shave or trim?

[BobInTampa]

As you can tell by the responses, shaving/trimming is very much like like the "bud light/miller light - less filling/tastes great" debate - it's a personal decision.

That said, it's been my experience that there's a DIRECT connection between a guy's overall apperance (especially their hair/face) and how they deal with the growth "south of the border." Add to that, the dynamic of their current relationship status, and the shave/trim debate really heats up!

Here are some observations i've noted over my many decades in the gay community:
- if a guy is attracted to/turned on by or wants to attract guys with little or no body hair - will have little or no body hair.

- conversly, if a guy is turned on by body hair (be they bears, cubs, or otters), he will let his own hair grow out

- then there are the guys who try to "straddle" the hair issue. Sometimes they trim, sometimes they shave - they try to follow a "trend" - but usually it's done on a whim or because they hope by growing out or trimming they attract a guy - but it's not a driving issue.

Finally, and you see this in the responses, guys who are in a relationship will usually make this decision based on what their PARTNER finds attractive. This would explain why a bear, who's 5'8" and weighs 290lbs shaves himself bare down there - but still has all his body hair - he'll say, "Because my partner likes me that way."

For me personally, it's more about an honest, self-examination of how i present myself physically, the time of year (summer vs winter) and overall body assessment. THere were times in my life when i let myself go physically. I ate too much, excerciesed too little, gained alot of weight and thus, avoided situations where i might have to go shirtless and preferred any intimate acts to happen in little or no light. When i emerged from my self-imposed pity party and made the decision to get in shape (no, i'm NOT a gym bunny/rat), my improved body/self-image prompted changes in my physical appearance.

So, every 2 or 3 months, i stand in front of a full-lenght mirror and take a long, honest look at my body and what i feel about what i see and ALSO about waht am i saying to others about my body. You see, i feel that how one presents themselves physically, makes a statement to others about the quality of my character. When i was way overweight, i wore old, loose-fitting clothes, didn't keep up on my haircuts, and didn't care at all about my body hair or my pubes. When i got in shape, i wanted to show off my new body and made changes to my clothing (wearing clothes that fit - not caring if they were luxury labels - kept up on my grooming habits and also took a critical look at my body hair and my "nether regions ahahah."

I live in florida, so we can pretty much hit the beach and do outdoor activities 10-11 months out of the year. So yea, when i put on shorts or swimwear, i look at my body and it's only a matter of seconds before i know if i should trim or shave, if i need to get some sun, etc.

Now, i don't have (or want to put in the time, energy and money) to have a "swimmers body" or to be totally ripped. I'm a smaller-framed guy (5'8"..150lbs), and i know what i look good wearing (and not wearing) and what makes me feel good.

i'm also fortunate that i have a partner who dosn't tell me one way or the other if he likes me trimmed or shaved. He says all the time, "i love you just the way you are, but if you're asking should you trim that forrest down there, i'd say yes - but it's not gonna stop me from wanting to work my magic down there or anything like that."

And actually, since my partner and i are very much porn officianados, we can scan porn sites and in a matter of seconds see a pic of an amature guy with body hair and find him extremely sexy and then a few seconds later, see a picture of a tall, lean, fit, muscular guy with no body hair and have the exact same reaction.

So, from my perspective, trimming vs. shaving should driven more about one's overall self-love, respect and image and less about what others think.

Just my 2 cents worth!

[MisterTinkles]

No shaving. I don't even mind back hair. I have a couple of friends who shave and we always have this argument. Sorry...but I like men. Some men are hairy. No biggie.

And what is with this new "Hitler pube" thing. Have you seen this? I keep seeing guys who shave off their pubes, leaving a strip down the middle! What in the hell is THAT? I'm sorry but you shouldn't make me laugh with my mouth full!

I dont think they call it a Hilter pube thing, I think its called a "landing strip" or an "air strip".

Yeah, I find shaved shapes hysterical. I just couldnt hold a straight face (pardon the expression).

I mean if you want to shave your chest hair in the shape of a huge valentine for me....I think I could deal with that.....

[partisan]

My chest hair is similar to above pic and resembles a heart, naturally! my legs hairy too. Unlike lalo i hate seeing hairy backs im afraid, i shaved my cock n balls once and it felt "wrong" so never again, i love hairy chests, and anyone without one simply did not eat there bread crusts as a child.

[NorthLondonLad]

I trim then shave. gotta keep it tidy!

[Mattlj92]

I shave but if I'm in a relationship I'd let my partner have a say.

[stu]

Dreadlocks.



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[Sylph]

Dreadlocks.

Yes, you called? :-)

~~

Personally, I don't grow much body hair...no chest or back hair and not much of anything else, except for my hair on my head which grows super fast (minus my incredibly slow facial hair :-| ). And I owe it all to my mommy, whom I get the majority of my features from, thank godness, cause my father is hairy...ew.

Now I don't mind other guys being hairy, cause it's normal, but when you can braid, plait or do other little styles with it, this queer steers clear. Cause to me, hair holds smells and dirt and like dreadlocks, which I personally keep smelling cute and clean, guys who are hairy tend to have a stigma placed on them for being smelly people. Not that every hairy guy is smelly, similar to how not every dread has smelly hair (yes, I'm on a dreadlock rampage this week lol).

I just don't wanna hug my boyfriend and get lost. I just don't feel like navigating my man, like he was the bloody forbidden forest.

And working at the beach part time, I always see these men who are like walking chia-pets, like Sis, what the fuck? .

But, even in light of my strong views on body hair, I would never judge someone because of what they have naturally, but so long as they are willing to keep it in check. I don't think I could be with a guy who was strictly hairy, because if I don't like it, then he would or should be willing to compromise and trim it or shave it and if not, then we can always be friends, but we just won't go swimming.

I'm really not as shallow as it seems from this little rant, but I was traumatized when I was younger, cause my grandpa is a carpet and when he hugged me, his chest hair went in my mouth and I nearly died of repulsion X-( .

[dvdbwn]

depends on the guy... hair varies. definitely don't like completely shaven. trimmed is good.

[AdamNoEve]

I just trim mine

[Englishman]

I like men not boys.. so no shaving for me.