Leg shaving is the practice of removing leg hair

Leg hair

Leg hair is hair that grows on the legs of humans, generally appearing at the onset of adulthood.Male legs are most often hairier than female ones. The amount of hair on an individuals legs can depend on their ethnic background...

 by shaving

Shaving

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair...

 the hair off using a razor

Razor

A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of unwanted body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, disposable razors and electric razors....

 or electric shaver. In addition, some people remove leg hair using waxing

Waxing

Waxing is a method of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root. New hair will not grow back in the previously waxed area for two to eight weeks, although some people will start to see regrowth in only a week. Almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows,...

, sugaring

Sugaring (epilation)

Sugaring, sugar waxing or Persian waxing is a method of hair removal.It has been in use since 1900 BC.Sugaring can be less painful than waxing, because the substrate sticks to the hair without attaching to the skin, may be applied at room temperature or heated to a lukewarm temperature, preventing...

, depilatories, depilation device

Tool

A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...

s, or lasers

Laser hair removal

Laser hair removal was performed experimentally for about 20 years before it became commercially available in the mid 1990s. One of the first published articles describing laser hair removal was authored by the group at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1998...

, but shaving remains the least expensive method.

It is a very common practice among women in Western countries, and is also done by some men, especially bodybuilders, cyclists and swimmers.

Women

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, as hemline

Hemline

The hemline is the line formed by the lower edge of a garment, such as a skirt, dress or coat, measured from the floor.The hemline is perhaps the most variable style line in fashion, changing shape and ranging in height from hip-high to floor-length...

s on women's dresses have become shorter and women's swimsuit

Swimsuit

A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...

s have become more revealing, displaying all of a woman's legs.

Some women may only shave the hair below the knee (depending, for example, on the fashionable length of dress styles) 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.

Men

Among Western men, the shaving of legs is unusual, but may be becoming more common; when practiced it is most common in sporting situations. Most male swimmers, bicycle racers, and some male non-racers shave their legs regularly. There's no objective evidence to support the practice and little common agreement as to its rationale, although a multitude of reasons are given. The various reasons include: faster healing and easier cleaning of road rash

Road rash

Road rash is a colloquial term for skin and bone injury caused by abrasion with road surfaces, usually as a consequence of cycling and motorcycling accidents. The term may be applied to both a fresh injury and the scar tissue left by an old one...

, less pain during leg massage, aesthetics, vanity (by more clearly displaying leg muscles), fitting in with cycling peers, "feeling faster" (without the feel of wind on body hair so less drag), a sense that Lycra cycling shorts 'stick' to the skin better with shaved legs, and a sense that the absence of leg hair assists in preventing ingrown hairs in the upper thighs from tight-fitting Lycra shorts.

Many athletes also shave their legs and/or bodies to facilitate therapeutic massage that is frequently a part of their training or post-race recovery programs. They may also shave their legs if they tape protective gear to them to prevent the tape from pulling painfully on the hair when removed.

It is also frequently practised by male models and bodybuilders, since it accentuates muscle

Muscle

Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...

definition.