Leg shaving

Leg shaving is the practice of removing leg hair by shaving the hair off using a razor or electric shaver. In addition, some people remove leg hair using waxing, sugaring, depilatories, epilators or other depilation devices, or lasers, but shaving remains the least expensive method.

It is a very common practice among women in the western world, and is also done by some men, especially bodybuilders, cyclists, swimmers and some runners.

In Western countries, the majority of women engage in leg shaving, doing so largely for aesthetic reasons. This practice has developed especially since the early 20th century, around the time of the First World War, as hemlines on women's dresses have become shorter and women's swimsuits have become more revealing, displaying all of a woman's legs.

Some women may only shave the hair below the knee – depending on the length of dress styles in fashion – while others shave the entire leg. The frequency of shaving also varies, with some women shaving their legs every day, and others shaving only at the start of summer, in anticipation of the wearing of a swimsuit. Special razors, different in shape from those used by men for face-shaving, are often used by women. Advertising campaigns also promote hair-removal products, such as depilatories and waxing kits.

Among Western men, the shaving of legs is common in sporting situations and in fact has been taking place for longer than women shaving their legs. For sports such as cycling and swimming, men started shaving their legs around the turn of the 20th Century. Most male swimmers, bicycle racers, and some male non-racers shave their legs regularly. The practice is most useful in long distance swimming, where the effects of drag can cause a significant time difference in races over 400 meters. Regarding cycling, wind tunnel tests performed by Specialized, indicate over a 40 km TT one can save 50-82 seconds by shaving legs. Other reasons cyclists shave include: faster healing and easier cleaning of road rash, less pain during leg massage.

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Wikipedia