon further scutiny i realized that I was not silky smooth as i thought. Next attempt, soaked in the tub after trimming everything down as close as possible with an electric trimmer, soaked for 30 minutes in my hot bath with some body oils. After that a nice hydrating moisturizer and finally some scented shaving gel. Two new blades later and i can say most everything was silky smooth. As some of you have noted, for some areas being a circus contortionist is a must. A little ingenuity was required for those thin but obvios hairs across the back. An extended handle and two mirrors made short work of the back nine. At first i was worried what my spouse or coworkers might say. But having told my wife already about transitioning I felt she had to see it as a natural step in my evolving body. Coworkers i determined, did not really matter they would draw whatever conclussion they were going to form anyhow. Besides, its getting to the point were lack of hair is the least of my concerns for not being outed. Hiding the points and buds is my new project, but eventually hiding things will just be a thing of the past. As being who I am becomes more important than what people think.
Thanks and hugs,
Traci Lynn

Thanks Daisy! The first few times I shaved I would do what many of us do, shave in the winter and stop in spring so by summer time I would have enough hair on my legs again. I was so afraid of someone finding out, in some cases still am, though at this point not as much. And yeah, still trying to find the best way for my skin, though exfoliating and moisturizing has helped tremendously.

It took me awhile to shave my legs. It’s kinda funny when I first did it. I had done it in the summer time after I started my new life in a new place. Anyways, not long after I shaved, I got set up with a blind date. Things hit it off between us and she noticed that my legs had no hair. She was puzzled at first because she had not been with a guy who did that but she went along with it and started rubbing my legs! I got scared at first but it turned out that she liked it and couldn’t keep her hands off my silky legs lol. After that it didn’t bother me and now I shave without even thinking about it.